Finally...

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http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/high ... highschool

The state high school athletic association of New York has agreed to permit its athletes to compete with those from Maryland's private and parochial schools.

Ned Sparks, executive director of the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association, confirmed yesterday that the New York State Public High School Athletic Association has accepted an agreement between the MPSSAA and several organizations representing Maryland's non-public schools that paves the way for athletes from all schools to participate in sporting events that include New York athletes or are based in New York.

"I think it's a great step forward," said Maureen Sanborn, executive director of the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland, which governs girls sports in many of the private and parochial schools in the Baltimore area. New York was "certainly interested in working with us and helping us out."

Lloyd Mott, an assistant executive director of the New York association in charge of sanctioning, was on vacation and unavailable to comment. Nina Van Erk, the association's executive director, is on medical leave and also unavailable to comment.

For at least the last year, the NYSPHSAA had enforced a ruling that banned its member schools from participating in events involving four or more schools if one of the schools or athletes was not a member of nor approved by their state athletic associations.

New York schools found in violation of the rule were in danger of losing eligibility for the rest of the season.

Because Maryland private and parochial schools are not members of the MPSSAA - the only governing body in Maryland recognized by the NYSPHSAA - their athletes were forbidden to compete against New York athletes in track and field meets, basketball tournaments and lacrosse games.

The agreement between the MPSSAA and Maryland's non-public schools states that the MPSSAA has no objections to New York allowing athletes from private and parochial schools to compete as long as the non-public schools in question have certification and accreditation from Maryland and belong to leagues with rules and regulations on eligibility that are similar to the MPSSAA's.

The final stipulation is that the event in question has to be sanctioned by the MPSSAA.

Leaders of Maryland's public, private and parochial schools met several weeks ago to get more information on the agreement, and they eventually ratified it. The agreement was sent to the NYSPHSAA, which, in turn, accepted it.

The development completes more than 18 months of work by Sparks and the MPSSAA to persuade New York to allow its athletes to compete with their peers from Maryland's private and parochial schools.

Rick Diggs, executive director of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association, which governs boys sports at many of the private and parochial schools in the Baltimore area, expressed gratitude for Sparks' efforts.

"I really respect the work that Ned Sparks did working with New York," Diggs said. "I know it was time-consuming, and it wouldn't have been done without his intervention."

Said Sparks: "Although they aren't members, they are certainly Marylanders, and we consider them to be our colleagues and comrades. We were happy to try to get them some resolution."

I don't know if anyone knows about this, but as a private school runner in Maryland, we are not allowed to run in some meet. This is do to the MPSSAA the Public School atheltic association of Maryland refusal to let Private school compete in a real state championship (its very political, most people believe its because since private schools in Maryland are better acadenically then the public school counterparts they don't want to lose championships to us too or even go head to head in any sport.) In order to do this, the sanctioning of Private Schools is limited, and cause conflict with other state. The reason why this is/was a big deal was because Towson Catholic, a private school in the MIAA/IAAM has the Williams Sisters, who pretty much...well, if u havn't heard who they are, the younger one broke some national records. Anways, this article is about NY allowing us to run in their state.