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Opinion: Iowa girls are relying on Athletic Union to preserve girls sports

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Dec 23, 2007
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Op-ed from one of Iowa's own high schoolers.

Opinion: Iowa girls are relying on Athletic Union to preserve girls sports​

The 800-meter time that made me a national champion and state record holder was bettered by 85 Iowa boys at a single meet.​

Ainsley Erzen
Guest columnist

An open letter to the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union from one of the state’s top female high school track and soccer athletes:

To the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union,

My name is Ainsley Erzen, and I’m writing to you concerning comments in the Cedar Rapids Gazette that the union needs guidance regarding transgender athletes in sports.

This summer, I won the girls 800-meter high school national championship in track, and broke the Iowa state record. It was such an honor to represent my state as the first Iowa female high school runner to win a national track title, and so humbling to have my name listed among such talented women as Shelby Houlihan and Joy Ripslinger. I believe this is a prime example of some of my most core beliefs: that if you work hard and put your faith in the Lord, He can, and will, accomplish things within you that you could never even dream of on your own.

That being said, my time of 2:06.52, the time that made me the fastest Iowa high school female 800 runner of all time, the time that earned me the title of national champion, was easily beat by 85 high school boys at the 2021 Iowa high school state track meet alone. Eighty-five. Just in our small state of Iowa. The results of the 2021 Drake Relays proved to be no different, as the last male runner came through the line in a time of 2:03. That same year, a time of 2:13 was enough to make me the 800-meter Drake champion. The slowest boy was easily 10 seconds faster than the first-place girl. But I don't need to explain this to you. Iowa track officials already know there are huge biological differences between boys and girls. Why else would the 2021 girls blue standard (the automatic qualifying time for the Drake Relays) have been 2:16, while the boys was set 20 seconds faster, at 1:56?

These numbers should end any dispute. There is no explanation for the performance gap except for biological differences. Iowa athletic unions already have all these numbers. In fact, it’s on their own websites that I was able to find them myself. But here we are, with the IGHSAU, which exists to protect girls sports, asking for advice. So I'll go on.

Next year I’ll be attending the University of Arkansas to continue both my track and soccer careers. This is a school known for its history of success in track and field, both on the men’s and women’s sides. The women’s 800-meter school record? 2:01.61. For men? 1:44.97. Women’s 200-meter record? 22.40. Men’s? 19.89. Women’s 5,000? 15:25.10. Men’s? 13:12.74. The list goes on and on. Bottom line? An elite male college runner will beat an elite female college runner every single time. But this issue is bigger than me, and it’s bigger than school sports. So let’s take a look at some of the best in the world.

Sydney McLaughlin won gold in the 400-meter hurdles at the Tokyo Olympic gold medalist and set the world record, 51.46. In the men’s Olympic preliminaries of the 400-meter hurdles, 34 of the 36 men ran faster than McLaughlin’s world-record time. Eight high school boys in 2021 ran times faster than McLaughlin’s record. Yes, you read that right. High schoolers, besting the greatest female 400-meter hurdler to ever step foot on the track.

Need some examples outside of track and field?

Serena Williams is arguably the best female athlete of all time in any sport, but when questioned on how she would feel about taking on her male counterparts, her answer was brutally honest. “Men’s tennis and women’s tennis are almost two different sports. … If I were to play Andy Murray, I would lose, 6-0, in five to six minutes, maybe 10 minutes. The men are a lot faster, they serve harder, they hit harder. … I love to play women’s tennis and I only want to play girls because I don't want to be embarrassed.” This from the greatest female tennis player of all time. At least Williams gets it.

Let’s take a look at the U.S. women's national soccer team. In 2017, the USWNT, the most decorated team in the world, with four Olympic gold medals and four World Cup championship titles, played a boys' under-15 FC Dallas team to prepare for a game against Russia. The result? A 5-2 win for the group of 14- and 15-year-old boys. A loss for the best group of women in the world.

I’m not saying any of this to invalidate other female athletes. In fact, my intentions are the opposite. Throughout my life, I've played multiple sports and met a countless number of amazing girls. Determined, hard-working girls with huge goals and big dreams for the future. Girls who put their faith in God, and trust that He will reward their efforts. Girls who rely on people like you at the IGHSAU to protect the sports they love, and the things they aspire to achieve. If you try to ignore biological differences, I guarantee there will be nothing left of women’s sports. There will be no Sydney McLaughlins, no Serena Williamses, no Julie Ertzs, and no Abby Wambachs.

