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UPDATE (March 12, 2009):The Utah High School Activities Association board heard from the school's principals Wednesday and has decided to hold a hearing to address the concerns. It's scheduled for April 22.
SALT LAKE CITY (March 11, 2009) -- The Utah High School Activities Association will decide today if the Hillcrest High School Drill Team can keep the 5-A State title they were awarded in January. They swept the competition, or did they?
The drill teams at Bingham and Brighton, who placed second and third at the state competition, say Hillcrest broke the rules. They also say one of the five judges was biased.
Bingham High School's principal told members of the Utah High School Activities Association Executive Committee Wednesday morning Hillcrest knowingly violated the rules by changing their kick routine between the region and state competitions.
The rule allows coaches to change up to 16 counts. Susan Malone, Hillcrest High School principal, said, "We found out, depending on how you count the kicks, because people can count different ways was between 18 and 36 counts that were found."
Bingham and Brighton's second concern has to do with the way one of the judge's scored the schools. Judge 5 gave Bingham a 10th-place ranking in their military routine and Brighton a 10th-place ranking in their dance routine, while other judges consistently ranked those schools in the top four.
The judge also gave Hillcrest first-place rankings in their military and dance routines.
So although Hillcrest took the state title, both Brighton and Bingham took first place at their respective region competitions; Brighton beating Hillcrest.
No one from the schools or the Utah High School Activities Association would talk to us on camera until a decision is made.
E-mail: corton@ksl.com
