A 17-YEAR-OLD transgender boy completed an undefeated season Saturday by winning a controversial girls wrestling title in Texas state of the U.S. in an event clouded by criticism from those who believe the testosterone he’s taking as he transitions from female to male created an unfair advantage.

    The family of Mack Beggs has said he would rather be wrestling boys, but state policy calls for students to wrestle against the gender listed on their birth certificates. So the junior from Euless Trinity beat Chelsea Sanchez 12-2 in the 110-pound (49.9-kg) weight class to improve to 56-0 and earn the championship.

    Flanked by his teammates after the team won second place in Class 6A, the largest division in Texas, Beggs broke his silence.

    “I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for my teammates,” he said. “That’s honestly what the spotlight should have been on is my teammates. The hard work that I put in in the practice room with them, beside me — we trained hard every, single day. Every, single day and that’s where the spotlight should have been on. Not me. All of these guys. Because I would not be here without them.”

    He then lifted the gold medal hanging on his neck to the assembled cameras and shared a parting thought after all that he’d been through. “Hard work ethic pays off,” he said.

    Beggs fell to his knees for a moment after the win as a mixture of cheers and boos rained down on him. He then hugged his coach and left the mat.

    The University Interscholastic League, which oversees athletics in Texas public schools, enacted the birth certificate policy Aug. 1. And while Beggs’ family has said he wanted to compete against boys, UIL deputy director Jamey Harrison, who refused to address Beggs directly, said they had not received a request to change divisions from any athlete at this competition. Harrison believes that the outcome of the tournament was fair, despite concerns about Beggs.(SD-Agencies)