CYPRESS, Texas —Euless Trinity senior and transgender wrestler Mack Beggs, is on pace to defend his 2017 state title on Saturday.
Beggs is wrestling in the 6A Girls 110 weight class. He won two of his matches Friday by pinfall and will wrestle in the semifinals Saturday morning.
His first match will be against Kayla Fitts, a senior from Cypress Ranch. Beggs is 34-0 this season and Fitts is 52-0.
The 18-year-old returns to the finals facing less drama than he did last year.
Beggs was the center of both praise and criticism in 2017 when a parent filed a lawsuit to try and keep him from wrestling in the female division.
A few years ago, Beggs began transitioning from female to male. The lawsuit’s argument centered around Beggs’ use of testosterone to help with that transition.
But, according to the UIL, it’s not a banned substance since it comes from a physician.
A state law passed in 2016 also said that student-athletes in high school must compete as the gender that’s on their birth certificate.
Beggs wants to wrestle boys and said he would if that law didn’t exist.
Marco Karem, Beggs’ father, said that his son’s story should bring encouragement to others.
“He inspires a lot of people, and if he can help just one person—then it’s worth it to Mack,” Karem said.
Parents WFAA spoke with all seem to support Beggs’ choice to be transgender, however many voiced that he should be wrestling boys or not wrestling at all.
Grandmother Nancy Beggs said that wrestling is her grandson’s life now, but that each of his victories extends far beyond the mat.
“It’s a statement to other kids that you can do this, and that you can do anything you want to do,” she said.
Beggs is now entertaining a scholarship offer at an out-of-state school. If he accepts, he would compete as a male in the NCAA.
He’s also preparing for gender reassignment surgery.
According to his grandmother, Beggs competed in male wrestling meet in Irving last summer and finished fourth.