MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A transgender high school athlete has qualified to compete in the West Virginia High School State Track & Field Championships. Becky Pepper-Jackson, a biological boy who has identified as a girl since third grade and has taken puberty-blocking medication, secured spots in two events in next week’s girls state meet.
Pepper-Jackson, a freshman at Bridgeport High School, competed in the Class AAA Region I meet on May 15. Pepper-Jackson finished third in the shot put with a throw of 34 feet, 3.75 inches, and fourth in the discus with a throw of 108 feet, 8 inches.
The state meet performance list was published on Monday. Pepper-Jackson had the ninth-best throw in shot put and the seventh-best throw in the discus among all state meet qualifiers.
Track and field athletes qualify for the state meet based on their results in regional meets that are held throughout the state. The top two finishers in each regional automatically qualify, accounting for half of the 16 spots. The remaining eight spots are awarded to the next eight best throws across all regional competitions.
The State of West Virginia has a law that says biological boys can’t compete with girls in sports. The law is currently on hold under an injunction. U.S. District Judge Joseph Goodwin ruled the state couldn’t enforce the law against Pepper-Jackson while the case was under his previous injunction. He said that would be a violation of Title IX.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey said earlier this month that he’s confident the U.S. Supreme Court will rule in a similar case from Tennessee in the next four to six weeks and after that ruling West Virginia’s law can take effect.
I am hearing that high school track coaches in West Virginia are threatening to force girl track and field athletes to compete against a boy or face suspension – which could remove their opportunity to participate in the state championships. This cannot stand.
I believe what is…
— Governor Patrick Morrisey (@wvgovernor) May 6, 2025
“Once we hear back, I’m very hopeful that West Virginia’s law prohibiting boys from playing sports with women is something we’re never going to have to worry about. It’s just that we’re in a tough spot right now with the injunction,” Morrisey said.
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on the State of Tennessee v. Cardona case focused on that state’s Title IX regulations, specifically focusing on gender-affirming care for transgender youth.
The debate around Pepper-Jackson competing against girls rose to national prominence in April of 2024. During the Harrison County Middle School Championship meet, five athletes declined to compete against Pepper-Jackson in the shot put.
An online petition has circulated at Change.org and the website says it has over 1,800 verified signatures supporting their message to “Protect Women’s Sports.”
The state meet will be held May 23-24 at University of Charleston Stadium.