So here I am writing to you, explaining why female sports need to be protected and preserved. But, in all honesty, I shouldn’t have to. The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union was created to protect the rights and best interests of female athletes. Don’t just stand by and let what’s happening in other places happen here. Don’t force more girls like Selina Soule, a female high school runner in Connecticut, to have to defend her rights alone as her athletic union lets athletes with an unfair advantage climb into the blocks next to her. Stop asking others to do your job for you, and be bold enough and brave enough to stand up for the hundreds of girls who rely on you to be able to continue to do what they love. We’re counting on you.

Ainsley Erzen is a senior at Carlisle High School.

 
"So here I am writing to you, explaining why female sports need to be protected and preserved. But, in all honesty, I shouldn’t have to. The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union was created to protect the rights and best interests of female athletes. "

To this point, Iowa is the only remaining state that has two separate governing bodies for boys and girls athletics. I've often praised this fact to many. It ensures the girls are treated just as well as the boys. It's no time for them to be feckless. Stand up for girls sports!
 
Op-ed from one of Iowa's own high schoolers.

Opinion: Iowa girls are relying on Athletic Union to preserve girls sports​

The 800-meter time that made me a national champion and state record holder was bettered by 85 Iowa boys at a single meet.​

Ainsley Erzen
Guest columnist

An open letter to the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union from one of the state’s top female high school track and soccer athletes:

To the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union,

My name is Ainsley Erzen, and I’m writing to you concerning comments in the Cedar Rapids Gazette that the union needs guidance regarding transgender athletes in sports.

This summer, I won the girls 800-meter high school national championship in track, and broke the Iowa state record. It was such an honor to represent my state as the first Iowa female high school runner to win a national track title, and so humbling to have my name listed among such talented women as Shelby Houlihan and Joy Ripslinger. I believe this is a prime example of some of my most core beliefs: that if you work hard and put your faith in the Lord, He can, and will, accomplish things within you that you could never even dream of on your own.

That being said, my time of 2:06.52, the time that made me the fastest Iowa high school female 800 runner of all time, the time that earned me the title of national champion, was easily beat by 85 high school boys at the 2021 Iowa high school state track meet alone. Eighty-five. Just in our small state of Iowa. The results of the 2021 Drake Relays proved to be no different, as the last male runner came through the line in a time of 2:03. That same year, a time of 2:13 was enough to make me the 800-meter Drake champion. The slowest boy was easily 10 seconds faster than the first-place girl. But I don't need to explain this to you. Iowa track officials already know there are huge biological differences between boys and girls. Why else would the 2021 girls blue standard (the automatic qualifying time for the Drake Relays) have been 2:16, while the boys was set 20 seconds faster, at 1:56?

These numbers should end any dispute. There is no explanation for the performance gap except for biological differences. Iowa athletic unions already have all these numbers. In fact, it’s on their own websites that I was able to find them myself. But here we are, with the IGHSAU, which exists to protect girls sports, asking for advice. So I'll go on.

Next year I’ll be attending the University of Arkansas to continue both my track and soccer careers. This is a school known for its history of success in track and field, both on the men’s and women’s sides. The women’s 800-meter school record? 2:01.61. For men? 1:44.97. Women’s 200-meter record? 22.40. Men’s? 19.89. Women’s 5,000? 15:25.10. Men’s? 13:12.74. The list goes on and on. Bottom line? An elite male college runner will beat an elite female college runner every single time. But this issue is bigger than me, and it’s bigger than school sports. So let’s take a look at some of the best in the world.

Sydney McLaughlin won gold in the 400-meter hurdles at the Tokyo Olympic gold medalist and set the world record, 51.46. In the men’s Olympic preliminaries of the 400-meter hurdles, 34 of the 36 men ran faster than McLaughlin’s world-record time. Eight high school boys in 2021 ran times faster than McLaughlin’s record. Yes, you read that right. High schoolers, besting the greatest female 400-meter hurdler to ever step foot on the track.

Need some examples outside of track and field?

Serena Williams is arguably the best female athlete of all time in any sport, but when questioned on how she would feel about taking on her male counterparts, her answer was brutally honest. “Men’s tennis and women’s tennis are almost two different sports. … If I were to play Andy Murray, I would lose, 6-0, in five to six minutes, maybe 10 minutes. The men are a lot faster, they serve harder, they hit harder. … I love to play women’s tennis and I only want to play girls because I don't want to be embarrassed.” This from the greatest female tennis player of all time. At least Williams gets it.

