Just a few weeks after Donald J. Trump became president once again, I stood in the East Room of the White House, surrounded by fellow female athletes and aspiring young girls behind the president as he signed his Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports executive order.
It was a moment that seemed all but impossible a few years ago. But there we were, watching as common sense began returning to America.
A lot can change in just 100 days. Now, young female athletes can live out their dreams in a new era with a champion looking out for them.
Unfortunately, I’ve seen firsthand what happens when this isn’t the case—and if it weren’t for this president, many more female athletes would have too. One of the first real tests of President Trump’s commitment to protecting us came in February when news broke that a biologically male high school pole vaulter in Maine won first place at the State Championship, competing as a girl.
Sadly, stories like that one were becoming all too common throughout America. After all, the Left spent the last four years trying to normalize moments just like it. And during those years, it had a significant advantage when pushing its alternate reality: a president who was fully on board.
That’s not true anymore.
This time, Democratic leaders learned the hard way that they no longer have an ally in the White House helping to advance their deranged agenda. When Maine Governor Janet Mills visited the White House following the pole vaulting state championship, President Trump took the chance to publicly call her out for not doing enough to protect girls in her state. “See you in court,” was her curt response.
WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 05: Political activist and former competitive swimmer Riley Gaines (C) watches as U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks before signing the “No Men in Women’s Sports” executive order in the East… WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 05: Political activist and former competitive swimmer Riley Gaines (C) watches as U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks before signing the “No Men in Women’s Sports” executive order in the East Room at the White House on February 5, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
I was proud to be there when Gov. Mills got her wish, standing with Attorney General Pam Bondi and Education Secretary Linda McMahon as they announced the administration’s new lawsuit against the state of Maine for failing to keep men out of women’s sports. Message received.
That’s just one of many examples of what this administration has done on behalf of girls and women. Actions like the Maine lawsuit have a tone-setting effect throughout the country. Many of the worst culprits on this issue are backpedaling fast. The NCAA, for example, has claimed it will comply with Trump’s “two-gender policy” and keep men out of women’s athletics. The organization may go back on its word, but it will face consequences if it does. The fact that it is at least pretending to do something to protect female athletes shows that the tide has turned in President Trump’s first 100 days back in office.
This is a winning issue for the Right, and many on the Left know it, even the most radical. California Gov. Gavin Newsom went from a public advocate for men invading women’s sports to publicly cowering from the issue altogether. Now he’s finding out that lip service is not enough for the Trump administration, as Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Education Secretary McMahon announced they will hold Newsom to his word, at the risk of losing federal funds.
That is how you protect young girls in America.
In just a short amount of time, the future looks brighter for young female sports stars. Unlike the Biden years, these girls now have advocates at the top who are going to bat for them, not for those seeking to crush their dreams.
A hundred days into the second Trump term, more wins have been put on the board for girls and women than in all of Biden’s presidency. Expect much more to come with President Trump at the helm.
Riley Gaines is a former All-American Swimmer, America First Works Senior Advisor, and host of OutKick’s Gaines for Girls podcast.
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.
Danielle Cirrito during Jan. 9 race. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook University Athletics
Stony Brook women’s track & field competed in its first meet of the New Year on Jan. 9 at the TCNJ Invitational from The Armory in New York City. As a team, the Seawolves recorded seven top-eight placements.
HIGHLIGHTS
Amelie Guzman recorded a second-place finish in the 3,000m (10:15.53).
Danielle Cirrito finished second in the mile run event (5:06.99).
Olivia Schwartz placed third in the 500m (1:18.24).
Sophia Squires produced a fifth-place finish in the mile run (5:10.08).
Samantha Osei-Kyei finished fifth in the 500m (1:18.81).
Jade Pazmino placed sixth in the 800m event (2:29.07).
Alejandra Garcia produced a seventh place run in the mile, setting a new PR with a time of 5:13.33.
