After an extensive review of information surrounding the disqualification of Franklin Community High School diver Anesa Beard in last Saturday’s sectional competition, IHSAA Commissioner Blake Ress today announced her reinstatement into the IHSAA Girls Swimming and Diving state tournament series.

"We have reviewed this ruling from every possible angle," said Ress. "I have talked with all parties involved, and after further discussion and analysis, we have determined that not all of the preventive steps were exhausted in this situation. At the IHSAA, we believe in, and endorse, preventive officiating. Because of that, we have offered Anesa the opportunity to re-enter the diving competition and she has accepted."

A competition will be conducted Friday that will provide Beard the opportunity to meet the state meet qualifying standards.

"This is a unique situation with a unique set of circumstances," Ress said. "My decision to re-instate this athlete does not alter the spirit, intent or application of IHSAA By-Law (16-2) which states the decisions of contest officials are final and binding.

"However, I will apprise the National Federation of this situation and ask for the national competition rule to be changed so that safety is ensured while the meaning of jewelry is more reasonably defined. And within our association, we will attempt to provide more training in the area of preventive officiating."

Beard is a sophomore who was entered in the diving competition last Saturday at the Center Grove Sectional. She was disqualified after her first dive for violation of a rule regarding objects that are not part of a swimmer’s standard uniform. Under competition rules written by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), swimmers and divers are permitted to wear hair restraints in their hair. However, the rule calls for disqualification from the event if the athlete wears the object on another part of his or her body.

Sectional competitions were conducted at 20 sites across the state last Saturday. Divers with the highest four scores at each site qualified for the regional competitions conducted Tuesday night at four sites. The top eight divers at each regional advanced to the state finals.

The diving competition at the 27^th Annual IHSAA Girls Swimming and Diving state finals begins at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis. The diving finals, along with the consolation races and championship races in 11 swimming events, begin at 1 p.m. Saturday. The preliminaries in the swimming events begin at 6 p.m. Friday.