Two Oregon high school athletes refused to share the podium with a transgender competitor at the state’s track and field championships, footage shows.

The female students — Tigard High School’s Alexa Anderson and Sherwood High School’s Reese Eckard — stepped down from the high jump podium as the winners of the competition were being announced across the Eugene stadium Saturday night.

Anderson and Eckard had finished in third and fourth place, while Ida B. Wells High School’s trans student Lia Rose tied for fifth.

Rose had competed in boys’ track and field divisions as recently as 2024 and 2023, according to Fox News.

Crowds were cheering for the athletes throughout the ceremony, and it remains unclear how the audience reacted to the protest.

A race official showed up shortly after Anderson and Eckard stepped down and ushered them away as they stood with their backs to the podium.

It remains unclear if their standing at the competition was affected by the move.

But the incident quickly gained attention online, especially after women’s sports advocate Riley Gaines — who is staunchly opposed to transgender athletes competing in women’s sports — posted footage from it on X.

“Watch this. Two female athletes in Oregon refused to stand on the podium because a boy was awarded a place,” Gaines wrote.

“Girls have had enough,” she added.

The video was also picked up by other accounts — including “Libs of TikTok” — which praised the athletes’ act of defiance.

It was just the latest incident in which women athletes have protested against transgender competitors in their division.

In April, women’s fencer Stephanie Turner took a knee rather than competing with a trans person during a Maryland match, and was put on a year-long probation by USA Fencing for the move.

And in May, 16-year-old high schooler Reese Hogan finished second to a trans athlete in California’s CIF Southern Section Finals triple jump competition — but stepped up to the first-place spot on the podium after her competitor stepped down.

Texas Border Business

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Cameron County has announced that Isla Blanca Park has once again been recognized as one of the Top 10 Best Beaches in Texas by the prestigious 2025 USA TODAY Readers’ Choice Awards. For the second year in a row, Isla Blanca Park has claimed the #1 spot, reaffirming its status as the premier beach destination in the Lone Star State.

This national recognition follows a competitive selection process conducted by a panel of travel experts and USA TODAY’s “10Best” editors, who nominated an elite list of Texas beach destinations. Following several weeks of public voting, Isla Blanca Park rose to the top, earning the admiration and votes of thousands of beach lovers from across Texas and the nation.

Affectionately known as the “Crown Jewel of the Texas Gulf Coast,” Isla Blanca Park is situated at the southernmost tip of South Padre Island. The park offers over a mile of pristine white sand and crystal-clear turquoise waters, along with a variety of recreational options including swimming, snorkeling, beach volleyball, jetty and surf fishing and more. Guests can enjoy modern amenities such as beachfront pavilions, dining facilities, beach front boardwalks, water sport rentals, cabana and umbrella rentals, a boat ramp, a full-service marina, Amphitheater & Event Center and over 600 RV campsites. Visitors can also witness SpaceX launch activities with a front- row view.

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“We are incredibly proud to see Isla Blanca Park once again named the best beach in Texas,” said Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr. “This recognition reflects the commitment of Cameron County to preserving and enhancing our coastal treasures for the enjoyment of residents and visitors alike. Isla Blanca is more than a destination; it’s a source of pride for our entire community.”

“Isla Blanca Park is an essential part of our local identity and economy,” added Cameron County Commissioner Sofia C. Benavides, Pct. 1. “We’ve made significant investments in this park to improve infrastructure, enhance amenities and protect the natural beauty that makes it so special. This award validates those efforts and highlights the value of continued stewardship.”

“This recognition is a distinguished honor and a direct result of the leadership and support of the Cameron County Commissioners’ Court, and the unwavering commitment of the Cameron County Parks & Recreation staff,” said Joe E. Vega, Cameron County Parks Director. “Our Parks team strive every day to provide a safe, clean and memorable experience for everyone who visits Isla Blanca Park and County Coastal Parks. We thank the voters, and we welcome everyone to come see for themselves why Isla Blanca Park is the best in Texas.”

Information Source:’ Cameron County Judge’s Office

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Three Programs Set For Cross-Country Trip To Compete In 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

6/2/2025 1:00:00 PM

Ben Kane

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (June, 2, 2025) – Seven individuals alongside two relay teams earned a spot in the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Championships following strong performances at the NCAA East Regional Preliminaries last week.
 

Three individuals qualified for the women, while four men made it as well as two relay teams. North Carolina A&T will have the most athletes in Oregon with two women and three men on top of two men’s relay teams. Monmouth and Northeastern will each send a student-athlete across the country to represent their programs in Oregon. 
 

For the women, A&T’s Spirit Morgan and Olivia Dowd will represent the Aggies while Monmouth’s Yasmeen Tinsley is the sole Hawk heading to Eugene.
 
