Rocky Mountain Low

Those of you following the Colorado racist email story — essentially, a football player and his cross-country running girlfriend sent a nasty racist email to Latino cross-country runner Greg Castro — probably already know that the football player Clint O'Neal and his girlfriend Jackie Zeigle have been booted from their respective teams, O'Neal temporarily, Zeigle permanently.

The email, which called Castro a "bean-eating piece of shit," among other things, was inspired, Zeigle says, by Castro's pushing of Jackie's sister, Laura, another cross country runner, at a party. (Castro says he was trying to separate Laura's ex-boyfriend from a fight they were having.) Laura is Jackie's twin sister, and she will remain on the team.

It's a sad day for the Zeigle sisters, actually; O'Neal seems to be just another meathead lineman, but the Zeigle twins were once among cross country's fastest rising stars. This story in details their friendship and their devout Christianity; Laura was actually a Nike Athlete Of The Year that season. And now Jackie's getting kicked off the team for racist emails, and Laura's getting in fights at parties, and we ask again: What in the world is going on in Boulder these days?

A Gift For Speed [American Profile] Recipient Of Racist Email Satisfied With CU's Actions [Rocky Mountain News]