William Floyd High School track star Zariel Macchia files lawsuit in hopes of running in state championships on Saturday

A judge is expected to rule Thursday on a lawsuit filed by William Floyd High School track star Zariel Macchia that challenges a decision declaring her ineligible for the rest of the indoor track and field season after she competed against college athletes last month.

The ruling by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association on Feb. 18 determined that Macchia would not be able to compete in the state championship meet this Saturday on Staten Island. She qualified in two events — the 1,000 and 3,000 meters. Macchia, 18, has won six state championships in her high school career. 

The lawsuit, obtained by Newsday, was filed in Suffolk County Supreme Court late Tuesday and seeks a temporary restraining order to allow Macchia to compete. In the suit, Macchia said the decision by the NYSPHSAA “was arbitrary and capricious” and that if the “court declines to order the temporary immediate relief, I will suffer irreparable harm which cannot be remedied at a later date.”

The hearing began late Wednesday afternoon in Riverhead. Judge Christopher Modelewski heard arguments but delayed a decision until Thursday because he wanted more testimony from witnesses.

“I’m hopeful that the truth will come out and we’ll have a fair and just decision,” Macchia said after Wednesday’s hearing. “This case isn’t even just about me. There’s other athletes that are also being excluded throughout the state from this rule. I would hope that we’d be able to get all of them to be able to participate in the state meet on Saturday, and hopefully be able to make this rule fair for everyone, now and in the future.”

Macchia, who is committed to run for Brigham Young University in Utah, violated a rule that prohibits high school athletes from competing against college athletes who were representing their college teams. She participated in the Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invitational on Feb. 15, finishing third in the 1,000.

In the lawsuit, Macchia said, “I was not made aware nor was I aware that participating in the Valentine Invite would jeopardize and put my eligibility to participate in the championship at stake.”

The rule Macchia violated is called the “College Rule” in the NYSPHSAA handbook. The rule states that NYSPHSAA athletes are not allowed to “participate in practice or competition with or against any individual or team representing a college” at any time during a sport’s season. Macchia would not have violated the rule if her opponents had run unaffiliated.

Cynthia Augello, the lawyer representing Macchia, argued on Wednesday that NYSPHSAA’s history of enforcing the rule is inconsistent and that Macchia thought she was properly following the rules by running unattached.

“I think that if [NYSPHSAA] actually had rules that were able to be followed, and were followed properly and were used properly and consistently, we’d have a very different story,” Augello said after Wednesday’s hearing.

Tom Combs, the executive director of Suffolk County’s governing body of interscholastic sports, said in testimony Wednesday that Macchia and her parents knew about the rule before deciding to run in the Feb. 15 race.

“We’re happy that the judge wants witnesses that can corroborate that the parents knew the rule, which is a good thing,” Combs said after Wednesday’s hearing. “And we’re going to provide that.”

Peter Macchia, Zariel’s father, was not able to attend Wednesday’s hearing but is expected to testify Thursday.

Reached earlier in the day, he said, “It’s about principle now. At this point, there’s so many alarming things, the race is secondary. It’s completely about principle. And it’s about fairness to the athletes across the whole state.”