Winner Of High School Golf Tournament Denied Trophy — Because She’s A Girl
She won the golf tournament fair and square
In news so ass-backwards you’ll swear it’s 1917, a high school athlete was denied a trophy and winning title in a golfing tournament. Even though she won. Why? Because she’s a girl.
No, this isn’t clickbait. This is an actual thing that happened to Emily Nash, a junior at Lunenburg High School in Lunenburg, Massachusetts. She had the lowest score in the tournament, but the first-place trophy and winning title went to a boy whom she beat in said tournament. Because according to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) — whose rules must date back to the Victorian era — girls can play in boys’ golf tournaments as part of a team, but can’t be entered as individuals.
Which boils down to kick-ass Emily Nash not being able to collect her victor’s spoils, despite outperforming all of the boys in the tournament.
“I wasn’t aware that if I won I wouldn’t get the title or the trophy,” Nash WPBF News. “I feel like it’s a bit unfair.” Her coach was aware of the rule, however.
You know what would be fair? If her high school had a damn girls’ golf team. Or if the MIAA updated their rules to be a little more inclusive of half the population.
“Female golfers have been welcomed to participate on a boys team in the fall if their school did not sponsor a girls golf team in the spring,” MIAA said in a statement. “It has been clear to participants that female golfers playing in the fall boys team tournament are not participating in an individual capacity.”
While Nash does qualify to compete in the individual girls’ championship next spring, that doesn’t fix the fact that she’s been completely denied what she earned by winning her recent tournament. Twitter seems to agree that the whole thing is completely unfair due to outdated rules.
The boy who didn’t win the tournament but received first place offered his trophy to Nash, who declined it even though she 100% earned it. (Let the record show Emily Nash also has 100% more grace and sportsmanship than most of us would in this situation.)
“He came over and said he didn’t win the tournament, that I did,” she told WPBF. “It was really nice of him and respectful.”
Emily Nash 2020, y’all.
