Protesters converge on high school district cross country meet in Camas over transgender runner’s participation

By Tyler Brown, The Columbian

October 22, 2026 9:22 am

Camas, News, Sports

Demonstrators with opposite points of view face each other outside Wednesday’s 4A Greater St. Helens League district cross country championship in Camas, where a transgender girl competed. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Speaker Frances Staudt, with microphone, joins protesters outside Wednesday’s 4A Greater St. Helens League district cross country championship in Camas, where a transgender girl competed. Staudt received national attention two years ago when she walked off the basketball court rather than play against a team with a transgender player. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Demonstrators clash outside Wednesday’s 4A Greater St. Helens League district cross country championship in Camas, where a transgender girl competed. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Student athletes and supporters look on during a protest and press conference before their cross country meet in Camas on Wednesday afternoon. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Amy Souza, left, and other demonstrators converge outside Wednesday’s 4A Greater St. Helens League district cross country championship in Camas, where a transgender girl competed. . (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

CAMAS — Protesters lined the street outside a high school district cross country meet on Wednesday in Camas to object to a transgender girl’s participation. Others rallied in support of the runner.

The 4A Greater St. Helens League district championship is usually held at Lewisville Regional Park, north of Battle Ground, but officials moved it to the UL Campus in Camas in anticipation of the protest. The league called in extra help — a half dozen school security officers along with Camas police and sheriff’s deputies — to manage the tense situation that nonetheless resulted in at least one fight.

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