Latest news with #IHSA
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Dakota's softball team clinches trip to the IHSA State Tournament
STERLING, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF) — The Dakota Indians have only one senior on their roster, but that hasn't stopped them from advancing to the IHSA 1A State Softball Tournament. Monday afternoon the Indians edged Henry-Senachwine 2-0 to win the Sterling Super-Sectional. Sophomore Hailey Kerchner had a pair of doubles. One in the top of the first inning gave Dakota the only two runs of the pitcher AJ Howarth took care of the rest. She pitched a shutout allowing only four hits to the advances to the state's Final Four for the first time in school history. The Indians will play in the 1A semifinals Friday in Peoria at 12:30 against LeRoy. For highlights of Dakota's Super-Sectional win and postgame reaction, watch the media player Boone's softball team is headed to the 2A State Tournament for the second straight year. The Vikings won the Lisle 2A Super-Sectional Monday afternoon by edging IC Catholic 7-6. North Boone will play a state semifinal game Friday in Peoria at 3 p.m. against We were unable to get to both Sterling and Lisle Monday, so we don't have highlights of North Boone's win. We will have both teams covered on Friday at State. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
'It's been a journey.' Central Catholic athlete thanks supporters after 3rd straight state title
CHARLESTON, Illinois (WMBD) – It was a historic Saturday at the 130th IHSA Boys State Track and Field meet at Eastern Illinois. A Central Illinois athlete broke an all-time record. Bloomington Central Catholic's Isaiah Whitaker set a new IHSA mark in the pole vault, leaping 17 feet, 6.5 inches. But it was also the Saint Junior's third consecutive state championship in the 1A pole vault. Whitaker is a young man who's thankful for those who have pushed him along the way. It means a lot. Just knowing that I can come here and consistently compete and get the job done, get points for my team and help my team out, it's just great. I'd like to thank my coaches and everyone out there supporting me. It's been a journey and I'd like to thank them all Isaiah Whitaker Whitaker's win helped push Central Catholic to a top ten team finish in the 1A boys standings. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Illinois trans athlete conflict grows after tense track meet as state Republicans call for Trump's help
Print Close By Jackson Thompson Published May 21, 2025 Tensions are mounting over trans athletes in girls' sports in Illinois, as the state continues to allow males to compete against and beat out females in sports across the state. A youth track meet became the focus of national controversy after a biological male competed in the seventh-grade competition against girls at the Naper Prairie Conference Meet last Wednesday. The incident prompted a series of heated debates, which went viral on social media, at the Naperville 203 Community School District Board meeting on Monday. Now, Illinoisans are speaking out, calling for President Donald Trump to crack down on the state and Gov. J.B. Pritzker to protect girls' sports. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., has addressed a second letter to the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Justice asking for federal intervention into the issue. Miller previously sent a letter earlier in May and is now doubling-down on her pleas for the Trump administration to step in. Miller's latest letter asks U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Education Secretary Linda McMahon to specifically look into the Naperville incident and consider pulling federal funding from the state, as seen in a copy obtained by Fox News Digital. "The Illinois Governor has made our beautiful state unfair and unsafe for women and girls by allowing men to compete in their sports and to use their showers and locker rooms. It is my strong opinion that any school district that allows these actions to continue should have its federal funds reviewed immediately for revocation," Miller wrote. "Ultimately, it is my understanding that violations of Title IX may have taken place at this track and field meet, and I write to bring this grave incident to your attention." Illinois GOP state Rep. Blaine Wilhour is also calling for a federal investigation and potential consequences in the wake of the Naperville incident. "President Trump should freeze every penny of federal dollars until these schools come to their senses and do right by these kids," Wilhour told Fox News Digital. "Either you believe in fairness, biological reality and common sense, or you don't. This is not fair competition and Naperville 203 is engaged in what I consider abusive and illegal practices in violation of title 9. Wake up people, these are Jr. High kids being exploited and used as political pawns, and it's disgusting." TEEN GIRLS OPEN UP ON TRANS ATHLETE SCANDAL THAT TURNED THEIR HIGH SCHOOL INTO A CULTURE WAR BATTLEGROUND Wilhour was previously a leader in putting pressure on the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) to comply with Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order that was signed on Feb. 5. However, the state's Democrat leaders ensured the IHSA defied Trump on the issue. In a public letter to Wilhour and other state GOP lawmakers, the IHSA said Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the Illinois Department of Human Rights have declared that state law requires that transgender athletes be allowed to participate based on gender identity. So girls around the state and their families have had to continue sharing teams and locker rooms with biological males, as they have since 2006. Even Chicago Bears legend Brian Urlacher has spoken out on the issue while his home state is ravaged by controversy. "It's just different because we are men, there are certain things we do better than women, and it's just, number one, it's not fair, and if I had a daughter who had to be forced to play against a man, I would not be okay with it and I would raise hell about it," Urlacher said during an interview on the "Global View" podcast on May 9. "I just don't get it, it's a common sense thing, I just don't see how you can push this and make someone thing they're a different sex." Currently, there is one federal Title IX probe in Illinois regarding transgenders impeding on female spaces, but it is only against one school. Deerfield Public Schools District 109 is facing a probe by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights after middle school girls were allegedly forced by school administrators to change in front of a trans student in the girls' locker room. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Illinois mother Nicole Georgas brought light to the situation in March after filing a complaint to the Justice Department and then delivering a school board meeting speech that went viral on social media. Now, Georgas is looking for more action to be taken as the issue continues to plague girls' sports in Illinois and hopes the recent Naperville incident will be a turning point. She is pleading for the president's administration to bring more pressure to Illinois on the issue. "The tides are going to turn after this. We as the parents have had enough," Georgas told Fox News Digital. "We are at the forefront, we are in the crosshairs and we need help. We need help right now. In our state nothing has changed from March, and it's getting worse! "They're using these kids to just almost test President Trump because they know they're not doing anything. They've forgotten about Illinois. They've forgotten about us." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X , and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter . Print Close URL
Fox News
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Congresswoman Mary Miller calls for federal investigations into Illinois over trans athletes in girls' sports
EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., called on President Donald Trump's administration to take action against her state. In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital addressed to the Departments of Education and Justice, Miller pleaded for the agencies to investigate after the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) said it would continue allowing trans athletes to compete in girls' sports. "I am writing to express my deep concern regarding a recent decision by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), which has chosen to blatantly disregard federal law and reject basic biological reality by allowing biological males to compete in girls' athletic programs. This misguided policy not only undermines the integrity and fairness of girls' sports, but it also jeopardizes the safety of young women across our state," Miller wrote. "I respectfully urge the Department of Justice and the Department of Education to investigate the actions of IHSA and the State of Illinois and take appropriate measures to ensure that federal civil rights protections are upheld." Miller provided a statement to Fox News Digital addressing the letter, and condemning Gov. J.B. Pritzker. "I'm calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary Linda McMahon to launch an immediate investigation into the IHSA and the State of Illinois. Gov. J.B. Pritzker and radical Illinois Democrats must be held accountable for enforcing abusive, anti-science gender policies ahead of the safety of our daughters and the fairness of girls' sports," Miller said. Transgender athletes have been permitted to compete in girls' sports in Illinois since 2011. Illinois became one of the many blue states to openly defy Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order after it was signed on Feb. 5. In a public letter to state GOP lawmakers last week, the IHSA said Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the Illinois Department of Human Rights have declared that state law requires that transgender athletes be allowed to participate based on gender identity. The IHSA cited the state's human rights laws as a barrier to banning biological males from girls' sports. That letter came in response to GOP lawmakers sending their own letter to the IHSA in March asking what the body would do to change policy after Trump's executive order passed. "The Illinois High School Association has crossed a dangerous line. By blatantly violating federal law and rejecting biological reality, they are not only undermining fairness in girls' sports – they're putting the safety of young women at risk," Miller told Fox News Digital. A federal Title IX investigation is already underway in Illinois after a Deerfield mother alleged her daughter was forced to change in front of a trans student. Deerfield Public Schools District 109 is facing a probe by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights after Illinois mother Nicole Georgas brought light to the situation. Georgas has now told Fox News Digital she is also worried about her daughter's athletic future because of the IHSA's ruling. "Imagine your daughter, dedicating her life, training for years, hours and hours a week, for her championship state race, only to face a male beating her and winning that coveted scholarship. How is that at all fair? Our daughter's dedication to athletics is slowly being erased," Georgas said. Deerfield Public Schools District 109 responded to the investigation in a statement to Fox News Digital and, like the IHSA, cited the Illinois Human Rights Act for its protocols. "Deerfield Public Schools District 109 complies with state law. The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits all public school districts from discriminating on the basis of sex, including gender identity, and mandates that students must be permitted access to the locker room and bathroom that aligns with their gender identity," the statement said. Meanwhile, Maine has already seen the type of intervention that Miller is calling for. That state has seen its federal funding cut by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Justice has launched a lawsuit against it for continued defiance of Trump's order. Maine has launched its own lawsuit against the Trump administration over the funding freeze, and a federal judge has ruled it be unfrozen. A New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, don't think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women's sports. Of the 2,128 people who participated, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women's sports. Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democratic, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Illinois lawmakers request clarity on Trump's order regarding transgender athletes
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — In response to the IHSA's commitment to allowing transgender students to compete in athletic competitions, Illinois lawmakers have sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, seeking clarification on President Trump's executive order banning the practice. A letter, co-signed by Freeport Rep. Andrew Chesney (R) and Cherry Valley Rep. Dave Syverson (R), along with 17 other legislators, seeks guidance on the implementation of the 'Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports' executive order, which was signed by President Trump on February 5th. 'Specifically, we are requesting guidance on how this federal Executive Order applies to high school athletics in Illinois, particularly with respect to policies set by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA),' the letter says. 'When biological males are allowed to compete in girls' and women's sports, it undermines the fairness that Title IX was designed to protect. This is not just about a few lost podium spots – it's about preserving access to scholarships, championships, and athletic experiences that help shape the lives of young women,' the letter continues. The lawmakers ask: Does the position taken by the Illinois Attorney General and the Illinois Department of Human Rights violate federal law? And, does this position place Illinois at risk of litigation or jeopardize federal funding? In March, 40 Illinois lawmakers sent to the IHSA, saying 'the federal government adopted policies under President Trump that clearly prohibit permitting biological men to compete against biological women in sports. On Tuesday, April 15th, the IHSA , 'The Illinois Attorney General and, more recently, the Illinois Department of Human Rights have asserted to the IHSA that the Illinois Human Rights Act requires that transgender athletes be permitted to participate in events and programs aligning with the gender with which they identify. As a result… compliance with the [President's] Executive Order could place the IHSA out of compliance with the Illinois Human Rights Act and vice versa.' IHSA Board President Dan Tulley, and IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson, who signed the letter, added, 'The IHSA simply desires to comply with the law and takes no position on which of the foregoing is correct… Given the conflict described above, however, we are left in an untenable position.' Earlier this month, the Department of Education referred an investigation into Maine schools to the Justice Department after the Trump administration said it violated federal anti-discrimination law by allowing biological male students to participate in girls' sports. 'Where federal and state law conflict, states and state entities are required to follow federal law,' Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote, referring to Title IX, the federal civil rights law against sex discrimination that the Trump White House says prohibits trans athletes from competing on girls' and women's teams. Bondi promised legal action against states that refuse to comply with Trump's order. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