Let’s take a look at the U.S. women's national soccer team. In 2017, the USWNT, the most decorated team in the world, with four Olympic gold medals and four World Cup championship titles, played a boys' under-15 FC Dallas team to prepare for a game against Russia. The result? A 5-2 win for the group of 14- and 15-year-old boys. A loss for the best group of women in the world.

I’m not saying any of this to invalidate other female athletes. In fact, my intentions are the opposite. Throughout my life, I've played multiple sports and met a countless number of amazing girls. Determined, hard-working girls with huge goals and big dreams for the future. Girls who put their faith in God, and trust that He will reward their efforts. Girls who rely on people like you at the IGHSAU to protect the sports they love, and the things they aspire to achieve. If you try to ignore biological differences, I guarantee there will be nothing left of women’s sports. There will be no Sydney McLaughlins, no Serena Williamses, no Julie Ertzs, and no Abby Wambachs.

So here I am writing to you, explaining why female sports need to be protected and preserved. But, in all honesty, I shouldn’t have to. The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union was created to protect the rights and best interests of female athletes. Don’t just stand by and let what’s happening in other places happen here. Don’t force more girls like Selina Soule, a female high school runner in Connecticut, to have to defend her rights alone as her athletic union lets athletes with an unfair advantage climb into the blocks next to her. Stop asking others to do your job for you, and be bold enough and brave enough to stand up for the hundreds of girls who rely on you to be able to continue to do what they love. We’re counting on you.

Ainsley Erzen is a senior at Carlisle High School.


That's powerful stuff. Well done.
 
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Op-ed from one of Iowa's own high schoolers.

Opinion: Iowa girls are relying on Athletic Union to preserve girls sports​

The 800-meter time that made me a national champion and state record holder was bettered by 85 Iowa boys at a single meet.​

Ainsley Erzen
Guest columnist

An open letter to the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union from one of the state’s top female high school track and soccer athletes:

To the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union,

My name is Ainsley Erzen, and I’m writing to you concerning comments in the Cedar Rapids Gazette that the union needs guidance regarding transgender athletes in sports.

This summer, I won the girls 800-meter high school national championship in track, and broke the Iowa state record. It was such an honor to represent my state as the first Iowa female high school runner to win a national track title, and so humbling to have my name listed among such talented women as Shelby Houlihan and Joy Ripslinger. I believe this is a prime example of some of my most core beliefs: that if you work hard and put your faith in the Lord, He can, and will, accomplish things within you that you could never even dream of on your own.

That being said, my time of 2:06.52, the time that made me the fastest Iowa high school female 800 runner of all time, the time that earned me the title of national champion, was easily beat by 85 high school boys at the 2021 Iowa high school state track meet alone. Eighty-five. Just in our small state of Iowa. The results of the 2021 Drake Relays proved to be no different, as the last male runner came through the line in a time of 2:03. That same year, a time of 2:13 was enough to make me the 800-meter Drake champion. The slowest boy was easily 10 seconds faster than the first-place girl. But I don't need to explain this to you. Iowa track officials already know there are huge biological differences between boys and girls. Why else would the 2021 girls blue standard (the automatic qualifying time for the Drake Relays) have been 2:16, while the boys was set 20 seconds faster, at 1:56?

These numbers should end any dispute. There is no explanation for the performance gap except for biological differences. Iowa athletic unions already have all these numbers. In fact, it’s on their own websites that I was able to find them myself. But here we are, with the IGHSAU, which exists to protect girls sports, asking for advice. So I'll go on.

Next year I’ll be attending the University of Arkansas to continue both my track and soccer careers. This is a school known for its history of success in track and field, both on the men’s and women’s sides. The women’s 800-meter school record? 2:01.61. For men? 1:44.97. Women’s 200-meter record? 22.40. Men’s? 19.89. Women’s 5,000? 15:25.10. Men’s? 13:12.74. The list goes on and on. Bottom line? An elite male college runner will beat an elite female college runner every single time. But this issue is bigger than me, and it’s bigger than school sports. So let’s take a look at some of the best in the world.

