Wrestling year ends for boy as girls champ
A 17-year-old transgender boy completed an undefeated season Saturday by winning a controversial Texas state girls wrestling title in an event clouded by criticism from those who believe the testosterone he’s taking as he transitions from female to male created an unfair advantage.
The family of Mack Beggs has said he would rather be wrestling boys, but state policy calls for students to wrestle against the gender listed on their birth certificates. So the junior from Euless Trinity beat Chelsea Sanchez 12-2 in the 110-pound weight class to improve to 57-0 and earn the championship.
Beggs fell to his knees for a moment after the win as a mixture of cheers and boos rained down on him. He then hugged his coach and left the mat.
Beggs, who reached the state tournament after two opponents forfeited, was dogged throughout the tournament by questions about whether his testosterone treatments made him too strong to wrestle fairly against girls.
He pinned Kailyn Clay earlier Saturday to reach the final.
In the semifinals, the match was halted for a couple of minutes because Beggs had a bloody nose. Trainers finally managed to stop the bleeding and the fight resumed. Not long after, Beggs slammed Clay on the mat and pinned her.
He and Clay shared a long hug before an official raised Beggs’ arm to signal victory, and Clay scurried off the mat. Clay’s coach shouted to reporters that she “did not have permission” to talk to them after her loss and both of her parents declined comment.
Arrested development
A man wanted for murder in Texas apparently wanted to spend his potential final moments as a free person at Daytona International Speedway.
Joe Earl Smith is accused of killing his uncle over a property
dispute in Marion County, Texas. He was arrested in Daytona Beach Shores on Thursday and told authorities that he was in town to attend the events of Speedweeks at Daytona. Though, as the Daytona Beach News-Journal
notes, it’s unclear if he ever got to fulfill his desire of seeing racing at the track.
Smith also made it pretty easy for authorities to find him. His family told investigators in Texas that he was likely headed in the direction of NASCAR’s opening weekend. That put authorities on alert and he was found sleeping in his SUV.
Smith’s uncle, 68-year-old Jack Smith, was found dead behind a house in Marion County on Wednesday.
Recognizable
From Dwight Perry of The Seattle Times:
“Ex-Lions cornerback Stanley Wilson II was arrested in the buff on suspicion of burglary in Woodburn, Ore. — his third naked run-in with police in eight months.
“On the bright side, prosecutors say, picking him out of a lineup shouldn’t be a problem.”