After Poor Showing On Boys Team, Male Switches To Girls Varsity And Takes First

A high school-aged transgender-identifying track athlete reportedly came in last place against junior varsity boys two years before switching to compete against varsity girls and taking home first place.

Zachary Rose, who now identifies as Lia Rose, formerly competed against boys at Ida B. Wells High School in Portland, Oregon, according to a New York Post report. But after switching to girls’ varsity, Rose recently won the high jump at the Portland Interscholastic League Varsity Relays with a height of 4 feet, 8 inches. The athlete bested the girls in the competition by at least two inches.

Citing athletic.net, the Post noted that Rose, while competing on boys JV track in 2023, finished dead last with a jump of 4 feet, 6 inches.

Rose competed against males in 2024, too, before apparently switching to compete against girls.

Despite proponents of boys in girls’ sports suggesting it’s exceedingly rare that trans-identifying athletes are taking opportunities and trophies from girls, these events are becoming more and more common. And in turn, females are refusing to compete in protest, citing safety and fairness.

As The Daily Wire reported this week, a female fencer was recently disqualified from a tournament in Maryland after she took a knee and refused to compete against a transgender-identifying male opponent.

Redmond Sullivan, who is male and identifies as transgender, was allowed to participate in the female tournament per USA Fencing rules, the organization confirmed to The Daily Wire. Sullivan formerly competed with males, but quickly won the top prize at Connecticut Division Junior Olympic Qualifiers last year after switching to female fencing, according to the Daily Mail.

????????Historic Protest: Female Fencer Takes a Knee in Bout Against Male Opponent, Faces Immediate Disqualification

After receiving a black card for refusing to compete against a man, Redmond Sullivan’s female opponent was expelled from the @USAFencing event at the Univ. of… pic.twitter.com/IloSnrb2Iu

— ICONS (@icons_women) April 2, 2025

In another recent example highlighted by The Daily Wire, a female professional disc golf athlete walked off the course during a Nashville competition over her concerns about a trans-identifying male player.

“Females must be protected in our division,” Abigail Wilson said as she walked away from the course. “This is unfair. I refuse to play.”

Related: ‘Most Likely Ended My Career’: Disc Golfer Who Protested Trans Competitor Says She Has No Regrets