Sydney McLaughlin won gold in the 400-meter hurdles at the Tokyo Olympic gold medalist and set the world record, 51.46. In the men’s Olympic preliminaries of the 400-meter hurdles, 34 of the 36 men ran faster than McLaughlin’s world-record time. Eight high school boys in 2021 ran times faster than McLaughlin’s record. Yes, you read that right. High schoolers, besting the greatest female 400-meter hurdler to ever step foot on the track.

Need some examples outside of track and field?

Serena Williams is arguably the best female athlete of all time in any sport, but when questioned on how she would feel about taking on her male counterparts, her answer was brutally honest. “Men’s tennis and women’s tennis are almost two different sports. … If I were to play Andy Murray, I would lose, 6-0, in five to six minutes, maybe 10 minutes. The men are a lot faster, they serve harder, they hit harder. … I love to play women’s tennis and I only want to play girls because I don't want to be embarrassed.” This from the greatest female tennis player of all time. At least Williams gets it.

Let’s take a look at the U.S. women's national soccer team. In 2017, the USWNT, the most decorated team in the world, with four Olympic gold medals and four World Cup championship titles, played a boys' under-15 FC Dallas team to prepare for a game against Russia. The result? A 5-2 win for the group of 14- and 15-year-old boys. A loss for the best group of women in the world.

I’m not saying any of this to invalidate other female athletes. In fact, my intentions are the opposite. Throughout my life, I've played multiple sports and met a countless number of amazing girls. Determined, hard-working girls with huge goals and big dreams for the future. Girls who put their faith in God, and trust that He will reward their efforts. Girls who rely on people like you at the IGHSAU to protect the sports they love, and the things they aspire to achieve. If you try to ignore biological differences, I guarantee there will be nothing left of women’s sports. There will be no Sydney McLaughlins, no Serena Williamses, no Julie Ertzs, and no Abby Wambachs.

So here I am writing to you, explaining why female sports need to be protected and preserved. But, in all honesty, I shouldn’t have to. The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union was created to protect the rights and best interests of female athletes. Don’t just stand by and let what’s happening in other places happen here. Don’t force more girls like Selina Soule, a female high school runner in Connecticut, to have to defend her rights alone as her athletic union lets athletes with an unfair advantage climb into the blocks next to her. Stop asking others to do your job for you, and be bold enough and brave enough to stand up for the hundreds of girls who rely on you to be able to continue to do what they love. We’re counting on you.

Ainsley Erzen is a senior at Carlisle High School.

Awesome work by a high school girl. That's bold.

Weird to think she was going out on a limb there. She was, and she'll take a good bit of heat for it. Props to her.
 
I wish she would have left any mention of faith in the lord out of this. Not needed and only makes people dig their heels in.

In her mind it was needed and that's all that matters. Regardless, I expect you're spot on in that regard (digging heels in). For those triggered by that, I'm hoping that there are some honest enough readers that objectively consume the article.
 
It makes it real confusing if you have half to cup your testicles just to make a streamlined dive into the pool.
 
I honestly dont understand why doctors and most people in this world are afraid to speak the truth on this. I think everyone is too afraid of going against the mob mentality. It makes me sad for our country.
Because when it comes to science, you don't use gut feelings, assumptions, or what you hope to be true. You have to use data and right now, what little data we have suggests that after two years of transitioning there isn't any difference in muscle mass or bone density. What you need to be asking is, "Why isn't more research being done on this"? That way, if you are going to say that trans-women can't play women's sports it's not based on some religious or personal belief, it's based on science.
 
Because when it comes to science, you don't use gut feelings, assumptions, or what you hope to be true. You have to use data and right now, what little data we have suggests that after two years of transitioning there isn't any difference in muscle mass or bone density. What you need to be asking is, "Why isn't more research being done on this"? That way, if you are going to say that trans-women can't play women's sports it's not based on some religious or personal belief, it's based on science.
You can't change sex, you fvcking moron.

We've "progressives" arguing against evolution based upon self ID. "Bio"Hawk. I'd have thought this unbelievable not long ago, but here we are. Shittier living through chemistry.

"''Why isn't more research being done on this?' That way, if you are going to say that trans-women ARE women it's not based on some religious or personal belief, it's based on science."
 
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That was my first thought as well. No need for He/Him…in the biblical sense of course.
"Excuse me, G-d. What are thine pronouns?"

"I AM"

"Oh, neat. Best practices suggest you should put that in your email sig. It's also totes inclusive to wear a sticker declaring those pronouns."

