Clara Adams, a sophomore high school sprinter in California, had a rule change after winning a preliminary heat in the girls’ 400 meters in a CIF State Track and Field Championship meet. There’s no doubt she won, but her victory was stripped because a rule was made up to disqualify her after she won.

She won the state title and, as anyone would have done, she celebrated her victory — something most winners do. She was stripped of the state title after celebrating. Nobody had ever forbidden the way winners celebrated at her school.

After winning a preliminary heat, she finished first in the finals the next day but was stripped of the title because of a celebration that was deemed by meet officials to be unsportsmanlike.

She had run the fastest in the girls 400-meter finals. She crossed the finish line .28 seconds ahead of her closest rival. That was cause for celebration, so she did what most winners do. She celebrated using a small fire extinguisher to spray her cleats—something her father gave her after the event was over. 

The crowd loved it, but her action was deemed “unsportsmanslike!”  She was stripped of her title and not allowed to compete further because officials who were no longer in charge of the track meet once the meet was over, decided to make an after-game ruling without an appeal of a non-existing rule.
The race was over. Clara had walked back in front of the stands, found her father, who handed her the small fire extinguisher. She walked back across the track into the grass, where she sprayed her cleats as if she was putting out a fire. Her move was one made as a tribute to former U.S. sprinter, Maurice Greene, who similarly celebrated his win in the 100 at the 2004 Home Depot Invitational. He was celebrated! She was punished! “If the celebration was away (off the track) from everyone and not interfering with anyone, I would say reinstate her,” Greene said.
Instead of being the victorious one, Clara was stripped of a title she had won, and given to someone else. Adams said she was just having fun. The crowd loved her celebration. She had just won her first state title and yes, she was excited, but it was all taken away from her because somebody, after the track meet was over, decided to give her victory to somebody else!
Insensitive adults made her sit and watch others who came in behind her as they accepted what she would’ve received as the victor!

Clara meant no harm because no such rule existed. Her win in the 400 marked her first state title and insensitive adults took it away from her. She didn’t do anything wrong.

Clara’s father said the officials “were really nasty” toward his daughter. They “tugged on her arm. They were screaming in her face. They had allowed no appeal before taking the title and giving it to the second place winner!  Mr. Adams said , “We were asking for the rule, the specific rule of what she did, and they didn’t really give anything.”

Wouldn’t it be a victory for Adams and Mosby if Mosby presented the award she had not really won to Clara, making both girls winners.  It would show the adults who unfairly took Clara’s award the meaning of fairness.

Young people have often shown adults what fairness means.  Madison Mosby who was given the award that should have gone to Clara, has a chance now to be a real shero by presenting the award to Clara, the real winner!  Both girls would forever be known as winners!  Mosby doesn’t have to do it, but it would certainly be a memorable example of justice!

The writer is the president of the Dick Gregory Society.