Latest news with #MarylandPublicSecondarySchoolsAthleticAssociation
CBS News
02-04-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Baltimore County student athlete breaks her high school's shot put record
A student athlete at Dulaney High School is busy 'putting' records in their place. Her name is Kimani Dennis, and in February, she broke the school's shot put record, which stood for more than 30 years. "So, as my warm-up, I start by pushing the shot put down to the ground, so I can keep– it helps me work with keeping the shot put on my neck and like, having the right angle," Dennis, a junior at Dulaney High School, explained. In February, Dennis competed in the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) 3A Central Regional Meet. She threw for 37' 6" to eclipse the mark set by Stephanie Caples of 35' 11" back in 1991. Dennis' throw not only allowed her to take first place in the event and set her up for a run at the upcoming state title, but it also represented a two-foot improvement on her best throw to date. "It's a major accomplishment, because the past 34 years before, you couldn't do that," said Christina Donall Lebovitz, coach of Dulaney High School's Track & Field Throws team. After reading about Dennis' record-breaking moment on Facebook , Caples reached out to Coach Donall Lebovitz and flew back home to Baltimore to meet the young athlete. "It was huge. I was excited. I was cheering as if I knew her," said Stephanie Caples, who is an alumna of Dulaney High School. "I knew at that moment I had to meet this girl," Caples added. For the first time, Dennis and Caples, the original record-holder, met on the same field they played on nearly 34 years apart. WJZ was there to capture the heartfelt moment. "I wanted to pass the torch," Caples said. "That made me excited, oh my gosh, somebody has broken this record, and who knows how long she holds it. At our field events, we've got some women doing the darn thing out there, and Miss Kimani is doing that." "I didn't expect her to like, try and meet me," Dennis said. "Also, when I heard that she went, that she reached out to my coach and wanted to meet me, I was very open to it. I was really excited." "I wanted to make sure that she knew that: One, people are watching, people know. Other little girls out there may say, 'I could do that too one day,' just because she did it," explained Caples. "And hopefully, if they see this, this might be something they aspire to." According to Caples, their story isn't just about them, it's about all female athletes around the world aspiring to be better every day. "There has been a big surge in women's sports over the years," Caples said. "And so, I'm proud to see that, and I think it's important for us to continue to recognize women that are doing things of excellence." "You didn't even set out to be somebody that was going to change the game and be a world changer, but you are. You are of greatness," Caples added. Because every 'shot' made is why women can 'put' themselves and others on the front line of history.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Carroll girls witness Trump's signing of executive order to ban transgender athletes from girls and women's sports
As President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday to ban transgender athletes from participating in girls and women's sports, nine Carroll County girls were among those surrounding him and witnessing the ceremony in Washington. Kit Hart, Carroll County chapter chair for Moms for Liberty, said a member of Trump's team reached out to her group and invited several members and their daughters who are athletes to the signing. Hart, whose 13-year-old daughter, Delaney, competes on local swim and lacrosse teams, posted a formal invitation she received from the White House on her X account Feb. 3 as well as a comments saying, 'Save Girls Sports. Say no to cheating liars.' She thanked Trump for signing the order, which she said in another post proved 'he respects, uplifts and supports strong women.' 'Everybody is able to compete,' Hart said in an interview Friday. 'So it's not eliminating kids who identify as trans from competing, they just have to compete on a fair level.' Delaney Hart, a seventh-grader at St. Stephen's Classical Christian Academy in Eldersburg, said she appreciated being able to witness a historic moment: 'We saw Donald Trump as he was signing the order, and it was one of the coolest experiences of my life.' Carroll County Supervisor of Athletics Michael Duffy was unaware athletes from the county would be in attendance at the White House ceremony. Duffy said he, along with the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association, will 'take some time to assess before making any decisions moving forward. It's too early to say anything definitive.' Duffy added that he does not believe transgender athletes participating in girls sports has been raised as a concern in Carroll County. 'To my knowledge, we have had no transgender female athletes who would be impacted by this (executive order),' he said. Trump's order, titled 'Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports,' gives federal agencies wide latitude to ensure entities that receive federal funding abide by Title IX in alignment with the Trump administration's view that interprets 'sex' as the gender someone was assigned at birth. Schools that don't comply with the order are subject to being named ineligible for federal funding as they are now considered to be in noncompliance with Title IX. The NCAA has already said it intends to align its policies with the wishes of the order, and will work with the Trump administration to do so. Hart said she believes the order addresses competitive fairness, safety for athletes in highly physical sports and propriety in sports in which same-gender athletes share a locker room. In addition to witnessing the signing, Moms for Liberty members and their daughters enjoyed military bands and were allowed to explore the White House. 'It was such a historic moment,' Hart said, 'and they were so grateful andjust so happy to be a part of it. There are really no words to describe just how wonderful it was for our girls to see this happen for them.' Hart said the girls who attended the signing ceremony included her daughter as well as Emma Ballor, 13, volleyball and basketball; Bree Evans, 14, basketball; Erin Evans, 10, lacrosse, basketball and gymnastics; Allie Evans, 8, gymnastics; Emma Craig, 14, basketball; Ashlyn Craig, 12, basketball; Jameson Craig, 10, basketball; Teagan Shepherd, 12, lacrosse. Several protests and lawsuits have been filed over whether to include transgender athletes in women's sports. In 2024, San Jose State University women's volleyball team won half of its conference games by forfeit after teams refused to play against a team with a transgender member. NCAA President Charlie Baker told Congress in December that to his knowledge, there were less than 10 NCAA athletes identifying as transgender. On Thursday, Lacie Litz DeCosta, wife of Ravens General Manager and Executive Vice President Eric DeCosta, took to social media to show her support for the executive order. 'It's a great day for Women's sports!' she wrote on the social media platform X. Ravens Editorial Director Ryan Mink responded in a thread to DeCosta: 'Trans women are women. Trans girls are girls.' 'Ryan Mink we don't have to agree. I have played sports my entire life. I was an All American lacrosse player. Many girls don't see this as a trans issue but a fairness issue. I will always fight for fairness when it comes to girls in sports,' Lacie Litz DeCosta responded. Have a news tip? Contact Timothy Dashiell at tdashiell@ and
