Texas state champ Mack Beggs names college choice

You have not heard the last of Mack Beggs.

Beggs, the transgender wrestler who made headlines by winning back-to-back Texas state titles in 2017 and 2018, has announced he plans to continue wrestling in college.

Beggs, who graduated from Euless Trinity High School this spring, has enrolled at Life University in suburban Atlanta, and plans to wrestle on the Running Eagles' men's wrestling program.

"Next month Beggs will enroll at NAIA Life University with plans to walk on to the men's wrestling team, with the blessing of Life University head coach Omi Acosta," the Dallas Morning News reported Friday.

Life University is a private school in Marietta, Ga. with an enrollment of approximately 2,700 students. It was founded in 1974 as Life Chiropractic School. The school's official website states, "We are vitalistic visionaries relentlessly committed to disruptive social innovation.

"Life University is breaking boundaries in disciplines across the health and wellness spectrum by impacting and inspiring future leaders to become life-change agents. We encourage our students to think freely and embrace reformative ideas, allowing them to maximize their innate potential ..."

"Students with energetic passion in the areas of health, wellness, science and sport will thrive here by having the ability to express their creative potential within our culture of excellence …" according to the Life University home page.

Life University's Running Eagles men's wrestling program competes in the Mid-South Conference as an NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) program.

Earlier this year Life University announced it was building a new wrestling facilityfor both its men's and women's wrestling programs. The new facility is expected to be completed in time for the 2018-19 season.

It appears Mack Beggs, as a student-athlete at Life University this fall, may be among the first athletes to use that new wrestling center.

Mack Beggs, who is in the process of transitioning from female to male, was born Mackenzie Beggs. As a student at Euless Trinity High outside Dallas-Fort Worth, Beggs won back-to-back girls Class 6A state titles at 110 pounds, defeating the same opponent each year in the finals. He concluded his high school career with a perfect 92-0 record.

Beggs' state championship performance was the subject of articles in publications that normally don't cover amateur wrestling … and generated arguments within the sport, and beyond.

After winning his second title, Beggs said, "This year I wanted to prove a point that anyone can do anything. Even though I was put in this position, even though I didn't want to be put in this position, even though I wanted to wrestle the guys, I still had to wrestle the girls.

"But what can I tell people? I can tell the state Legislature to change the policy, but I can't tell them to change it right now," Beggs continued. "All I can hope for is that they come to their [senses] and realize this is stupid and we should change the policies to conform to other people in my position."

Texas is one of a handful of states with separate competitions for girls and boys. Texas' University-Interscholastic League (UIL) -- the independent body that governs collegiate and high school athletics in the Lone Star State -- had implemented a rule in 2016, requiring transgender individuals to wrestle against the gender listed on their birth certificates.

As part of the transition from female to male, Mack Beggs has taken doctor-prescribed, low-dose testosterone injections (currently 36 milligrams per week) since October of his freshman year. This past week, Beggs took another significant step: he had initial gender transition "top" surgery, transforming his upper body by removing breast tissue to make him look more like a man.

The UIL's 2016 birth certificate rule is in sharp contrast to other organizations which govern sports competition. For example, in 2011 the NCAA established a transgender policy as requiring a trans male athlete who is receiving testosterone treatment, such as Beggs, to compete on a men's team, while prohibiting the athlete from competing on a women's team. Prior to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the International Olympic Committee issued updated transgender guidelines allowing athletes who transition from female to male to compete in the male category without restriction.