High school transgender wrestler wins Texas regional title

Euless Trinity's Mack Beggs is announced as the winner of a semifinal match during the Class 6A Region II wrestling tournament at Allen High School. Nathan Hunsinger/Staff Photographer at The Dallas Morning News.

ALLEN, Texas (AP) — A 17-year-old Dallas-area high school transgender wrestler who is transitioning from female to male has won a girls regional championship after a female opponent forfeited their match.

Mack Beggs, a Euless Trinity High School junior who is undefeated this wrestling season, hugged opponent Madeline Rocha, from Coppell, on the victory stand Saturday after their match for the 110-pound Class 6A Region 2 championship never took place.

Beggs and Rocha advance to the state championships next weekend. The top four finishers in the region qualified for the state tournament.

Beggs' coach, Travis Clark, told The Dallas Morning News (http://bit.ly/2kNtnnA ) the forfeit was expected but declined further comment. Coppell's coach and athletic director also declined to comment. Beggs' grandmother and guardian, Nancy Beggs, says the outcome was about "bias, hatred and ignorance."

___

Information from: The Dallas Morning News, http://www.dallasnews.com

Sports

Transgender Wrestler