MIAA explores golf rule change
FRANKLIN — It is the most talked about rule in the MIAA handbook.
It is rule 43.2.1.2, or better known as the rule that denied Lunenburg golfer Emily Nash the Division 3 Central boys tournament individual title this fall because of her gender.
The process in amending that rule started yesterday at MIAA headquarters, where the golf committee gathered to discuss possible changes.
“It’s a really good move for us to discuss it and really think about our student-athletes and what’s appropriate for them and to make sure it’s fair across the board,” said Westwood athletic director and committee member Matt Gillis.
Nash’s victory in October gained national attention and public outcry after she won the sectional tournament by 4 strokes. But MIAA rules state that girls playing on a fall boys team cannot be entered in the boys fall individual tournament. Girls can only play in the boys team tournament. If qualified, girls can play in the spring girls sectional and state championships.
Among possible solutions were awarding a medalist trophy to the golfer who has the lowest score regardless of gender, but the idea that seemed to gain the most traction was giving female golfers who play on boys teams the choice of competing as an individual in the sectional and state tournaments in either the fall or spring.
Weston boys golf coach and girls state tournament director Mary O’Brien backed the latter. The committee also announced that a task force, which will be finalized next week, will take an indepth look at rules where boys and girls compete together.
“I think (the rule) is probably going to be modified in some way, but that’s going to be left up to the blue ribbon commission,” O’Brien said. “It may not happen for this calendar year. It may not even come into play until the fall … I don’t think this is an instantaneous process.”
Erin Buzuvis, a law professor at Western New England University who specializes in Title IX legislation, joined the committee as a guest and will be on the task force. She didn’t realize the intricacies in the rule at first, but believes more can be done.
“On its surface, it looks like a situation where a girl won and was denied a trophy because of her sex, and that sounds terrible,” Buzuvis said. “And it’s still the case and I still see lots of room for improvement on how things are structured.
“I understood that the rule was put in place to actually promote and provide opportunities for girl golfers. Could that be done even better? Yes it can.”