May 10, 2019 3 min read

A human error could prevent Waynesburg’s Daniel Layton from defending his title in the 110-meter high hurdles at the WPIAL Track & Field Championships Thursday at Slippery Rock University.

While finalizing the performance list for athletes and what events they plan to compete in, Waynesburg track coach Rick Layton, Daniel’s father, meant to remove his son from the 300 intermediate hurdles. Instead, when Rick Layton submitted the form on his phone while leaving for work, he accidentally removed his son from his strongest event, the 110 high hurdles.

“I was doing it on the way to my car because I didn’t want to forget,” Rick Layton said. “At breakfast, I asked him if he wanted to do all four events. He wanted to back out of the 300 hurdles for the chance to help his teammates get to state by running the 1,600-meter relay. He made a mature decision for his teammates and because of my stupidity it falls squarely on my shoulders.”

Layton won gold in the 110 hurdles in 14.73 seconds last year as a junior at the WPIAL Championships. He was the runaway favorite in the event with the best time in Class AA this season. He ran a personal-best and school record in the event at the Baldwin Invitational, finishing in 14.46 seconds. That time is nearly a full second quicker than the next-fastest time. Layton had the best preliminary time in last year’s PIAA Championships at Shippensburg University before stumbling over the first hurdle and finishing in eighth place in the finals.

Rick Layton realized his mistake when he checked to see if other members of the Waynesburg track team had qualifying times Thursday afternoon when the WPIAL released the final version of the heat sheets.

“We contacted (meet director) Tom Norris and the WPIAL of my mistake and they didn’t want to hear it,” Rick Layton said.

Waynesburg has appealed the decision. The appeal will be heard Monday. Daniel Layton is being recognized with a WPIAL scholarship at a banquet that same day at 11 a.m.

“I’d like to resolve it sooner but don’t have any control over that,” Rick Layton said. “I’m just hoping and praying that logic will rule and they won’t penalize a kid who for the last six years has done everything right and killed himself to be the best he can be just because his father clicked the wrong button.”

The error, if not overturned, would prevent Layton from competing in the 110 hurdles at the state meet.

He will compete in the 300 hurdles, 1,600 relay and pole vault.

“Daniel is a very mature young man,” Rick Layton said. “He understands how upset I am. We’ll have to wait until Monday.”