Transgender wrestler wins state title.
Euless Trinity’s transgender junior finishes season unbeaten
If the fervor over Euless Trinity transgender wrestler Mack Beggs during the last week could be encapsulated into one match, it was the junior’s final one at the state wrestling tournament Saturday at Berry Center.
Beggs, who is transitioning from female to male but competing as a girl because of a University Interscholastic League rule, won the Class 6A 110-pound bracket after a 12-2 major decision win over Morton Ranch’s Chelsea Sanchez on Saturday.
It caps a perfect season for Beggs (56-0), who handedly won his four matches this weekend. Beggs defeated Clear Springs’ Taylor Latham in the first round by a 18-7 major decision and Tascosa’s Mya Engert by a 12-4 major decision in the quarterfinals Friday.
Saturday’s semifinal win came on a pin of Grand Prairie’s Kailyn Clay.
The other controversy surrounding Beggs deals with the testosterone treatments as part of his transition. Some view it as an unfair advantage, although it is allowed by the UIL because it is administered by a physician and for medical reasons. There also is the recently enacted UIL rule that states athletes must compete under the gender on their birth certificate.
Beggs competed in the previous two state tournaments, but he become a national story after two opponents forfeited their matches against him at regionals last weekend.
Still, Beggs swept through the weekend despite cameras following his every move. Afterward, Beggs gave a statement to the media, deferring attention to his teammates.
“I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for my teammates,” Beggs said. “That’s honestly what the spotlight should’ve been on is my teammates. The hard work that I put in the practice room with them beside me; we trained hard every single day.”
Before the championship match, each finalist was introduced to the crowd, and Beggs garnered the loudest reaction.
There weren’t many jeers Saturday until Beggs won his championship match. The cheers from the Trinity fans and the jeers from those disapproving of Beggs tried to drown each other out. Beggs took it all in and then was hurried off the mat by coach Travis Clark.
Beggs didn’t score against Sanchez until a reversal near the end of the first period. But much like his other three matches this weekend, the longer it went, the better he got.
“Going into the week, we did our best to prepare Chelsea,” Morton Ranch coach Mark Balser said. “We kind of felt like we could get to the state title. We really felt like the media would have a presence, so we did talk about that.”