For two years, the official record books have listed Lauren Matthew as a state runner-up. But the West Valley senior knows the truth—and she’s not letting a medal’s color define her legacy.
After finishing second in the 2A 400-meter final at the Washington state high school track championships in both 2024 and 2025, Matthew holds silver medals that don’t match what she believes she earned. In her eyes, she was the top biological female finisher both years, coming in behind a transgender athlete from rival East Valley. That distinction, she says, makes her the rightful champion.
Her decision to skip the podium after those races sparked national headlines and earned her support from U.S. Rep. Michael Baumgartner, who called her the “rightful winner” in a speech on the House floor last June. Some might have tossed those medals aside. Not Matthew.
“If I threw them away, it would be like a waste of my accomplishment,” she said. “I still accomplished something. So I’m not going to get rid of them.”
Still, the sting of what she feels was taken from her hasn’t faded. “It’s not something I would have ever thought I would have experienced,” Matthew explained. “I thought before the races, this is gonna happen and we’re just gonna deal with it. So I was still going to go out there and compete because in my heart I know.”
West Valley coach Kayla Marshall saw a young athlete carry herself with remarkable poise through an emotionally charged situation. “That was a difficult, difficult thing,” Marshall said. “Lauren actually handled it pretty maturely and flawlessly over the course of her career. She was very eloquent and respectful.”
Now, Matthew is ready to leave the controversy behind and focus on what she does best: winning. She enters her senior season with a fresh mindset, seeing herself as the defending champion even if the record books say otherwise.
Matthew already knows what it takes to lead a team to glory. Last fall, she helped power West Valley’s soccer squad to an undefeated 22-0 season and a state title, scoring 27 goals along the way. Now, she’s setting her sights on the track, aiming to capture three individual events and anchor the 4x400 relay to a second straight state championship.
Currently ranked first in the state in the 400 meters, Matthew is on pace for gold—and this time, she’s running for more than just a medal. She’s running to prove that nothing can hold her back.