A trans high school sophomore has raged online after crushing her competition at a high school track meet.
The teenager competed in the women’s varsity 200 meters at the Sherwood Need for Speed Classic in Sherwood, Oregon, on Saturday.
Footage from the competition shows her crossing the finish line as competitors follow en masse seconds later. The teenager easily won that heat, but finished second overall out of more than 60 girls timed in the 200 meters.
The McDaniel high school student also competed in races alongside her teammates, placing seventh in the 4×100 relay and eighth in the 4×400 relay.
It’s the latest example of a trans athlete far outperforming girls in high school competitions; many of them often draw the ire of others who claim that trans athletes have an unfair advantage.
A trans high school sophomore faced online fury after claiming victory seconds before most of her other competitors.
The race video drew criticism from many athletes, including British shot put champion Amelia Strickler, who declared: “Biology has to be the rule.”
Team Canada weightlifter April Hutchinson criticized the teenager as a “liar” and “a prime example of a cheating man.”
Reduxx, a feminist magazine, posted a tweet that quickly racked up millions of views, referring to the student as “a boy who ‘identifies’ as a girl.”
The student revealed in an article in her high school newspaper in May 2023 that she was undergoing hormone replacement therapy.
“I feel like it’s going to give me a lot more confidence,” said the student, who was a high school freshman at the time.
‘Because right now I’m going to continue becoming more and more masculine. More facial hair and stuff like that. And I do not want that. Estrogen and other hormones and getting vocal training would make me much happier and more confident.’
The sophomore became the target of criticism on social media when accounts with tens of thousands of followers circulated video of her crossing the finish line.
“This is sick and disgusting and I want to know why his parents allow him to make fun of female athletes, why his coach allows him to cheat, and why these girls’ coaches and parents won’t speak up,” Meghan Murphy wrote. Canadian author and podcaster.
The athletes also joined the conversation.
‘At some point, we all have to be willing to see this for what it is. Please stop pretending this is anything other than telling young athletes that they don’t matter,” wrote two-time Team USA member Carilyn Johnson.
April Hutchinson, a weightlifter on Team Canada, called the student “a prime example of a cheating man.”
‘He hits women, then waits for congratulations and constantly seeks validation. You are a liar to yourself and to everyone in that facility. Shame on all the facilitators,” he wrote.
Amelia Strickler, a shot put champion who twice received the British national title, said: “Biology has to be the rule.”
Carilyn Johnson, a two-time member of the US team, said the teenager’s impressive statistics (finishing second in the 200 and 400 meters heats) showed that “young athletes don’t matter.”
Trans participation in sports has long been a controversial topic. A basketball player at a Massachusetts high school received criticism for throwing another player to the ground
The student, described as “over 6 feet tall” and having “facial hair,” allegedly injured three players on the opposing team, including the girl seen in footage of the game.
Twenty-four US states prohibit transgender students from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity, including Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law in 2021.
The participation of trans athletes in school sports has proven to be a contentious point, generating negative reactions and legal rejections.
Controversy erupted in February 2023 after a high school basketball player in Massachusetts, described as “over 6 feet tall” and having “facial hair,” threw a player on the opposing team to the ground.
Video of the incident, which left the other student writhing in pain, quickly spread online.
Three students from the opposing team at Collegiate Charter School in Lowell were injured during the game, according to school officials.
The team ultimately decided to drop out when other players expressed fear of getting injured and not being able to compete in the upcoming playoffs.
Under Massachusetts state law, a player cannot be excluded from a team because of his or her gender identity. However, 24 other states have banned transgender students from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity.
This includes Florida, where Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ 2021 legislation bans transgender women from playing on public school teams intended for athletes born as girls.
“In Florida, girls will play girls’ sports and boys will play boys’ sports,” DeSantis said as he signed the bill. “Let’s make sure that’s the reality.”
The State has enforced this ruling. In 2023, Monarch High School was fined $16,500 after the Florida High School Athletic Association discovered that a transgender student was playing on a girls’ volleyball team.