"Whut?"

"It's for equity."

"Equity?! Oh, say no more."
 
I honestly dont understand why doctors and most people in this world are afraid to speak the truth on this. I think everyone is too afraid of going against the mob mentality. It makes me sad for our country.
STFU. No one is “afraid”. You Cons and your endless persecution complexes are nauseating.
The freaks are not victims they do not deserve special statusm. You might feel like a women but you are still a man. Society should not change because of your mental problems
The American Psychological Association disagrees with you, random internet moron.

Just call the two sides XX and XY. Simple solution. This should be such a non-issue.
 
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To this point, Iowa is the only remaining state that has two separate governing bodies for boys and girls athletics. I've often praised this fact to many. It ensures the girls are treated just as well as the boys. It's no time for them to be feckless. Stand up for girls sports!
Why?

They are inferior athletes. Terrible waste of money (and time).

Easy solution for men wanting to compete with athletically inferior women.....make all sports unisex. In the spirit of true athletic competition...the cream rises to the top and the best play... period. Weaker athletes have to deal with that everyday.....why not women?

If people want to have separate women's sports that is fine......but they should have to stand on their own and self support/self fund and quit spending good money on a bad product. Matter of fact that isn't a bad idea for the men too....self suppport and self fund. If your sport does not generate enough interest to support itself. It will have to live with what it can raise and operate at that level.
 
Because when it comes to science, you don't use gut feelings, assumptions, or what you hope to be true. You have to use data and right now, what little data we have suggests that after two years of transitioning there isn't any difference in muscle mass or bone density. What you need to be asking is, "Why isn't more research being done on this"? That way, if you are going to say that trans-women can't play women's sports it's not based on some religious or personal belief, it's based on science.

If data is actually lacking, the default position certainly ought to be that a biological male has no business competing against biological females. It seems to me there is no absence of emotion based reasoning on the part of those supporting the right of biological males competing in female sports.

I would, however, be curious to see the studies you mention.
 
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Because when it comes to science, you don't use gut feelings, assumptions, or what you hope to be true. You have to use data and right now, what little data we have suggests that after two years of transitioning there isn't any difference in muscle mass or bone density. What you need to be asking is, "Why isn't more research being done on this"? That way, if you are going to say that trans-women can't play women's sports it's not based on some religious or personal belief, it's based on science.
What the h3ll are you talking about? What about the man swimming for Penn and beating everyone by a mile? What about all the examples provided by this very intelligent and thoughtful high school girl? Once men go through puberty they have a muscle mass, % body fat, skeletal structure advantage over women and no amount of hormones is going to change that. That is science whether political hacks like you want to accept it or not. No amount of "science" would change your mind so stop pretending you care about science.
 
This article is great for OP. It is against trans women in sports and acknowledges women are inferior to men. It would have been a hat trick if she would have also advocated for women to accept subservient roles in marriages and suggested minor domestic abuse can be rationalized if the partner isn't fulfilling their marital duties.
 
STFU. No one is “afraid”. You Cons and your endless persecution complexes are nauseating.

The American Psychological Association disagrees with you, random internet moron.

Just call the two sides XX and XY. Simple solution. This should be such a non-issue.
Who cares what you think? Do you really believe your opinion means anything to anyone? Grow up and shut up if you can't come to a reasonably thought out position based on facts and not liberal orthodoxy.
 
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Because when it comes to science, you don't use gut feelings, assumptions, or what you hope to be true. You have to use data and right now, what little data we have suggests that after two years of transitioning there isn't any difference in muscle mass or bone density. What you need to be asking is, "Why isn't more research being done on this"? That way, if you are going to say that trans-women can't play women's sports it's not based on some religious or personal belief, it's based on science.
Heres the thing: the men that transition dominate. You DO NOT see women take some testosterone and even compete well.
The advantages are obvious and it's intellectually dishonest to suggest otherwise.
 
Who cares what you think? Do you really believe your opinion means anything to anyone? Grow up and shut up if you can't come to a reasonably thought out position based on facts and not liberal orthodoxy.
I just offered you a scientific solution that most people would agree with. But if you insist on illiteracy...
 
This article is great for OP. It is against trans women in sports and acknowledges women are inferior to men. It would have been a hat trick if she would have also advocated for women to accept subservient roles in marriages and suggested minor domestic abuse can be rationalized if the partner isn't fulfilling their marital duties.
Are you currently under a doctor's supervision? If not you may want to consider it.
 
