Transgender high school runner in Washington wins state title in girls’ 400-meter dash
Veronica Garcia, a transgender high school runner in Washington, won a state title in the girls’ 400-meter dash on Saturday. (Credit: Quin Hutchins)
A Washington mother spoke out about the devastation her daughter felt losing to Veronica Garcia, a transgender high school athlete, ahead of last month’s state championship.
The Independent Women’s Forum covered the story of Rita Larson (a pseudonym), whose daughter competed against Garcia in the 400-meter sprint and 4x4 relay preliminary events. Larson noted that only the top two runners of the 400-meter sprint can advance to the championship, and her daughter placed third.
Though it wasn’t apparent that Garcia was a biological male, Larson stated that Garcia easily outpaced the female runners, further devastating her daughter.
"She was just bawling," Larson said. "She just kept saying, ‘This is bull---t.’"
Veronica Garcia won first place in the 400-meter sprint preliminary race and state championships. (C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
"I could cry right now just thinking about it," she added. "All I could do was hug her."
Garcia later placed first in the state championships at 55.75 seconds, which was one second better than the second-place finisher's time, according to the Pacific Northwest Track and Field Officials' track scoreboard.
Larson noted that while the time is fast in the female division, Garcia would only be considered a junior varsity runner competing against males.
"He can do whatever he wants with his life, but he’s jeopardizing what these girls work so hard for. My daughter goes to practice every day, runs in the off-season, lifts weights — she never stops running," Larson said.
Other girls at the event allegedly refused to clap for Garcia’s win.
"There were also some protesters there booing," she said. "It’s hard because you don’t want to make a kid feel bad, but at the same time, this is wrong and needs to stop happening."
Lardon added that her daughter would likely compete against Garcia again in the upcoming fall and spring seasons. While Larson’s daughter still has scholarship opportunities based on her individual times, Garcia’s record-breaking times could spoil chances for girls overall.
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association does not require high school athletes to take part in hormonal treatments in order to take part in female sports. (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images | Photo by Swen Pförtner/picture alliance via Getty Images)
"If you were a coach and you didn’t know who Veronica Garcia was, you would see him as the top 400-meter [athlete] and have no idea he’s a boy," Larson said. "So it does kind of screw [girls] … it definitely looks like you’re not a top runner because there are people ahead of you."
According to Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) policy, every athlete will compete in programs "consistent with their gender identity or the gender most consistently expressed." However, the association does not require athletes to take part in hormone therapy or use hormone blockers.
WIAA spokesperson Sean Bessette later informed Fox News Digital that the organization "does not write the rules and regulations of the Association," but that they are "developed and voted in by the membership" while the staff "provides the interpretations of those rules to the members."
Bessette also stated that the policies align with state law and Title IX federal law.
"The WIAA’s eligibility policies surrounding Gender Identity Participation protect complete access to athletics and activities for all student-athletes, including transgender student-athletes, in a safe and supportive environment," Bessette said.
He added, "The WIAA considers numerous personal, political, and religious beliefs of communities that join the Association. Many of these beliefs do not align, resulting in a conflict among the diverse groups the Association serves. For this reason, the WIAA Executive Board has been advised to follow state and federal law."
Independent Women’s Forum Storytelling Assistant Ashley McClure, who broke the story, told Fox News Digital that the experience was further proof of girls suffering from policies allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's sports.
"For Rita Larson, thinking about her daughter's devastating loss to Veronica Garcia in the preliminary 400-meter sprint still brings her to tears. For Larson's daughter, and for the girls who competed against Garcia in the final, his win was a brutal reminder that a male's biological advantage will almost always trump a female's dedication and drive, no matter how hard or how long they train," McClure said.
"But for Garcia, that race was 'just another day at the office -- nothing special for me.' Female athletes were cheated out of their rightful accomplishments and accolades, yet according to Garcia, nothing significant happened that day. This cavalier dismissal of young girls' efforts and dreams must end."
The Independent Women's Forum released a report on a female high school runner's mother as part of its effort to support women's sports. (Chip Somodevilla)
Larson's story was part of the Independent Women’s Forum's National Women’s Sports Week, which began on Sunday. The week was first established in 2022 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original Title IX legislation.
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Fox News' Chantz Martin contributed to this report.