A boy won an event at the Hockomock League girls’ gymnastics championship meet last month.

Jacob Slovin, a boy who attends Oliver Ames High School in Easton, won the vault event at the league championship meet held Feb. 6 at Starland Sportsplex in Hanover.

Slovin received a score of 9.35; the runner-up got a 9.10, according to Hockomock Sports.

The meet is the annual league championship for girls’ high school gymnastics programs in the Hockomock League, which includes schools across southeastern Massachusetts.

Slovin also tied for fourth in the girls’ floor exercise with a score of 8.50.

Results from the Hockomock League gymnastics meet

The Hockomock League championship meet featured nine schools.

Mansfield finished first in the team standings, followed by Attleboro and Oliver Ames.

Top individual results included:

• Vault — Jacob Slovin (Oliver Ames), 9.35
• Floor — Olivia Haist (Attleboro), 9.25
• Beam — Ava Redding (Mansfield), 9.40
• Bars — Ava Redding (Mansfield) and Abby Lefebvre (King Philip), 9.00

Slovin was the only boy listed among the top finishers in the meet results.

Slovin also competes in boys’ track

Slovin has also competed in boys’ track and field for Oliver Ames.

Last spring, he ran the 100-meter and 200-meter events and competed in the long jump. He also competed on various relay teams.

Why can boys compete in girls’ sports in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts is the only state where boys who identify as boys can compete on girls’ high school sports teams.

The policy stems from a 1979 Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision in Attorney General v. Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association.

The court ruled that the MIAA policy at the time — which said “No boy may play on a girls’ team” — violated the Equal Rights Amendment of the Massachusetts Constitution, as NewBostonPost has reported.

The amendment states in part that “Equality under the law shall not be denied or abridged because of sex, race, color, creed or national origin.”

Since that 1979 ruling, boys have competed in girls’ high school sports in Massachusetts.

Boys have won girls’ gymnastics state titles

Boys have also won several girls’ gymnastics state championships in Massachusetts in recent years.

In the past decade alone, boys have won 11 state titles at the Massachusetts High School Gymnastics Coaches Association girls’ state individual championship meet.

Among the most successful was Divier Ramos of Methuen High School, who won five state titles. He is now a member of the Stanford University men’s gymnastics team.

Other boys who have won girls’ gymnastics state titles in Massachusetts include Andrew Znoj of Mansfield, who won the vault in 2024 with a score of 9.70; Kevin Theodoro of Framingham, who won the vault in 2020 with a 9.50; Daniel Barsley of Winchester, who won three straight vault titles in 2017, 2018, and 2019; and Darren LePage of Sharon, who won the floor exercise title in 2016 with a score of 9.40.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the vault at the Hockomock League gymnastics championship?

Jacob Slovin of Oliver Ames High School won the vault with a score of 9.35.

Did Slovin place in any other events?

Yes. Slovin tied for fourth place in the girls’ floor exercise with a score of 8.50.

Where was the Hockomock League championship meet held?

The meet took place at Starland Sportsplex in Hanover on Feb. 6.

Why are boys allowed to compete in girls’ sports in Massachusetts?

A 1979 Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision ruled that banning boys from girls’ teams violated the state’s Equal Rights Amendment.

Have boys won girls’ gymnastics state titles in Massachusetts?

Yes. Boys have won 11 girls’ gymnastics individual state championships in Massachusetts in the past decade.

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