WPIAL adds 5 transfers to ‘postseason ineligible’ list under new PIAA rule

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, September 18, 2018 | 12:48 PM

The WPIAL approved 20 transfers Monday but five were ruled ineligible for the postseason under new PIAA rules.

Declared postseason ineligible were Bishop Canevin’s Dahvie Austin-Montgomery (football), North Catholic’s Grant Harsch (cross country/track) and James Nelson (golf), OLSH’s Allison Gower (track) and Woodland Hills’ Quinten Peoples (football).

The five are eligible to compete in the regular season.

The PIAA approved new restrictions this summer that made all transfers after Aug. 6 ineligible for the postseason unless the athlete met one of the hardship waivers established in the rule.

In total, the WPIAL has ruled 18 transfers postseason ineligible since the new rule took effect. All can appeal the decision to the WPIAL.

The PIAA hardship waiver explanation says a district committee “may waive this period of ineligibility upon demonstration by the student that the transfer was necessitated by exceptional and unusual circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the student’s family.”

The reasons deemed sufficient are:

A change of residence necessitated by a change in employment.

A school-initiated administrative transfer within a school district.

A court-ordered transfer.

A change of schools caused by a military reassignment of a parent.

A change of schools caused by release from a juvenile facility.

A demonstrable change in income or other financial resources that compels withdrawal from a private school.

The PIAA rule also states that a transfer for “academic, developmental, spiritual and/or social reasons” does not meet the hardship waiver standard. Nor does “a change of residence resulting from a family separation, unless court approved.”

Declared fully eligible Monday without postseason restrictions were Blackhawk’s Coe Siembida, Clairton’s Dontae Sanders, Penn Hills’ Robert Evans, Taijon Laury and Deon Spann, West Mifflin’s Isaiah Gooden, Monessen’s Damri Lawson, Imani Christian’s Letonio Morand, Seton LaSalle’s Italia Bernardi, Shady Side Academy’s Ataes Aggarwal, Erin Canning, Lilly Hartnell and Eve Mango, and Trinity Christian’s Chen Hu.

Chris Harlan is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Chris at charlan@tribweb.com or via Twitter @CHarlan_Trib.

Tags: Bishop Canevin, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Woodland Hills