High school girls walk off track at cross-country meet rather than compete against male runner in Washington state

Nearly half of the girls’ cross-country team refused to compete against a male teammate, according to unDivided host Brandi Kruse, who shared footage recorded by Amy Sousa. The footage shows the starting gun going off and then a large group of girls stepping off the starting line and leaving the field.

The walk-off came after two runners from rival Skyview High School staged a similar protest last month. Skyview runners Charlie Garrett and Sierra Retzlaff lined up with messages supporting women’s sports painted on their arms and legs, then left the course after the starting gun. “We did it because we didn’t want to act like we were OK with what was happening,” Retzlaff explained.

Kruse also reported that additional athletes stayed away from Tuesday’s meet. “I’m told seniors and team captains didn’t show up and refused to run as well. Much of the other team (Battleground) also refused to run, not even making the trip to Camas,” she wrote.

The protest followed growing objections to Logan Mihailoff’s participation in girls’ races. Mihailoff began the season with a 76th-place finish in a boys’ JV race at the September 5 Ultimook meet. After switching divisions, he finished second among 195 girls at the September 26 Nike Portland XC Invitational, then won the September 29 girls’ varsity race against Union High School.

During the October 10 Nike Hole in the Wall Invitational in Arlington, Mihailoff finished 39th among 135 runners in the girls’ elite 5K. Mihailoff ran 18:36.8. OutKick reported that the same time would have placed him last among 159 competitors in the boys’ elite race, approximately 30 seconds behind its final finisher. “Whether they finish first, 40th or 90th, they’re still taking the spot of a girl,” one parent said.

Parents Kevin and Sarah Burns spoke to Outkick, saying that their daughter was at first hesitant but that it was the unity of the girls on the team that led to the walk out.

"She wanted to kind of play it safe, so we, we weren't going to push it. We just kind of let her kind of feel it out. We told her that. We supported her whichever decision she tries to make," Kevin Burns said. "The more I heard about her friends wanting to do something, the more I heard about her team wanting to do something, we definitely were in support of that."

Sarah Burns said she'd heard about this controversy, of boys playing on girls teams, but never thought it would be on her own daughter's team. In photos of the team, Outkick blurred the images of the male player, Logan Mihailoff, while showing the faces of the girls, despite them all being minors. Even so, his larger arms, height, and body shape show clearly that he's not a girl.

Blurred image from Outkick

These girls sacrificed their own opportunity to race to defend something the adults should already be protecting—their right to fair competition. The Burnses held up signs and were told by security they were not permitted to. They held them up anyway.

That takes courage. These athletes train for the chance to compete. Walking away means surrendering a race they worked toward, knowing classmates, coaches, and strangers may criticize them.

Camas previously defended its eligibility policy in a statement provided to Kruse. “Under current WIAA eligibility standards, students are permitted to participate in athletics consistent with their gender identity. The district will continue to follow state law and WIAA requirements unless those laws or rules change. We also have an obligation to protect student privacy and will not discuss the circumstances or eligibility of an individual student.”

But that explanation leaves girls bearing the consequences: Accept the unfair competition or give up your own place on the starting line. The girls have now made their objections impossible to dismiss. First, two athletes from another school walked off. Now, members of the runner’s own team have followed.

Washington voters will decide whether to change those requirements on November 3, when Initiative IL26-638 appears on the ballot. The measure would prohibit biological males from competing in designated girls’ school sports and require verification of biological sex from participants’ personal health care providers as part of the routine sports physical.

These girls have already shown they are willing to sacrifice something important to stand up for fair competition.

The adults now have an opportunity to show the same courage.