Long Island track star Zariel Macchia will compete in state championship after court rules in her favor

She sidestepped catastrophe.

Zariel Macchia, the star William Floyd runner and future Olympic hopeful who was banned from the upcoming winter season state championship because of an obscure technicality, will race after all, a court ruled Thursday.

“I was relieved at first,” Macchia, who spent the past two days in legal proceedings after her family sued the New York State Public High School Athletic Association, told The Post.

The senior was initially barred at the end of February after violating an NYSPHSAA “college rule” about competing against college athletes when running in the Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invitational with collegiate athletes.

Had she or the same competitors not been running under their school names, there would have been no issue, her father, Peter Macchia, previously explained.

Judge Christopher Modelewski ruled the NYSPHSAA was “required to permit” Macchia to partake in this weekend’s events on Staten Island, court papers obtained by The Post show.

Their argument in court was that Macchia “will suffer irreparable harm which cannot be remedied” by losing her chance to run in her last winter state meet.

Along with 1,000- and 3,000-meter races, she is in the 1,500-meter leg of an “all-star” relay with some of the best New York runners around. 

“I’m definitely ready to run,” she said. “My teammates were very, very excited,” she said.

Throughout the hassle, Macchia said the running community kept her moving through the tribulations with an outcry of support — even from those she lost touch with.

“Just knowing that I have so many people who want to see me do well, it is definitely a lot of motivation to compete well on Saturday,” Macchia said before joining her dad on a ritualistic good luck training run at the beach where she won her first ever race at as a middle schooler.

In a statement provided to The Post, the NYSPHSAA said it will respect the decision.

“The NYSPHSAA acknowledges and respects the court’s decision. We remain committed to the development and enforcement of rules and regulations established by our member schools to support and enhance the participation of over 450,000 student-athletes,” Dr. Robert Zayas, the NYSPHSAA executive director, said.

William Floyd School District spokesman James Montalto told Patch the district was “pleased” with the ruling and that it was “excited” she’ll have the chance to race or a state championship. 

“She is a phenomenal student and athlete, both in the classroom and on the track, and an even better person,” Montalto said. “We look forward to all of the top competitors from across the state competing this weekend. she worked so hard for this and deserves the opportunity.”

The ruling comes amid an uproar a short distance away in New Jersey, where another scholastic athlete has been battling against the state agency that governs high school sports. 

Earlier this week, New Jersey wrestler Anthony Knox won decisive bouts against the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association in court allowing him to compete for his fourth state wrestling title. 

Knox’s situation is starkly different from Macchia’s because his suspension had been handed down initially due to a physical altercation that occurred during a regional tournament in February. 

Closer to Macchia, six Northport high school wrestlers had won an appeal early last month that allowed them to compete in their league’s tournament after they had been considered ineligible because participated in too many matches during the regular season.

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Stephen Collopy

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