Trans high school runner costs female athlete a spot in the California state finals
A transgender athlete has been slammed after placing second across a field of high school girls – and even prevented one from securing a state championship spot.
Athena Ryan, who transitioned from male to female, had been running in the boy’s team for Sonoma Academy until 2021, when she switched to the girl’s team.
The junior stormed to the runner-up position in the varsity girls’ 1,600-meter finals of the CIF-North Coast Section Meet of Champions that took place on Saturday.
In the aftermath of the race, Ryan boasted about her rapid progress, shaving vast amounts of time off her best performances.
She vaulted from sixth place in her last 1,600-meter race to second ahead of a field of senior high school females.
Ryan’s second-place finish (right) pushed Johnson (left) out of the running for the women’s state title.
‘I wasn’t expecting that. I dropped like 17 seconds on my season’s best in the past two weeks,’ Ryan told MileSplit after the race.
‘After last weekend, I didn’t think I could run low 5s again. I was just coming here trying to break 5 – just glad I finished it out.’
But her second-place podium meant that Adeline Johnson missed out on a spot in the state finals.
Johnson, a girl, gave the cameras a thumbs down after securing fourth place after losing out to the transgender athlete.
The senior at Branson High School appeared unimpressed at losing her chance of running at the state finals.
Several protesters were seen at the track holding banners that read ‘protect women’s sports’ as Athena crossed the line – only for one attendee to scream at them before having security escort them off the premises.
Ryan, who recorded a time of 4:55.91 in the race, did not seem bothered by the protests and celebrated on the podium when presented with the second-place medal.
The California Interscholastic Federation follows the ‘Gender Identity Participation’ rules first implemented in 2013.
It means that any transgender student can compete in athletics and activities which is ‘consistent with their gender identity’.
‘I wasn’t expecting that. I dropped like 17 seconds on my season’s best in the past two weeks,’ Ryan told MileSplit after the race.
The video of Johnson’s apparent displeasure with her loss was posted by the Independent Council on Women’s Sports and shared on social media.
The guide adds: ‘Athletes shall participate in programs consistent with their gender identity or the gender most consistently expressed.’
Once a student has been granted eligibility to race as their gender identity, they do not need to be renewed each school year.
California lawmakers killed a bill in April that would have required schools to notify parents if their child is transgender.
The state became the first in the nation to allow transgender kids from across America to access hormones and puberty blockers, as well as treatments being widely available across the Golden State.
The legislation also shields families from child abuse investigations or from being criminally prosecuted for seeking gender-affirming care.
But World Athletics in March banned trans athletes from competing in women’s events at the international level, and the NCAA is in the process of introducing new rules that will see trans athletes adhere to much stricter regulations and undergo regular testing to ensure eligibility.
This led many social media users to call for female athletes to boycott events in which trans athletes take the field, with many pointing out that biological female athletes may lose out on scholarships and the chance to take part in major events due to the unfair advantages. enjoyed by trans athletes competing against females.
Transgender runner Athena Ryan of California is shown in an interview by California MileSplit published Nov. 19, 2022
Protestors were at the meet and made banners to voice their opposition to trans people being allowed to compete in women’s events.
A woman at the meet in Dublin, California took exception at protestors who had signs saying ‘Protect Female Sports’
Adeline Johnson, who lost out on a chance to compete at the state finals with her fourth-place finish behind Ryan, was seen waving at people in the crowd before giving a thumbs down during the medal presentation in Dublin, California on Saturday.
The video of Johnson’s giving the thumbs down was posted on social media by the Independent Council on Women’s Sports.
According to their Twitter bio, the group is a ‘network of women athletes & our supporters advocating for female protected categories in sport.’
Another group that goes by ‘Women Are Real’ on social media also showed up at the meet to voice their opposition.
The angry protesters held up a banner reading ‘Protect Female Sports’ and video posted on the Women Are Real Twitter account showed an altercation involving one spectator who took issue with the banner.
‘That’s f**kng disgusting,’ the woman said. ‘I find that f**king offensive.’
Another video shows security removing the group from the premises.
‘They’re kicking us out because we care about women and girls,’ one protestor declared.
In April, House Republicans passed a ban on transgender women and girls from competing in female school athletics.
No Democrats joined their conservative counterparts in voting for the bill, which will not be taken up in the Senate.
Republicans say the issue is about protecting women’s rights while Democrats say it opens up a fresh salvo to attack trans kids who already face bullying in schools.
‘Anyone who claims to be a feminist or believes in what feminism was founded upon, should probably stand with us,’ Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, said in a news conference at the time.
Those on the other side of the aisle disagree vehemently with Republicans.
‘These kids are kids and should be able to play with their friends. This isn’t about protecting women & girls, it’s about attacking trans kids,’ said Wisconsin Democratic Rep. To install Mark Pocan.