Up next, the team continues its busy January slate next Friday returning to The Armory for the Ramapo College Invitation on January 16, with action set to begin at 9:30 am.
WINCHESTER, Va. – After a week in Florida leading into the spring semester, the Franklin & Marshall’s women’s track & field team competed at Shenandoah’s Kaye & JJ Smith Invitational. The Diplomats got the January portion of their schedule off to a great start with a pair of school records, with four other marks that rank in the top 10 in program history.
Tara Silverman broke the school record in the 3,000 meters that was formerly held by All-American and F&M Hall of Famer Sheena Crawley ’13. Silverman finished in a time of 10:19.87. Teammates Annalise Kauffman (11:01.19) and Georgeia Hodgson (11:36.98) finished second and sixth in that same event.
Lauren Dunnigan once again broke her own school record in the 60 meter dash as she finished with a time of 7.75 seconds during the finals of that event. That is currently the second-fastest time in the Centennial Conference this season. Dunnigan was also the individual champion in the 200 meter dash as her time of 26.56 seconds was the second-fastest in school history. Dunnigan capped her day with a time of 9.15 seconds to take first (her third event title of the day) in the 60 meter hurdles.
The Diplomats finished with five individual titles on Sunday as Jordyn Collie won the 400 meters with a time of 1:05.42. Her performance highlighted seven Diplomats in the top 10 of that event, as Avery Canady (1:06.33) and Abby Bachman (1:06.52) took the silver and bronze positions. Collie was also the team’s top finish in the 800 meters (2:33.68), with Bachman (2:44.52) and Sophia Bloom (2:53.15) each turning in top 10 individual finishes.
Amanda Imhauser and Hayden Adams both had busy days in their return to competition. Imhauser was third in the 60 meter hurdles (10.24) and long jump (4.84m), sixth in the high hump (1.35m) and shot put (9.30m), and seventh in the 200 meters (29.14). Adams took third in the pole vault as she cleared 3.20 meters to rank second in school history. She added a fifth-place showing in the high jump (1.38m). Max McCoy led the Diplomats in the both throwing events as she took third in the shot put (11.13m) and fourth in the weight throw (12.07m). Both of those marks were top 10 performances in school history.
Women’s track & field will return to competition this Saturday, January 17 when the team travels to Catholic’s Cardinal Classic.
Franklin & Marshall Event Winners / Top 10 Performances
60 Meters
1. Lauren Dunning (7.75) – school record
200 Meters
1. Lauren Dunnigan (26.56) – second in school history
3,000 Meters
1. Tara Silverman (10:19.87) – school record
Pole Vault
3. Hayden Adams (3.20m) – second in school history
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State men’s volleyball team completed a successful weekend at Worthen Arena, defeating NJIT in four sets (25-13, 21-25, 25-12, 25-15) Saturday evening.
The Cardinals (3-0, 0-0 MIVA) limited the Highlanders (0-4, 0-0 EIVA) to a 0.80 hitting clip while averaging .391 themselves, along with a team block total of 15.5 compared to NJIT’s 3. The evening saw just one lead change, three points into the fourth set, as NJIT recorded an attack error at the end of a Patrick Rogers serve.
Rogers led the way as he matched his kill total from the evening prior, tallying 16 while hitting .522, along with six digs, two assists and a team-leading three aces. Ryan Louis was credited with 11 kills on a .318 clip, two aces, four digs and a career-high seven block assists. Wil Basilio earned nine kills, three digs and four block assists.
Ball State’s defense halted the Highlanders at the net, aided by Jacob Surette who recorded a career-best nine block assists, Louis’ seven and Braydon Savitski-Lynde’s five. Savitski-Lynde also completed five kills while hitting .522. Freshman libero Adir Ben Shloosh led the men with eight digs.
Lucas Machado’s hustle was on full display throughout the match, dishing out 37 assists with three kills.
