• Photo Showcase: 2011 Nebraska state swim meet finals, Feb. 26

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LINCOLN — Instead of leaving the Devaney Center on Saturday with memories of fast swims and record-setting performances, many fans at the state high school championship meet left wondering what happened in the championship race of the girls 100-yard breaststroke.

Ralston/Omaha Gross junior Katie Ditter was the first to touch the wall to win the race in a time of 1 minute, 6.84 seconds. Ditter received congratulatory hugs from runner-up Taylor Counter of Scottsbluff/Gering and her Ralston/Gross teammate Jordane Linhart, who had finished third.

After exiting the pool, like all other gold medal winners, Ditter was escorted to an area near the medal stand for a live television interview. But not until the other medalists were being introduced to the crowd, and she had finished the interview, did Ditter realize what was happening.

Ditter had been disqualified by a meet official, Arnie Ban, for what Ralston/Gross coach Docker Hartfield said he was told was a stroke violation.

In the official meet program, Ban was listed as a relay takeoff judge, not a stroke and turn judge.

The confusion continued at the medal stand when sixth-place finisher Sophia Nelson of Lincoln Southwest heard her name being announced for fifth place. She asked Nebraska School Activities Association officials if the announcer meant sixth, but she was moved to the fifth-place step.

Other finishers also were baffled and went to the spot on the stand where they had seen their name on the scoreboard after the race. Ditter stood confused by the television cameras until Ralston/Gross assistant coach Andy Cunningham came and told her what had happened.

“I grabbed her arms and told her what had happened,” Cunningham said. “She was in shock and didn't realize what was going on.”

The other five finalists were moved up one spot, meaning Counter headed back to Scottsbluff with the gold medal and Linhart was presented with the silver. Ditter returned to the deck area assigned to the Ralston/Gross team, where she was consoled by teammates and other contestants.

When Hartfield filed a protest with meet referee Terry Seymour, Hartfield said he asked that the protest committee be assembled to hear his concerns.

Hartfield said that request was denied by Seymour, and after a brief discussion with Seymour and Ban, the meeting ended. Seymour left the building shortly after the final boys race and wasn't available to provide a more detailed explanation of what transpired.

One of the things that concerned Hartfield the most was the way the series of events unfolded.

“I thought the way the rule infraction was delivered to myself and the athlete was uncalled for,” Hartfield said. “There was yelling and screaming behind the blocks and that wasn't the way it was supposed to be done. I wasn't handed a disqualification sheet, it was yelled at me.”

Other coaches and officials were looking through rule books to see if there were other options to review concerning the controversy. Those issues were still being reviewed late Saturday night.

Contact the writer:

490-9714, alexsdad@mail.com

twitter.com/stevebeideck

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