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Transgender boy wins controversial girls state title Beggs Saturday Feb 25, 2017 at 8:43 PM Feb 25, 2017 at 8:43 PM By Kristie RiekenThe Associated Press CYPRESS, Texas — Mack Beggs had just won a state wrestling title Saturday in a category he didn't want to be in. But instead of wallowing in a debate about what should or should not have happened this weekend at the Texas state girls wrestling tournament, the 17-year-old transgender boy simply decided to be a good teammate. "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." Beggs completed an undefeated season by winning a controversial title 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. His family 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 weight class to improve to 56-0 and earn the championship. Beggs was surrounded by the girls he'd worked so hard with all season when he finally broke his silence Saturday night after the team finished second in Class 6A, the largest division in Texas. After thanking all of them, he lifted the gold medal hanging on his neck to the assembled cameras and shared a parting thought after all that he'd been through this weekend. "Hard work ethic pays off," he said. "Just saying." Earlier Saturday, Beggs fell to his knees for a moment after his win in the final as a mixture of cheers and boos rained down on him. He then hugged his coach and left the mat. He had a bit of fun with his fellow wrestlers at the medal ceremony when he counted down from three and all six of the top finishers posed by doing a dab on the medal stand. Beggs, who reached the state tournament after two opponents forfeited, was dogged throughout the event by questions about whether his testosterone treatments made him too strong to wrestle fairly against girls. 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. "Nothing that has happened at this year's wrestling championships has the UIL reconsidering its rules because quite frankly we don't believe that any issues being reported on are really a product of UIL rules," he said.