Camas Runner Switches Teams Amid Washington Cross Country Debate

A Camas High cross country runner switched from the boys team to the girls team midseason in Washington, competing at the Nike Hole in the Wall High School XC Invitational in Arlington and drawing reactions from parents over the policy allowing the move.

According to the report, the runner began the season on the boys team, finished 76th in a JV race, then moved to the girls team last month. The athlete later won a varsity meet and finished second at another invitational.

At Saturday's event, the runner finished 39th among 135 competitors in the Women's Elite 5K with a time of 18:36.8. The report said the athlete would have finished last among 159 runners in the men's race by about 30 seconds.

"Nobody wants to talk to you. I'm trying to be nice." a Camas High assistant cross country coach said.

The reason for the switch remains unclear. The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association rules permit athletes to compete according to gender identity, although many parents at the meet expressed disagreement.

"We're about as liberal as it gets. I just don't agree with that [boys competing against girls]. I mean, if they find your body in 300 years, what are they going to say you were.

Look, you can live any way you want. You got my blessing. But I mean come on, in competitions?

It's like stock car racing. It's gotta be even, and it's gotta be fair." Kent Lake of Lake Stevens, WA said.

Lake was among parents from opposing schools who discussed the issue at the meet. Other parents raised concerns about competitive opportunities for female athletes.

"When I first heard about this story, I was like, 'Is this real? That can't be real'." a mother of a cross country runner, who requested anonymity, said.

"We have daughters, and it's robbing them of an opportunity to compete." the anonymous mother said.

"Whether they finish first, 40th or 90th, they're still taking the spot of a girl." an anonymous parent said.

Some parents at the event supported allowing athletes to compete based on identity, while others focused on broader values in school sports.

"People can identify however they want. High school sports isn't about winning, it's about student athletes building confidence." an anonymous parent said.

"There are more important things in sports than that [issue]." another anonymous parent said.

"I just wish people could have more empathy and compassion and understanding for people. I do think it's tricky if you start on one team and midseason change. I wish there was a space for everyone." an anonymous parent said.

Kevin Ess, an Arlington High parent, said he supported separate competition categories while acknowledging the complexity of the discussion.

"I think men and women, young men and young women, have been competing for hundreds of years, thousands of years, separately. I think it's an interesting experiment. I think it's an interesting topic, but my personal opinion is that they should continue to compete separately." Kevin Ess said.

Other parents continued to criticize the policy, including one who described allowing boys to compete with girls as "stupid" and said "Title IX was designed to protect women."

"I would be so embarrassed to put my son in a position like this." an anonymous mother said.

Skyview High junior Charlie Garrett and teammate Sierra Retzlaff had previously protested the situation by walking off the start line at another meet while wearing body paint saying "Keep women in women's sports." Retzlaff explained her reason for speaking publicly.

"Why is it so important for you to speak out on this topic?" an interviewer asked Sierra Retzlaff.

"Because if we don't, no one else will. If we start something, maybe others will have the courage to join." Sierra Retzlaff said.

Initiative 638, which would restrict biological males from competing against girls in K-12 sports, was placed on the Nov. 3 ballot in Washington state, according to the report.

"There needs to be more work done to change the law, because schools are kind of tied to what the law is telling them to do. People need to get out and vote for what they want." an anonymous mother said.