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Veronica Garcia, a senior at East Valley High School in Spokane, Washington, recently won the 2A state championship in the girls’ 400-meter race, igniting a wave of controversy. Garcia, a transgender female athlete, faced significant backlash before and after the race, as reported by the Seattle Times.
Prior to the event, she experienced heckling from spectators, and after securing her victory, she was met with boos. In response to her win, students at Tumwater High School staged a protest, displaying a large banner that read, "This is not a walk out. We are not going anywhere." They also held signs with messages such as "XX" and "protest female sports."
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) acknowledged the protests and reinforced its commitment to representing over 225,000 student-athletes across the state. The Tumwater girls’ track team finished third overall, while Reese Heryford placed 15th in her preliminary heat for the 400 meters, missing the cut for the finals.
Garcia expressed that the negative reactions were somewhat anticipated. She stated, "I kind of expect it. It made me angry, but not in a way that made me want to give up. Instead, it fueled my determination." She added, "It’s a shame that they don’t have anything better to do with their time. It reflects their character."
Garcia completed the race in 55.70 seconds, winning by over a second—a time that would have ranked her among the slowest male competitors in the preliminary heats. This isn’t her first championship; she also won a state title last year, during which she noted a lack of sportsmanship from her competitors.
Her victory comes on the heels of a controversial decision by the Quilcene School District, which recently voted to maintain sports competitions based on athletes’ birth gender, contradicting state laws. The WIAA, established in 2007, allows transgender students to compete according to their gender identity.
In February, former President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at excluding biological boys from competing in girls’ and women’s sports. However, Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal stated that this order contradicts state law.
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