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This article is great for OP. It is against trans women in sports and acknowledges women are inferior to men. It would have been a hat trick if she would have also advocated for women to accept subservient roles in marriages and suggested minor domestic abuse can be rationalized if the partner isn't fulfilling their marital duties.
So a desire for equity has to mean you hate trans people. Interesting. I think the young lady was saying: She worked her ass off to achieve a level no other girl in Iowa high school history ever has but would easily be outdone by a man that transitioned, just like the Thomas girl at penn. What's wrong with questioning this? How did we get to a place where feelings trump reason.
 
Why?

They are inferior athletes. Terrible waste of money (and time).

Easy solution for men wanting to compete with athletically inferior women.....make all sports unisex. In the spirit of true athletic competition...the cream rises to the top and the best play... period. Weaker athletes have to deal with that everyday.....why not women?

If people want to have separate women's sports that is fine......but they should have to stand on their own and self support/self fund and quit spending good money on a bad product. Matter of fact that isn't a bad idea for the men too....self suppport and self fund. If your sport does not generate enough interest to support itself. It will have to live with what it can raise and operate at that level.
CKh.gif
 
I feel bad for the girls and their parents that have to put up with such utter bullshit.

show me somebody that things hormoning down makes it all level and I will show you somebody in denial.
 
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So, she's comparing boys' times vs girls' times, not trans times against girls' times. Apples and octupi. Not a very compelling argument. I find it hard to believe that there were 85 trans runners competing against girls in an Iowa track meet.
 
So a desire for equity has to mean you hate trans people. Interesting. I think the young lady was saying: She worked her ass off to achieve a level no other girl in Iowa high school history ever has but would easily be outdone by a man that transitioned, just like the Thomas girl at penn. What's wrong with questioning this? How did we get to a place where feelings trump reason.

You should read my post again and then read your first sentence and then take a moment to consider whether my post says what you claim it says.
 
Op-ed from one of Iowa's own high schoolers.

Opinion: Iowa girls are relying on Athletic Union to preserve girls sports​

The 800-meter time that made me a national champion and state record holder was bettered by 85 Iowa boys at a single meet.​

Ainsley Erzen
Guest columnist

An open letter to the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union from one of the state’s top female high school track and soccer athletes:

To the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union,

My name is Ainsley Erzen, and I’m writing to you concerning comments in the Cedar Rapids Gazette that the union needs guidance regarding transgender athletes in sports.

This summer, I won the girls 800-meter high school national championship in track, and broke the Iowa state record. It was such an honor to represent my state as the first Iowa female high school runner to win a national track title, and so humbling to have my name listed among such talented women as Shelby Houlihan and Joy Ripslinger. I believe this is a prime example of some of my most core beliefs: that if you work hard and put your faith in the Lord, He can, and will, accomplish things within you that you could never even dream of on your own.

That being said, my time of 2:06.52, the time that made me the fastest Iowa high school female 800 runner of all time, the time that earned me the title of national champion, was easily beat by 85 high school boys at the 2021 Iowa high school state track meet alone. Eighty-five. Just in our small state of Iowa. The results of the 2021 Drake Relays proved to be no different, as the last male runner came through the line in a time of 2:03. That same year, a time of 2:13 was enough to make me the 800-meter Drake champion. The slowest boy was easily 10 seconds faster than the first-place girl. But I don't need to explain this to you. Iowa track officials already know there are huge biological differences between boys and girls. Why else would the 2021 girls blue standard (the automatic qualifying time for the Drake Relays) have been 2:16, while the boys was set 20 seconds faster, at 1:56?

These numbers should end any dispute. There is no explanation for the performance gap except for biological differences. Iowa athletic unions already have all these numbers. In fact, it’s on their own websites that I was able to find them myself. But here we are, with the IGHSAU, which exists to protect girls sports, asking for advice. So I'll go on.

Next year I’ll be attending the University of Arkansas to continue both my track and soccer careers. This is a school known for its history of success in track and field, both on the men’s and women’s sides. The women’s 800-meter school record? 2:01.61. For men? 1:44.97. Women’s 200-meter record? 22.40. Men’s? 19.89. Women’s 5,000? 15:25.10. Men’s? 13:12.74. The list goes on and on. Bottom line? An elite male college runner will beat an elite female college runner every single time. But this issue is bigger than me, and it’s bigger than school sports. So let’s take a look at some of the best in the world.

