Campbellsport track runner Onwunili granted waiver by WIAA to compete in Monday's regional
CAMPBELLSPORT - Josh Onwunili will be allowed to run.
Campbellsport track and field coach Derek Toshner said the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association on Friday overturned its original decision that deemed the Campbellsport senior track star was ineligible for competition based on a rule involving his parents, who are missionaries, not living with him in the village.
Onwunili ran for the Cougars his freshman year, then moved to Ghana before returning to Campbellsport for his senior year, according to CBS 2 in Chicago. Onwunili is living with his aunt and uncle, as his parents, who own a home in nearby Eden, continue to mission in Africa. Eden is part of the Campbellsport School District.
With an official time of 10.30 seconds, Onwunili has one of the fastest 100-meter sprint times on record in state history. As regionals will be held Monday, the clock has been ticking on whether the WIAA would overturn its decision.
Social media and state legislators picked up the "Let Josh Run" phrase in an effort to convince the WIAA to reverse their ruling.
"This decision should never have taken this long, and this family put through this grueling process," state Rep. Jerry O'Connor, R-Fond du Lac, said in a statement Friday.
U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Glenbeulah; state Reps. Ty Bodden, R-Hilbert; Rob Brooks, R-Saukville; and state Sen. Duey Strobel, R-Saukville, also helped lobby the WIAA.
The WIAA issued the following statement along with the news of Onwunili being granted a waiver request from Campbellsport High School to become eligible to compete:
"The WIAA Executive Staff, Board of Control, and elected and appointed committees have the responsibility to uphold the integrity of the rules for education-based athletics as established by the membership. Schools have the opportunity to utilize the membership process and work cooperatively with the executive staff to substantiate an extenuating circumstances waiver request. The executive staff and school leaders work diligently with members to ascertain any and all resolutions that provide eligibility for student-athletes to compete. These cooperative efforts, which produced additional documentation presented to the executive staff, were the impetus to affording unrestricted eligibility for the 2024 WIAA Tournament Series."
More details to follow...
To contact Lance LeQue, email him at LLeQue@gannett.com or follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @LanceLeQue.
This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: Josh Onwunili allowed to compete for Campbellsport track after rule overturn by WIAA
