In an opinion piece published by Fox News on Wednesday, four female Connecticut track athletes who have been at the forefront of the fight against allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports detailed how two biological male athletes they faced in high school “completely reshaped girls’ track.”
“When we first spoke out, we were virtually alone in doing so. Now, it’s one of the most discussed cultural and political issues of our time,” wrote Selina Soule, Chelsea Mitchell, Alanna Smith, and Ashley Nicoletti. The four athletes initiated a groundbreaking federal lawsuit four years ago, challenging Connecticut’s law that permits biological males to compete on girls’ sports teams.
The athletes recounted how, over a span of three years, the two biological males they competed against “completely reshaped girls’ track—and our high school experience—by breaking 17 track meet records, claiming 15 state championship titles, and depriving girls of advancement opportunities more than 85 times.” The two athletes referenced were Andraya Yearwood and Terry Miller.
For example, Mitchell, who was the fastest female in a state championship, “watched four times as that title, honor, and recognition went to a male athlete instead.” Soule was edged out of qualifying for the 2018-19 state championships in the 55-meter final, missing a chance to compete at the New England Regional Championship, as the top two spots were taken by biological males.
Smith placed second at the New England Regional Championships in the 200-meter race but officially finished third due to a biological male finishing ahead of her. Nicoletti was denied the chance to compete in the 2019 outdoor state championships because of the inclusion of the two biological males.
“No school should allow this to happen to girls. Yet it’s becoming increasingly common for activists—and even the Biden-Harris administration—to blur the distinctions between men and women by forcing women’s sports leagues to allow men to compete. We can’t let this happen on our watch,” they wrote.
Their commentary comes as their case has been revived by a federal appeals court, and with the Supreme Court being asked to consider two related cases in its upcoming term.
“Today, many other lawsuits are being filed across the country to defend female athletes, and it’s now common to hear prominent athletes, media figures, and even presidential candidates speak out about fairness in women’s sports,” they noted. “The district court and the Supreme Court should listen to the stories of all of us women fighting for the future of the sports we love and restore our ability to compete and win.”