High school softball: Sequoyah-Tahlequah slowpitch title in jeopardy

The board voted to deny the retroactive eligibility hardship appeal of Sequoyah-Tahlequah softball player Kelsey Leach.

Now a junior, Leach has played the last two years for Sequoyah-Tahlequah, but the school never filed hardship eligibility paperwork with the OSSAA after Leach transferred in from the Cave Springs school district. Leach never attended Cave Springs, but came from Rocky Mountain Schools, a dependent K-8 district. Her family resides in the Cave Springs district boundaries.

The OSSAA board ruled that Leach's request did not meet the requirements necessary to receive a hardship waiver, essentially making her an ineligible player for the last two years.

Now, the OSSAA staff members will examine her participation over those two years to rule on any potential game forfeits the team could face, including last spring's Class 5A state tournament.

The staff will also determine how many games Leach must sit out this season, based on her past participation. Typically, the OSSAA rule calls for a participating ineligible player to sit out as many games as he or she played in while ineligible, but OSSAA executive director Ed Sheakley said the staff would not penalize an athlete beyond one full school year.