RIT Track Athlete Shares Experience with Transgender Teammate Amid Controversy

EXCLUSIVE: Caroline Hill, a standout athlete at the Rochester Institute of Technology, made headlines when she turned down several Division I women’s track and field scholarships to compete at the Division III level. Hill quickly established herself as a top competitor by breaking program records in the 200-meter and 300-meter sprints early in her collegiate career.

However, her achievements were overshadowed when Sadie Schreiner, a transgender athlete, joined the team. Hill described feeling uncomfortable sharing the locker room with Schreiner during the next two years, prompting her to come forward about her experience.

Even after the NCAA adjusted its transgender policy on February 6, ruling Schreiner ineligible to compete, Hill claims Schreiner continued to use the locker room and train with the team for an additional month. RIT has declined to comment on Hill’s allegations.

Hill is the first former teammate to publicly discuss her experience with Schreiner. In 2023, she anonymously joined a lawsuit led by Riley Gaines against the NCAA, but now she has chosen to reveal her identity.

The university introduced Schreiner to the team in 2022, although Schreiner did not officially begin competing until the following year. Hill shared that during the preseason, Schreiner trained alongside the team.

“He was practicing with us a little bit during the preseason,” Hill explained. Fox News Digital was unable to investigate why Schreiner did not officially compete for RIT in 2022.

When Schreiner began competing in 2023, coaches paired Hill and Schreiner as “workout buddies.” Hill expressed her feelings about the situation, stating, “I saw it as unfair. The expectation was that we were equals, being perceived as equals by the coach. That was what I found challenging.”

Despite raising her concerns with coaches and administrators, Hill felt her efforts went unheard. She claims Jacqueline Nicholson, the executive director of intercollegiate athletics at RIT, insisted that Schreiner had “less testosterone” than some women on the team.

“I had multiple conversations with her. She was very firm in saying that this is what the NCAA is enforcing and that the school supported it,” Hill said. “We had a team meeting where she conveyed that they supported this athlete competing alongside us, implying that any concerns were unfounded.”

Discussions with her sprint coach were equally disheartening. Hill recalls, “I shared my thoughts about having a male athlete competing with us, and he displayed little empathy. He seemed to deflect my concerns, indicating that we shouldn’t focus on it.”

Interestingly, several teammates supported Schreiner’s participation. Hill noted, “Many of my teammates were very supportive of this athlete competing and training with us.”

In Schreiner’s second year with RIT in 2024, the trans athlete broke Hill’s record in the 300-meter by an impressive 1.42 seconds. This highlighted an unsettling aspect for Hill as she personally witnessed.Setter other records fall.

Hill recounted a striking moment: “I was changing one day when suddenly, there was this athlete in the locker room. I was shocked and mortified because it is uncomfortable to have a male present in what is traditionally a women’s space. His locker was right next to mine, creating an awkward social dynamic.”

Despite her discomfort, Hill revealed that Schreiner never changed in the women’s locker room and she attempted to avoid changing while he was present. However, she admitted, “Sometimes I had no choice but to change quickly in front of him.”

For two years, Hill coexisted in competitive events and locker room spaces with Schreiner. Following the announcement of President Donald Trump’s “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order on February 5, which mobilized changes to NCAA policies, RIT announced that Schreiner would not participate in future meets.

Nevertheless, Hill alleged that the situation remained unchanged. “He was still changing with us and using our facilities, even though the rule change occurred. I was left confused as he continued training by my side for a month after the announcement.”

Schreiner’s attorney, Susie Cirilli, remarked, “We are not responding at this time” when approached for comments regarding Hill’s statements.

In a turn of events, Schreiner began competing in non-NCAA sanctioned events. At the USA Track & Field Open Masters Championships in New York on March 1, Schreiner won both the women’s 400-meter dash and 200-meter dash.

A few weeks later, Schreiner announced on social media a possible end to competing in organized events in the U.S., saying, “I will find a way to keep competing, but I doubt that will be in the United States.”

Schreiner cited changes made by the USATF regarding transgender eligibility as a barrier to further participation, noting that policies now align with World Athletics guidelines, which prevent athletes who underwent male puberty from participating as women.

In July, Schreiner filed a lawsuit against Princeton University for allegedly prohibiting her from participating in a women’s race. The suit asserted that officials informed Schreiner of her exclusion just 15 minutes before the event.

Cirilli released a statement regarding Schreiner’s lawsuit, emphasizing that the actions of Princeton officials disregarded Schreiner’s rights as a transgender woman under New Jersey law.

As for Hill, she graduated from RIT with a degree in graphic design and is now a named plaintiff in the Gaines vs. NCAA lawsuit. Expressing gratitude for finally having a voice, Hill reflected on her fears about retaliation from peers and administrators in the past.

“Initially, I was concerned about my safety on campus and how my teammates and administration would react,” Hill admitted. “But with the current cultural changes in America, I feel empowered to stand up for women’s sports.”

Hill is now calling on RIT to apologize and recognize her as the rightful holder of the 200-meter and 300-meter program records.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.