Reese Eckard and Alexa Anderson standingReese Eckard and Alexa Anderson (Photo via Google)

Earlier this year, two Oregon high school girls, Reese Eckard and Alexa Anderson, took a bold stand at the state track and field championships by stepping off the podium.

The Oregon high school track and field stars were not going to share a podium with a transgender athlete during the girls’ high jump medal ceremony.

Anderson and Sherwood High School’s Reese Eckard finished in third and fourth place as they stood on the ground, while Ida B. Wells High School transgender student Liaa Rose was on the podium after coming in fifth place.

Months after their decision, the two young ladies are now being presented with the Most Valuable Patriot Award at FOX Nation’s Patriot Awards.

‘In that moment, I had an opportunity to stand up for what I believed in. I knew I couldn’t just act like this was a normal meet,’ Anderson said as she accepted the award, per The Daily Mail.

“I’m so incredibly grateful, and none of this would’ve been possible without the support of every single one of you who has seen our story, who has shared it, and brought our story and our fight into the national spotlight,” Anderson said during her acceptance speech.

“I want to start off by thanking God. I thank God that you’re all here tonight. I thank God that He gave Alexa and I the courage to stand for truth,” Eckard added. “There are so many girls that deserve this award for their courage.”

Reese Eckard and Alexa Anderson taking a stand sparked considerable praise on social media, with the pair being lauded by prominent conservative activist Riley Gaines, amongst others.


Reese Eckard and Alexa Anderson have been just racking up wins ever since they took a stand against a transgender athlete.

The two female teens who protested a biological male’s participation in a high jump championship won a lawsuit against the Oregon School Activities Association. Their lawsuit alleges the league excluded them from official photos after the protest and even withheld their medals.

The suit argues the officials infringed upon the girls’ First Amendment rights.

Anderson condemned the OSAA for attempting to strike that argument in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“We didn’t refuse to stand on the podium out of hate,” Anderson told Fox News.

“We did it because someone has to say this isn’t right. In order to protect the integrity and fairness of girls’ sports, we must stand up for what is right.”

“I’m not surprised OSAA thought their past behavior didn’t matter — or that the judge disagreed. That’s the thing with bias: The worst offenders are the ones who can’t see their own behavior for what it is,” Anderson said.

Anderson and Eckard are now collegiate athletes.