A transgender-identifying boy took first place in women’s pole vaulting at Maine’s Class B state championship on Monday, days after the state declared it would not enforce President Trump’s executive order banning males from female sports at public schools.
The victory by a boy in the female event helped Greely High School girls’ track and field team clinch the championship by one point. The same student, who now goes by a girl’s name, participated under a different name as a boy just years earlier, prompting outrage from a local lawmaker who wants the administration to investigate.
Maine state lawmaker Lauren Libby drew attention to the controversy on Monday, writing on Facebook, “Two years ago, [boy’s name] tied for 5th place in boys pole vault. Tonight, ‘[girl’s name]’ won 1st place in the girls’ Maine State Class B Championship.”
Screenshot: Facebook
Libby told The Daily Wire that the Trump administration should step in to protect the female athletes. Trump’s orders indicate that the administration would investigate schools that do not adhere to gender rules, and could possibly lose funding.
“The decision by the Maine Principals’ Association to continue allowing male athletes to compete against female athletes in school athletic competitions is outrageous,” Libby said. “Not only does their decision violate President Trump’s February 5 Executive Order but it jeopardizes the safety and privacy of female athletes, all while allowing male athletes to take medals, trophies, and podium spots away from women, effectively erasing them.”
“I urge the Trump Administration to move swiftly to ensure that female athletes in Maine can once again compete on a level playing field, preserving the integrity of women’s sports,” the statement added.
In January, Maine’s Department of Education said it would not comply with Trump order’s on gender. Additionally, the Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) said earlier this month that the state will allow males to continue competing in girls and women’s sports, again ignoring Trump’s order to protect female sports.
The Maine Wire reported earlier this month on the state’s decision to defy Trump’s orders on gender. Citing a concerned coach named Allen Cornwall, the report indicted that a pole vaulter on the girls’ Greely High School team is a male.
“They’re going to be the conference champion, quote unquote girls’ conference champion,” Cornwall said of the male athlete. “They’ll be the quote unquote girls state champion for the class B athlete. And these girls that have been competing for years, working towards this, are just being sidelined, and it’s really disgusting.”
Cornwall said the student athlete “competed in the boys’ pole vault competition for two years, where he was a mid-range athlete achieving around 12 feet, a moderate height for males,” the report said. “Since transitioning and competing against female students, he has dominated and currently ranks among the top ten girls in pole vaulting.”
Alleigh Marré, the executive director of American Parents Coalition, ripped the MPA’s decision to allow males in girls’ sports in a statement sent to The Daily Wire.
“Parents across Maine—and the country—are fed up with being ignored while their daughters are forced to compete against biological males,” Marré said. “The Maine Principals’ Association’s decision isn’t just unfair; it’s an affront to every parent who expects their child to have a level playing field and is at odds with President Trump’s Executive Order protecting girls’ sports. Schools should be working alongside the Administration and supporting parents, not prioritizing politics.”
“The American Parents Coalition applauds Rep. Laurel Libby for standing up for female athletes and bringing attention to this issue,” the statement added.
The Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS), an advocacy organization working to protect female sports, posted about the competition as well.
“Maine awards the girls’ state pole vault title to a male athlete competing in the girls’ division,” it said in a post on X. “Greely High School’s male star vaulter … not only won the event but also helped secure his girls’ team the overall state championship by just one point.”
The Daily Wire reached out to district’s superintendent and athletic director about the competition and Greely’s policy on males in female athletics. Neither responded to requests for comment.
