A transgender wrestler, who is transitioning from female to male has won girls regional championship after a female opponent forfeited the match.
Euless High School Junior ‘Mack Beggs’ is undefeated this wrestling season. The 17-year-old hugged losing opponent Madeline Rocha, from the Coppell victory stand on Saturday (Feb 18) after their match for the 110-pound Class 6A Region 2 championship never took place when Rocha turned down from to fight.
Beggs and Rocha have advanced to the state championships that will be help in the next weekend. The contestants to have finished in the top four have qualified for the state tournament.
Beggs fought Kailyn Clay, of Grand Prairie, in a semi-final match on Friday night, which she won by a pin. Clay finished fourth in the regional tournament.
Travis Clark coach of Beggs said that the forfeit was expected, but declined to comment further. Whereas Coppell’s coach and athletic director had declined to comment. However Beggs’ grandmother and guardian, Nacny Beggs said that the outcome was about “bias, hatred and ignorance.
A Coppell lawyer and wrestling parents have filed a lawsuit at the beginning of this month against the University Interscholastic League, the agency that governs Texas high school athletics, seeking to have Beggs suspended for steroid use.
Beggs is taking testosterone and Jim Baudhuin's lawsuit contends allowing Beggs to compete while using testosterone exposes other athletes to "imminent threat of bodily harm."
Beggs comes under Male, but he must compete against girls because of two UIL rules, one that requires students-athletes to complete as the gender according to their birth certificate, and other prohibiting boys from wrestling girls.
Begg’s grandmother said that her granddaughter wants to compete against boys, but she will follow UIL rules.
The Texas Education Code and UIL rules prevent steroid use, but the code allows their use if "dispensed, prescribed, delivered and administered by a medical practitioner for a valid medical purpose."
“UIL has Beggs’ medical record and they have approved her to compete”, said Nancy Beggs.
The lawyer has denied that his lawsuit was a reaction to Beggs being a transgender male.
Baudhuin said that he respects that completely and he thinks the coaches do. He said that she is taking something that gives her an unfair advantage.
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