Transgender girl from Eastern Pa. fails to qualify for PIAA track and field championships

By: Chris Harlan
Saturday, May 17, 2025 | 9:11 PM

A transgender high school student from Eastern Pennsylvania authorized by a judge to compete in girls track did not qualify for the state championships.

Plymouth Whitemarsh senior Luce Allen, an openly transgender girl, finished 12th in the 200 meters at the PIAA District 1 championships Saturday. The top five finishers in the Class 3A race and all runners who met the state qualifying standard of 25.60 seconds advanced.

Allen’s time was 25.89.

The PIAA changed its policy in February to classify students by “sex” rather than “gender” in compliance with a Trump administration order banning transgender athletes from girls sports. However, PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi said Friday that the PIAA would instead comply with a federal judge’s order if Allen qualified for the state championships.

“We are in active litigation, so I’m limited in what I can tell you,” Lombardi said Friday. “(U.S. District) Judge (Wendy) Beetlestone on March 4 denied a temporary restraining order to deny that young person from continuing to compete. So that student by court order is allowed to compete. We will not violate the court order.”

The PIAA championships are May 23-24 at Shippensburg.

Beetlestone in March denied a request for an injunction filed by the parent of a Quakertown athlete, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Plymouth Whitemarsh and Quakertown are members of PIAA District 1, which includes suburban Philadelphia schools.

According to the Inquirer, the transgender athlete’s mother, Sarah Hansen, appeared before the PIAA board in March to speak out against changes made to the PIAA transgender policy. The newspaper also reported that a lawyer with the Education Law Center read a statement on behalf of Plymouth Whitemarsh senior Luce Allen, noting how Allen was “one of the few openly trans athletes in high school sports.”

Allen’s personal best in the 200 meters was 25.20 seconds, a time run May 10 at the Suburban One League conference meet at Hatboro-Horsham.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.