The Cardinals led by as much as 14 in the opening set, highlighted by an 8-0 run which brought them to set-point. After three-straight points by the Highlanders, Rogers punched a kill to finish it, capping off a set that saw Ball State hit an efficient .688 clip.
Set two was a different story, as the score tied seven times until NJIT’s late momentum pushed them just enough to claim the set.
The men’s squad was unfazed, easily taking sets three and four. Rogers swatted nine kills between the two sets, and claimed two of his three aces in set four, with one of those bringing the Cardinals to match point. Surette’s four block assists were also instrumental, including back-to-back blocks assists by him and Basilio.
In his first career appearance with the Cardinals, sophomore Jason Harris put the exclamation point on the weekend with the final kill of the match, finishing with two.
The Ball State men’s volleyball program ride this momentum into next week when it travels to Phoenix, Ariz. for the First Point Collegiate Challenge Tournament at the Phoenix Convention Center. The men square off against No. 1 UCLA Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. ET, followed by No. 9 Stanford Jan. 18 at 4 p.m. ET.
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Men’s Volleyball team defeated Harvard 3-1 Saturday night to close out the final round of the 61st ASICS Invitational. The Gauchos open the 2026 season undefeated, having also beaten Kentucky State and Maryville earlier in the tournament.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Harvard opened the gate with a first-set win, taking it 25-22. The Gauchos hit just 0.074 in the first and were unable to collapse Harvard’s early lead.
The Gauchos finally clicked during the second, bringing it home 25-18. Santa Barbara and Harvard stayed even through the second, with neither team managing to gain more than a three-point lead until the set’s finale. At 19-18, Santa Barbara went on a six-point scoring run that brought them directly to victory.
Santa Barbara shone in the third, capturing a 25-14 success for their cleanest win of the match. The Gauchos made off with a 7-2 head start and stayed at least three points ahead at all times. Senior Owen Loncar sealed the set with a service ace.
Finally, the Gauchos closed out the match by winning the fourth and final set 25-19. They held a slight initial lead before springing multiple points ahead of the Crimson.
Santa Barbara revived their hitting percentage after the grim first set, hitting 57% in the remaining three. As a team, they dug 42 digs and made ten aces.
George Bruening put on a hitting masterclass, annihilating 26 kills and hitting .455. He tied his career record in kills and made ten in the fourth set alone. Ben Pearson delivered the match’s second highest kill count with nine, while Riggs Guy lasered eight. Guy also placed a career-best six assists.
Cole Schobel achieved all over the court, popping 42 assists, five kills, and a block. He also led the match in service aces with four, hit .714, and tied Jason Walmer for the match-high dig count at nine. Joe Wallace followed with seven digs and freshman Dylan Pilkvist made a team leading 5 block assists
UP NEXT
The Gauchos will continue home play for their next match, hosting The Master’s University on Friday, Jan. 16 at 7:00 p.m. in the Thunderdome.
UC San Diego men’s volleyball (1-0, 0-0 Big West) kicked off its 2026 campaign with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Jessup (0-1, 0-0 MPSF) on Tuesday, Jan. 6, at LionTree Arena.
The key to the Tritons’ victory was the offensive firepower of junior outside hitter Josh Ewert, who racked up a game-high 17 kills, including the final point in two of the four sets. Junior outside hitter Leo Pravednikov added 15 kills of his own.
The first set showcased opening-game jitters with both sides committing a multitude of attacking errors. Ewert came to play from the first serve, racking up five kills in the opening set alone. However, Jessup had its own go-to guy — senior middle blocker Clement Osahon Jr. caused major issues for the Tritons early on. By the end of the set, UCSD shook off its early errors and created some separation. Fittingly, Ewert scored the set point, a kill that pushed his team over the line to clinch the first set with a score of 25-20.
The second set started sloppily, but a vicious kill from Triton junior middle blocker Leo Wiemelt ignited a spark. A sneaky dump set from senior setter John Luers extended the Tritons’ lead to six. Yet, UCSD was plagued by service errors following strong kills, allowing Jessup to remain on the Tritons’ heels.