Sydney McLaughlin won gold in the 400-meter hurdles at the Tokyo Olympic gold medalist and set the world record, 51.46. In the men’s Olympic preliminaries of the 400-meter hurdles, 34 of the 36 men ran faster than McLaughlin’s world-record time. Eight high school boys in 2021 ran times faster than McLaughlin’s record. Yes, you read that right. High schoolers, besting the greatest female 400-meter hurdler to ever step foot on the track.

Need some examples outside of track and field?

Serena Williams is arguably the best female athlete of all time in any sport, but when questioned on how she would feel about taking on her male counterparts, her answer was brutally honest. “Men’s tennis and women’s tennis are almost two different sports. … If I were to play Andy Murray, I would lose, 6-0, in five to six minutes, maybe 10 minutes. The men are a lot faster, they serve harder, they hit harder. … I love to play women’s tennis and I only want to play girls because I don't want to be embarrassed.” This from the greatest female tennis player of all time. At least Williams gets it.

Let’s take a look at the U.S. women's national soccer team. In 2017, the USWNT, the most decorated team in the world, with four Olympic gold medals and four World Cup championship titles, played a boys' under-15 FC Dallas team to prepare for a game against Russia. The result? A 5-2 win for the group of 14- and 15-year-old boys. A loss for the best group of women in the world.

I’m not saying any of this to invalidate other female athletes. In fact, my intentions are the opposite. Throughout my life, I've played multiple sports and met a countless number of amazing girls. Determined, hard-working girls with huge goals and big dreams for the future. Girls who put their faith in God, and trust that He will reward their efforts. Girls who rely on people like you at the IGHSAU to protect the sports they love, and the things they aspire to achieve. If you try to ignore biological differences, I guarantee there will be nothing left of women’s sports. There will be no Sydney McLaughlins, no Serena Williamses, no Julie Ertzs, and no Abby Wambachs.

So here I am writing to you, explaining why female sports need to be protected and preserved. But, in all honesty, I shouldn’t have to. The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union was created to protect the rights and best interests of female athletes. Don’t just stand by and let what’s happening in other places happen here. Don’t force more girls like Selina Soule, a female high school runner in Connecticut, to have to defend her rights alone as her athletic union lets athletes with an unfair advantage climb into the blocks next to her. Stop asking others to do your job for you, and be bold enough and brave enough to stand up for the hundreds of girls who rely on you to be able to continue to do what they love. We’re counting on you.

Ainsley Erzen is a senior at Carlisle High School.

I just don't see the big deal. A kid isn't going to switch genders to win a freakin high school sport. There's so much chaos and uncertainty around the transition that sport participation would barely be in the equation.
 
So, she's comparing boys' times vs girls' times, not trans times against girls' times. Apples and octupi. Not a very compelling argument. I find it hard to believe that there were 85 trans runners competing against girls in an Iowa track meet.
Is the Penn swimmer a tran? The answer is yes so your argument is baseless.
 
I'm not going to wade into this deeply here, but I do see a lot of women's sports at the HS/middle school level because of my job, and here's my take on what I see.

These girls bust their asses out there - it amazes me how hard they compete along with the physical/mental toughness and commitment to teamwork they show every time out.

I had never gone to girls' events my entire lifetime until my current job, and I am so glad I do it now. No matter what, they deserve our support and admiration - and we must preserve and protect school athletics for them.
 
I just don't see the big deal. A kid isn't going to switch genders to win a freakin high school sport. There's so much chaos and uncertainty around the transition that sport participation would barely be in the equation.
Again, stop with the hypothetical and embrace reality. There are trans women winning in Connecticut high schools against biological females everyday, the Penn swimmer is a trans and is crushing biological women. Again your argument is based on a political argument/theory and not fact. Forego theory and embrace reality, PLEASE. The damage trans athletes are causing women's sports wayyyyyy outweighs any benefit to individual trans athletes.
 
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For those on the left who claim to embrace democracy, please review the below numbers. Estimates of trans people in the U.S. are 0.5% or approx 1.6 million. One could argue about half of those would be men transitioning to women so approx. 800,000 people. About 51% of the U.S. population are women so about 169,320,000 individuals. That is a difference of 168,520,000 people. Based on democratic principals, there are 168,520,000 more people hurt by trans women competing gainst women than benefit from it.
 
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