To recap, the Lady Pumas found out that they had a girl playing basketball without a clearance card, which is an AIA violation, and consequentially had to turn themselves into the AIA. They then decided to appeal the violation and the three forfeit games that the player participated in. As a result, the team was put on warning for playing an ineligible player.

Athletic director Jennifer Burks presented the team’s case over a conference call with the AIA executive board, explaining the situation. She also had to clarify what they would do in the future to ensure that this situation did not happen again. After a vote, the AIA decided that the Lady Pumas’ penalty would be a warning.

The Lady Pumas were full of anxiety waiting to find out whether or not they would be given back their three forfeited wins, a crucial part of them getting into the playoffs. They were thrilled when the AIA granted the appeal and the forfeits were rescinded.

Coach Brock Kearsley believes that the appeal was a credit to the girls considering all the time they devoted to becoming a better team and winning games.

“The girls have worked really hard to get to the position they were and to make the playoffs,” he says. He feels it was very important for the Lady Pumas to be rewarded “for what they deserve.”

Kearsley also says there were “a lot of sleepless nights and a lot of praying” in the days leading up to the appeal, however that did not stop the team from continuing to practice as if they were already in the playoffs.

“We’re proud of the girls for continuing to work hard and not letting this situation put them down. Instead they kept working hard and kept trying to win games, which kept them in the playoffs,” Burks says.

With their newly appealed forfeits, the Lady Pumas jumped from 30th to 20th in division-1, putting them back into the action just in time for their first round in the playoffs against Boulder Creek on February 18.  Unfortunately, they lost 28-50.

Kearsley admits that he thinks the team could have played better stating, “I thought we were a little nervous, a little tight at the beginning. But, you know, they played hard.”

In any case, the team made remarkable gains and grew immeasurably this year.

“I think we became ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ and it really benefitted the team and the commitment…really showed through,” Kearsley says.

In the future, Kearsley hopes for the team “to improve and to get more wins during the season and…hopefully get a win or two in the playoffs next year.”