At the New Hampshire State Championships in the girls’ high jump, a 10th grade boy won several matches leading up to the state finals.
Mael Jacks, from Kearsarge Regional High School in North Sutton, New Hampshire, won the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 2 state championship with a jump of 5 feet, 1.75 inches.
The high jumper competed in four regular season meets before the state championship. put first every time. Not only did Jack win the high jump competition, he also won multiple distance running competitions in 2023, 1,500 meters and 1,600 meters.
Additionally, he also won the long jump competition after placing in the top three. all competitors He can compete in the high jump at the state level as well as in his senior year.
new boston post report Former NCAA athlete Riley Gaines reportedly criticized his parents days before the event, asking how they could allow Jack to participate in the event.
“How could this boy’s parents allow their son to defraud qualified women and deprive them of opportunities?” Gaines asked. “And why aren’t the parents of girls standing up and saying ‘no’ for their daughters? There are so many failed and gutless mothers and fathers in this country.”
Kearsarge Regional School District Superintendent Winfried Fenneberg issued the following written statement to the New Boston Post regarding the controversy in spring 2023:
Kearsarge supports all students and student-athletes, regardless of gender identity. Each student-athlete has the right to compete in the activity of his or her choice.
The New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association’s position on this issue is clear: Denying that opportunity is a violation of the equal rights afforded under state and federal law.
Additionally, we believe that restricting access to any activity violates our core mission and vision, which is based on supporting the right of all students and student-athletes to pursue their goals and interests. believe. As a school community, including parents, staff, and colleagues, we celebrate our students’ success and personal growth on and off the field. We strongly believe in teaching each student to become a caring and compassionate person who can make a positive contribution to the world and those around them.
We are grateful that our student-athletes are welcomed by our competitive teams and their coaches throughout the season in the spirit of true athletic competition. And we continue to thank the Kearsarge community for its steadfast commitment to equity and inclusion.
As a school community, including parents, staff, and colleagues, we celebrate our students’ success and personal growth on and off the field.
The New Hampshire Athletic Association also states in its policy that it is “committed to providing transgender student-athletes with equal opportunities to participate in NHIAA sports programs according to their gender identity.”
Several transgender athletes have won state championships in New England in recent years. This included an 11th grade biological male. chloe burns.
Barnes competed in the girls’ 55-meter hurdles and helped Brookline High School win the state’s Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 1 indoor track and field championships.
Also, Terry Miller of Bloomfield High School and Andraya Yearwood of Cromwell High School each won multiple state titles in the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference in 2020.
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