In 2013, so many girls were joining boys teams that New York City started one of America’s first all-girls high school wrestling leagues, with 16 teams and about 220 wrestlers.

Garcia, 17, won the Class 2A 400-meter dash by nearly a second at Mount Tahoma High School on Saturday — a year after becoming the state’s first trans athlete to win a state title.

The 2024-25 school year saw national controversies over trans athletes in girls' sports, with legal battles and protests following President Donald Trump's executive order.

Girls at Tumwater High School protested against trans athlete Veronica Garcia's state track title. (XX-XY Athletics) But the criticism did not end on Saturday.