Wisconsin high school runner fights ineligibility decision over where his parents live
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A mother and her star athlete were reunited at O'Hare International Airport Wednesday night, as Josh Onwunili's mom is moving back from Ghana to Campbellsport, Wisconsin—in Fond du Lac County about an hour north of Milwaukee.
But it was more than just a family reunion. Onwunili's family is fighting to have him compete on the biggest stage in high school.
"This is a child's life," Onwunili said of himself and his lifelong passion. "This is somebody who's trying to compete. This is someone who's trying to possibly go off to college.
The senior at Campbellsport High School is a top running talent—one of the fastest in the state of Wisconsin—and he loves doing it.
"The clearness, the focus, the simplicity of it," Onwunili said.
But that peace of mind he gets while out on the track is getting messy due to a technicality. Because he is not living with his parents, he is ineligible to run for his school.
Onwunili ran for his team his freshman year, then moved to Ghana, in West Africa, where his parents serve as missionaries. He returned for his senior year, and he has a 3.7 GPA.
But he is ineligible to run.
"I don't know what other documents they need, but we've given them everything we possibly can," said Onwunili.
The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association rulebook says: "A full-time student… is ineligible for varsity interscholastic competition only at the school within whose attendance boundaries his/her parents reside."
Despite Onwunili's parents still owning a house in the district, and living with his aunt and uncle, Onwunili said he has been sidelined.
"The purpose of the rule isn't applicable here, right?" said Campbellsport High School track coach Derek Toshner. "They wanted to prevent the stacking of teams. That's not the case. This kid grew up here."
Wisconsin state lawmakers also pushed the WIAA, writing, "The decision to exclude Josh from competition based on residency technicalities risks overlooking the fundamental spirit of high school sports."
"Look at the rules – whether they're actually helping anyone, and whether or not they need to be revisited," Onwunili said.
CBS 2 reached out to the WIAA. They will not comment on specific eligibility cases.
But Onwunili's mom did speak to CBS 2 on the ordeal late Wednesday night after landing at O'Hare.
"We really want him to live up to his full potential, and we feel like the collegiate level would help him do that – with the coaching and the training and everything," said Carolyn Onwunili. "We just feel that what they've asked us to present has been presented, and there's nothing more we can do on our side. So we're just pleading that they have mercy."
Onwunili said he has appeared the ruling. Regardless of what happens in his case, he says he wants his eligibility issues to lead to changes in the ruling.