Paris 2024: The Florida High School Athletic Association announced the Class 2A state golf tournament qualifiers on Thursday. Seabreeze coach Cory Flickinger immediately noticed a significant omission – Riley Fletcher. Despite clinching victory at the Region 2-2A tournament for the second consecutive year, the junior golfer was absent from the list of state qualifiers. Thereby missing out on the opportunity to compete at Mission Inn Resort & Club this week.
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Riley Fletcher expressed her confusion, stating, “When coach told me, I was just kind of confused. I thought it was just going to get settled fairly easily.” Typically, the top two teams and the top two individuals from non-qualifying Paris 2024 teams. At regionals move on to the state event. Additionally, an FHSAA formula, taking into account state rankings, and district results. Regional results determine an additional eight squads and individuals for the field.
While Seabreeze did not advance as a team, Fletcher should have qualified individually based on her regional performance. However, upon inquiry about her absence from the qualifiers list, the FHSAA asserted that no mistake had been made. Riley Fletcher was declared ineligible due to her non-participation in the District 6-2A tournament on October 23, citing illness as the reason. In response, Seabreeze submitted a doctor’s note and filed an appeal on Friday, which, unfortunately, was denied.
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The FHSAA clarified the decision in an email to The News-Journal. Golf administrator Ed Thompson citing “Policy 10,” specifying that a student must compete. At each level of the state series to advance or place as an individual. Although this rule is found in the FHSAA handbook under policy 10.3.3, it is not explicitly mentioned in the golf handbook. Interestingly, a similar provision exists in the handbook for another individual sport, cross country, under section 4.5.2.2.4.
Upon the release of the Class 2A state golf tournament qualifiers by the Florida High School Athletic Association last Thursday. Seabreeze coach Cory Flickinger was quick to notice a significant absence – Riley Fletcher. Despite securing victory at the Region 2-2A tournament for the second consecutive year, the junior golfer was conspicuously absent from the list of state qualifiers. Effectively dashing her hopes of competing at Mission Inn Resort & Club this week.
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Expressing her confusion, Fletcher remarked, “When coach told me, I was just kind of confused. I thought it was just going to get settled fairly easily.” Typically, the top two Paris 2024 teams and the top two individuals from non-qualifying teams at regionals move on to the state event. Furthermore, an additional eight squads and individuals are selected through an FHSAA formula that considers state rankings. District results, and regional results.
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While Seabreeze did not progress as a team, Fletcher should have qualified individually based on her regional performance. However, when Seabreeze inquired about her absence from the Paris 2024 qualifiers list. The FHSAA maintained that no mistake had been made. Riley Fletcher was declared ineligible due to her non-participation in the District 6-2A tournament on October 23, citing illness as the reason. In response, Seabreeze submitted a doctor’s note and appealed on Friday.
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But unfortunately, the appeal was denied. The FHSAA clarified the decision in an email to The News-Journal. Golf administrator Ed Thompson cites “Policy 10,” which specifies that a student must compete at each level of the state series to advance or place as an individual. Interestingly, while this rule is found in the FHSAA handbook under policy 10.3.3, it is not explicitly mentioned in the golf handbook.
Notably, a similar provision exists in the handbook for another individual sport, cross country, under section 4.5.2.2.4. The situation has left both Riley Fletcher and her coach perplexed and disappointed as they grapple with the unexpected turn of events. According to the FHSAA handbook, eligibility for individual honours. At the regional and state levels an individual sport requires a student-athlete to compete for individual honours at the district level.
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The handbook states, “To be eligible for individual honours on the state level, a student-athlete shall compete for individual honours on the district and regional levels.” Technically, Riley Fletcher was also ineligible for individual honours at the regional tournament. However, she was allowed to participate as a member of Seabreeze’s team, which qualified for the event. Seabreeze’s coach, Cory Flickinger, expressed the team’s exhaustive efforts on Friday.
I delved into rulebooks and consulting coaches across the state, many of whom had never encountered such a situation. Flickinger highlighted the absence of this specific eligibility rule in the golf handbook, stating, “The biggest thing is, it’s not in the golf handbook. It doesn’t state it anywhere, as far as she would not be eligible.” Flickinger emphasized that Fletcher’s absence from the District 6-2A tournament was due to illness, saying, “She was not trying.
To take any advantage of the system or trying to get ahead or anything like that. She was sick.” Fletcher explained her health condition at the time, stating, “I had a nasty cough, and I was very lethargic. I couldn’t go out and play 18 holes.” However, by the time regionals arrived eight days later, she had recovered and performed exceptionally well. Shooting a 3-over-par 74 and finishing two shots ahead of the rest of the field. Currently, she holds the 12th position in the state’s rankings for Class 2A.
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Reflecting on the situation, Fletcher expressed mixed feelings, noting, “Part of me thinks it’s a little unfair since my team did make it to regionals. Then, we went to regionals, and I played fair, and I won as an individual. So the rules are kind of strange. But it is what it is.” McDuffie and the NSB boys secured a commendable second-place finish at Winter Springs in the high school cross-country event. Meanwhile, her teammate, senior Amelia Cobb, is set to compete at the state tournament this week.
Ranked fifth in the 2A state standings, Cobb clinched her spot by securing second place in her regional competition. Expressing his perspective, Flickinger emphasized the importance of prioritising the well-being of the students, stating, “It should be for the kids. Everything should be in the kids’ best interest. And that’s where a lot of the frustration comes in, too.
A situation like this happens, and are we thinking about what’s best for the kids? … They say that it’s supposed to be for the best players in the state. I don’t think anyone’s arguing (Fletcher) is not top 15 in the state.” In the high school cross-country event at Winter Springs, McDuffie and the NSB boys secured an impressive second-place finish. On a related note, senior teammate Amelia Cobb is gearing up for the state tournament this week.
Best Interests of the Kids
Currently holding the fifth position in the 2A state rankings, Cobb solidified her spot by securing second place in her regional competition. Flickinger shared his perspective, underscoring the importance of prioritising the well-being of the students. He remarked, “It should be for the kids. Everything should be in the kids’ best interest. And that’s where a lot of the frustration comes in, too. A situation like this happens.
And are we thinking about what’s best for the kids? … They say that it’s supposed to be for the best players in the state. I don’t think anyone’s arguing (Fletcher) is not top 15 in the state.” Flickinger’s comments reflect a broader concern. About whether decisions are truly aligned with the best interests of the student-athletes, especially in cases like Riley Fletcher’s. Her ranking suggests she is among the top performers in the state.
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