Ahnaleigh Wilson Runs State Finals on Injured Foot
Eastmont High junior Ahnaleigh Wilson finished 150th in the 4A girls state cross-country finals at Sun Willows Golf Course on an injured right fibula.
The race followed months of public debate over transgender athletes in Washington state sports, a discussion Wilson entered after finishing second to a trans athlete in a Junior Olympic track race two years ago.
From WNBA Confrontation to State Cross-Country
Wilson gained national attention in July when Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton confronted her at a WNBA game for holding a sign thanking WNBA player Sophie Cunningham for speaking up about women’s sports.
Since then, the debate intensified in Washington following a Camas High male runner who switched to the girls cross-country team midseason. After starting 76th in a boys’ junior varsity race, the runner won a varsity girls’ meet and secured regional and state qualifying spots.
Wilson weighed whether to run in Saturday’s 155-girl championship field. She faced a bone stress injury in her right fibula alongside her opposition to competing against biological males.
“I worked really hard this season, and I mean, I like running. So I wanted to run. I wanted to try at least,” Wilson said.
Slogging Through Searing Pain
A healthy Wilson typically runs a 19:30 5000-meter course, which would have placed her in the top third of Saturday’s field. Instead, running with a bone stress injury, she endured searing pain every other step and considered quitting multiple times.
Crowd support from spectators who recognized her name from her advocacy kept her moving forward. She crossed the finish line in 22:58.30.
Her finish in 150th place doesn't tell the whole story. Ahnaleigh Wilson took on Washington's 4A girls state cross-country championship despite a painful leg injury, choosing to compete in a race against a biological male athlete that represents something much bigger than a spot… pic.twitter.com/DGbJr8zuok
The Camas runner finished 23rd in the race, missing the podium reserved for the top 16 runners.
State Voters Pass Initiative 638
Saturday's race was the first competition since Washington voters passed Initiative 638 on Tuesday, a measure enforcing the separation of biological boys and girls in K-12 sports.
Other runners in the race expressed relief regarding the ballot measure. Skyview High runner Charlie Garrett, who walked off the start line in protest last month alongside teammate Sierra Retzlaff, finished 39th.
“I guess the motivation (to beat him) is just that I don’t want my spot to be taken away by someone who shouldn’t be in my race. That’s my main motivation,” Garrett said.
Kamiakin High sophomore Lauren Baumann finished 11 spots behind the Camas runner, stating that watching him pass at the 800-meter mark made her feel that she couldn’t stop it.
“When he passed me at the 800 and I tried to stay with him but couldn’t, it made me feel really mad and just that I couldn’t do anything to stop it. But I’m glad that he won’t be able to run next year,” Baumann said.
Legal Challenges Could Delay Initiative 638 Implementation
Initiative 638 could take effect as soon as December 3, though potential legal challenges might delay its implementation.
Elizabeth Wilson, Ahnaleigh’s mother, reflected on her daughter’s finish after the race.
“I can’t believe she went out and did that with a bone stress…that’s just heart,” Elizabeth said. “She started this journey racing a boy, and she ended it, and hopefully this will be the last time a boy competes against girls.”
X-rays will determine whether Ahnaleigh Wilson’s injury developed from a bone stress into a full fracture.