Morgan earned her spot in the high jump with a 1.82m (5’ 11.5”) mark to qualify with the sixth-best performance in the region.
 
Dowd will compete in the triple jump thanks to a personal-best 13.22m (43’ 4.5”) leap to take the fifth-best qualifying mark in the East Region.
 
Tinsley advanced in the 400m hurdles, finishing fourth in her heat but qualified as one of the next three fastest times in the 24-competitor quarterfinal with a 56.97 time.
 

On the men’s side, A&T is well represented with Xavier Partee, Isaiah Taylor, Xzaviah Taylor, and two relay teams making it alongside Northeastern’s Ethan Exilhomme.
 
Partee built on his strong season, posting a 15.97m (52’ 4.75”) leap in the triple jump to take eighth in the qualifying round and punch his ticket to the national championship.
 
Isaiah Taylor posted a personal-record time of 13.458 in the 110m hurdles for the fifth fastest time and second in his heat to qualify. He also clocked a career-best 50.25 time in the 400m hurdles to earn a spot in the national championship.
 
Xzaviah Taylor produced the fastest time in the qualifying rounds by running a program-record 49.18 time in the 400m hurdles. 
 
Consisting of both Taylor brothers alongside Jaeden Gumbs and Brandon Nya, the Aggies qualified in the 4x100m relay with a 39.09 time to take eighth in the qualifying round.
 
Isaiah Taylor also helped the Aggies qualify for the 4x400m relay alongside Dyimond Walker, Caleb Gurnell, and Elijah Thomas with a 3:03.56 pace.
 
Exilhomme heads back to the national championship for the first time since 2023, after running a personal best and school record 13.45 time in the 110m hurdles.
 
For the 16th time, the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Held simultaneously, the men’s and women’s events will run from Wednesday, June 11 through Saturday, June 14.
 
Women’s 400m Hurdles: Yasmeen Tinsley, Monmouth – 11th (56.97)

Women’ High Jump: Spirit Morgan, N.C. A&T – 6th (1.82m / 5’ 11.5”)

Women’s Triple Jump: Olivia Dowd, N.C. A&T – 5th  (13.22m / 43’ 4.5”)

Men’s Triple Jump: Xavier Partee, N.C. A&T – 8th (15.97m / 52’ 4.75”)
Men’s 110m Hurdles:  Ethan Exilhomme, Northeastern – 4th (13.45)

           Isaiah Taylor, N.C. A&T – 6th (13.46) 

Men’s 400m Hurdles: Xzaviah Taylor, N.C. A&T – 1st (49.18)

Men’s 400m Hurdles: Isaiah Taylor, N.C. A&T – 12th (50.25)

Men’s 4x100m: N.C. A&T – 7th (39.09)

Men’s 4x400m: N.C. A&T – 7th (3:03.56)
 

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana State senior pole vaulter Will Staggs and sophomore hurdler Rachel Mehringer officially qualified for the 2025 NCAA Outdoor National Championships.
 
Official qualifiers for the national championships were announced Monday afternoon, with the Sycamore duo earning their spots in the field by virtue of their top-12 finishes at the NCAA East First Round.
 
Staggs, who owns Indiana State’s indoor and outdoor school and facility pole vault records, earned his second NCAA Outdoor National Championships berth with a clearance of 5.43m (17-9.75), one of five athletes to break North Florida’s facility record in the preliminary round. A 2024 Indoor Second Team All-American and 2023 Outdoor Honorable Mention All-American, the five-time MVC pole vault champion will be making his third appearance at an NCAA National Championship (2023 outdoor, 2024 indoor, 2025 outdoor).
 
Mehringer, the Indiana State and MVC 60m hurdles and 100m hurdles record holder, secured her spot at the national championships with a 100m hurdles quarterfinal time of 13.08. She also ran a time of 13.05 in the first round of the NCAA East First Round, and has run five sub-13.10 100m hurdles times in her last three meets. A four-time MVC champion between the 60m hurdles and 100m hurdles, Mehringer will be making her first appearance at an NCAA National Championship.
 
Staggs will compete in the pole vault Wednesday, June 11 at 7:35 p.m. ET (4:35 p.m. PT), with Mehringer’s 100m hurdles semifinal taking place Thursday, June 12 at 8:08 p.m. ET (5:08 p.m. PT). Should Mehringer qualify for the 100m hurdles finals, that race would take place Saturday, June 14 at 9:42 p.m. ET (6:42 p.m. PT).
 
Follow the Sycamores

For the latest information on the Sycamore Track & Field and Cross Country teams, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from the both the App Store and the Google Play Store.
 

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