* Plus 2 University, the team in question, ran an ineligible runner on Saturday in the boys 17-18yo 4x100 finals
Note: MileSplit has updated this story with a full picture of what took place on Saturday.
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DES MOINES, Iowa -- In one of the more quizzical moves in AAU Junior Olympic Games history, an unregistered athlete from Ohio ran the lead leg of an Ohio boys team's 17-18yo 4x100 final on Saturday and contributed to its national title win before officials caught wind of the transgression, later removing the athlete and the team from the awards presentation.
AAU officials proceeded to escort Plus 2 University, the boys team from Ohio in question, off the premises at Drake Stadium. One official at the awards area was furious with the team's decision to run an illegal runner.
But according to Plus 2 University's coach, Eric Lichter, he said the disqualification resulted after a clerical mistake was made.
The runner in question was actually a member of Plus 2 University's club team, Lichter wrote on a private Youth track forum on Facebook, and the athlete was simply not registered as an alternate.
When Lichter learned of his clerical mistake -- he did not register the athlete as an alternate -- he chose to let him run anyway with a bib of another runner.
MileSplit has since learned the identity of the runner. Mekhi Kilborn is a recent graduate of Northland High School in Columbus, Ohio, and he was the unregistered athlete.
After Plus 2 University's Nicholas Biega was injured in the 200m on Wednesday, the team was left with a hole in their lineup. The team had no alternate in place.
But rather than scratch from their lane, MileSplit learned, the team instead flew Kilborn into Iowa on Thursday in preparation for the race.
Lichter wrote in the Facebook forum that he believed Kilborn was on the roster when he made the decision to fly him into Iowa. Kilborn then ran with Biega's bib in the opening leg of the race.
On Saturday, Plus 2 University was removed from the awards area without issue before medals were handed out inside the Drake field house.
A crew of four to five AAU officials with walk-talkies entered to coordinate the removal of the team.
Lichter tried to set the record straight in a Facebook message board shortly after his team's disqualification.
He believes the entire ordeal was based around a clerical mistake. His full message from the Facebook below:
"This is Eric Lichter and I am the co founder of Plus 2 University and I am the only one responsible for the disqualification.
"I will set the record straight for all of you who are engaging in talking about things you know nothing about and certainly are giving your opinions not even knowing what you're talking about.
"Our 4x100 team was as legit as they come. The substitute runner that was used was of age, on our track team, was on our track club all year had been training by us all year and was brought into Des Moines on Thursday when one of our runners sustained a hamstring strain.
"The issue was that he wasn't on the roster for the relay team as an alternate and I thought we had him on the roster as an alternate like we had at districts and at regionals.
"Read that again, he was an illegal substitute because our organization didn't official register him and declare him part of the relay for "JO's roster." I overlooked this and I take responsibility for that. This was our first year participating in AAU JO's and I should have looked over all entry's more thoroughly and had a better understanding of the rules for the relay alternates. Our alternate who is an outstanding young man left his incoming freshman season in college football training camp on Thursday to step in for the relay when one of our original four sustained a soft tissue strain. We were all under the impression he was eligible and that he was registered as an alternate.
Anything being said in here to the contrary is not true and none of you have any knowledge of our club.
Our guys came to Des Moines with a chance at the national record. That was the goal, that is what we trained for, that wasn't achieved. We replaced a 10.4 runner with a 10.7 runner and still won the relay on the track, in the arena where it counts. We won it easily. We could have used 3 or 4 other runners we have in that age group and won it easily If our 10.19 sprinter didn't turn 19 one month before JO's, we would have run 38 mid. Say what you want - the facts were presented above.
Our athletes are only mad about one thing, they didn't break the record. They honestly could care less about gold medals and hype / hoopla.
Congrats to all the teams that competed here this weekend and certainly congrats to the other 17-18 men's relay teams.The question you all want to ask is when did you know he wasn't on the roster and why didn't you do anything. I realized very late Thursday night that we procedurally l didn't declare our alternate prior ot the start of Jo's and had already flown out the other runner and our guys had worked to (sic) damn hard to not have a shot in the area at that record where it counts. I made the decision to let them go forward because our runners were all eligible except for one clerical mistake. If I had to run an older runner or some runner from another team I wouldn't have done it.
Our runners were all developed in our stables period. The fact remains if we paid $51 and entered our alternate as we had all summer we would be the national champs. so if calling us cheaters makes you feel better and makes you forget that the race wasn't even close - then. have at it.
I and I alone am responsible for the DQ - you all can call us cheaters or say whatever you want about us. I think one of you said "we have been cheating all year" or something to that effect yet you can't even name one or two factual things about our club. We have a tremendous stable of sprinters and we don't intentionally cheat ever. Come to Columbus, Ohio and see for yourself.
I will be writing to AAU to apologize to them for the incident. It is not representation of our club or our athletes or myself.
When you make a mistake you own up to it and take responsibility for it and that is what I am doing and will be doing.
If you want to discuss further or want to say something else come to me and let's discuss it - I'm not hard to find.
Wish you all the best."
Lichter has since reached out directly to MileSplit.
He confirmed the runner in question was Mekhi Kilburn and added that Kilburn was born in March of 2005, making him an eligible AAU athlete to compete under the organization's age guidelines.
Kilburn had run with the program since the indoor season and had trained with the club for over two years. He was routinely a part of the club's relay pools. Lichter had believed he was entered as an alternate, but learned late this week that he was not officially on the relay roster.
Lichter confirmed that Kilburn flew into Des Moines on Thursday when his runner, Nicholas Biega, suffered a strain to his hamstring.
Lichter maintained that he will take full responsibility for the mistake. "This was our first year participating in AAU JO's and I should have looked over all entry's more thoroughly and had a better understanding of the results for the relay alternates."
"I, Eric Lichter become aware that we would have to run one of our sprinters from our stable without the proper clerical paper work and bib after I had already brought out the athlete and I alone made the decision to let the relay go forward. If I had to run an athlete who was not of the proper age or sub a runner from another team I wouldn't have let the relay go forward with checking in."
Correction: MileSplit incorrectly reported in an earlier version of this story that Aljernun Jordan was the illegal runner for Plus 2 University.