“[The offense] is so potent at times, and then, at times, we struggled with the blockers and getting the ball in the court consistently,” head coach Brad Rostratter said in a postgame interview with The UCSD Guardian. “So, our strengths can be our weaknesses.”
Ewert led the Tritons to set point after a crafty tool of the Warriors’ block. Despite a final 3-point push from Jessup, a powerful kill from senior middle blocker Peter Selcho drove UCSD over the line 25-22.
Jessup refused to go quietly in the third. After a couple of early kills from Ewert, the Warriors found their momentum. UCSD responded with a block from Wiemelt and an emphatic kill and ace from junior outside hitter Sebastiano Sani. However, a solo 3-0 run from Jessup’s senior opposite hitter Carter Depue tied the game at 18. Late Triton errors ultimately allowed Jessup to build its lead and eventually take the set 25-22.
“Their middles did a really good job of committing, slowing down our middles, and touching and defending the middle of the court,” Rostratter said. “It’s something they did really, really well. And we struggled; it took a little bit of adjusting to their higher quick set.”
The Tritons decisively regained control in the fourth set, and Ewert set the tone with back-to-back service aces. UCSD went on an 8-2 run, which included a vicious kill from Selcho and another ace from Ewert. For the first time in the match, the Tritons had a comfortable lead at 18-11. Ewert sent one last back-row kill past the unresponsive Warriors to take the fourth set 25-20 for UCSD.
The Tritons stayed hot with a 3-1 home victory against Daemen on Friday, Jan. 9. UCSD will finish off its three-game homestand against Rockhurst on Sunday, Jan. 11, before heading to Utah to face BYU in a two-game road trip from Jan. 16-17.
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne men’s volleyball team collected their first win of the season on Sunday night (Jan. 11), topping NJIT in the Mastodons’ second five set match of the season (25-20, 18-25, 25-22, 23-25, 15-12).
Owen Banner and Carlo Huisden led the ‘Dons offensively in the match, combining for 43 of the ‘Dons 67 kills. Banner finished with 21 kills, two aces, nine digs and three total blocks. Huisden tallied 22 kills on a .472 hitting percentage, along with seven digs.
Both teams battled early in the first set, until NJIT took the lead with a 5-1 run. Purdue Fort Wayne rallied back midway through the set with their own 6-1 run to claim a 16-13 lead. The Mastodons finished the set on a .481 hitting percentage to take the frame 25-20.
The Highlanders jumped out to an early second set lead, using a 6-2 run. NJIT added onto their lead with the help of another 6-1 run, sitting on top of a 16-9 score. Despite the ‘Dons boasting another high hitting percentage (.429), the Highlanders maintained the lead and finished out the set at 25-18.
Purdue Fort Wayne rallied to begin the third set, shooting out on a 7-0 run. Banner earned nine of his kills and the Mastodons defense rejected four attacks during the frame. The ‘Dons took a 2-1 set lead after a 25-22 conclusion.
The fourth set was highly contested, neither side owned larger than a three point lead. Both teams were held to under .100 hitting percentage. NJIT forced a fifth set after taking the fourth 25-23.
Purdue Fort Wayne dropped the first two points of the final frame, but bounced back with a 6-1 run. NJIT closed the gap to 9-11 after a 3-0 run of their own. The Mastodons managed to hold on to their lead and close out the contest at 15-12.
Hunter Hopkins finished with a near double-double of 53 assists and nine digs. Casey Lyons tied his career-high with eight block assists. Andrew Mayer dug out 11 attacks in the contest.
Purdue Fort Wayne moves to 1-1. NJIT falls to 0-5. The Mastodons will take on the Under Armour Challenge, hosted by Lindenwood, next weekend. The ‘Dons will face off against Menlo on Friday (Jan. 16) and No. 11 CSUN on Saturday (Jan. 17).
