Among the athletes competing on Team USA this summer, several are still in high school making their mark in sports ranging from gymnastics to skateboarding. Many of these students are first time Olympians, who will be competing while also managing their class work and other academic responsibilities. 

Young stars on Team USA, such as gymnast Hezly Rivera and sprinter Quincy Wilson, are already rising fan-favorites. 

Meet six high schoolers we鈥檙e rooting for on Team USA. Let the games begin!

PAIGE HEYN, 16

Skateboarding made its Olympic debut at the and is returning this year in Paris. 

All eyes will be on Tempe, Arizona鈥檚 Paige Heyn, one of the fastest rising women in the sport. Heyn is 鈥渁lmost single-handedly responsible for that level of progression in women鈥檚 skateboarding,鈥� John Nicholson, Heyn’s coach with USA Skateboarding, said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 funny to be a pioneer at 16. In a matter of six months, she has directly influenced her competition.鈥�

鈥淚 don鈥檛 really do normal 16-year-old stuff,鈥� Heyn said.

Known as a switch skater, Heyn鈥檚 ability to skate with both her left and right foot forward has set her apart as she competes. 

Heyn is a sophomore enrolled in the United States Performance Academy (USPA), an online middle and high school for young elite athletes. Despite constant travel and time zone changes, she prioritizes her academics, according to her USPA learning coach Blair Lunn. 

鈥淪he is really enjoying her World History class,鈥� Lunn told 蜜桃影视. 鈥淪he is also learning American Sign Language.鈥� 

CLAIRE WEINSTEIN, 17

Claire Weinstein became one of the youngest swimmers to for the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials at just 13 years old. Now at 17, she intends to keep making history.

With a lifelong record of straight A鈥檚 鈥� which she鈥檚 recently demonstrated at the online Laurel Springs School 鈥� Weinstein鈥檚 teachers and trainers applaud her hard work, talent and focus.

鈥淐laire absorbs information and training like a sponge,鈥� Weinstein鈥檚 former full-time coach Carle Fierro told 蜜桃影视. 鈥淪he is efficient in quickly applying corrections to her technique, and is able to make connections in the water a lot of swimmers are unable to do.鈥�

Fierro praised Weinstein for her remarkable sense of humor and hours of free time spent teaching young kids to swim. The teenager has committed to a decorative career as a top swimming recruit in her class at University of California-Berkeley. 

She is interested in either studying law or medicine, Claire鈥檚 mother Diane Weinstein told 蜜桃影视.

QUINCY WILSON, 16

16-year-old Quincy Wilson a spot on the Team USA relay team, making history as the youngest-ever male U.S. track and field Olympian.

The upcoming junior is also an honor roll student at Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland.

Wilson brings 鈥渁bsolute joy to the classroom through his excitement to learn something new鈥� and a 鈥減ositive, respectful, inquisitive nature to each subject, enhancing the learning of his classmates,鈥� Bullis Head of Upper School Robert Pollinco said. 

Wilson has received an array of prestigious honors at Bullis, including the Freshman Manuel Jos茅 Baca, Jr. Joy of Living Award 鈥� and most recently, the Sophomore Head of Upper School Award earlier this spring. 

When not on the track, Wilson enjoys video games like Fortnite and Call of Duty with his friends. 

Pollinco said Wilson is seen as a 鈥渃onsummate scholar, leader, athlete, artist, explorer and most importantly, true friend at Bullis School.鈥�

ALEX SHACKELL, 17

17-year-old Alex Shackell the first female swimmer from Indiana鈥檚 renowned Carmel High School to make a U.S. Olympic team. Shackell recognizes she is a part of not only the standing history of Indiana sports, but the athletic legacy of her high school.

Carmel鈥檚 swimming program won its consecutive state championship under coach Chris Plumb鈥檚 leadership, who believed Shackell鈥檚 best opportunity at becoming an Olympian was if she competed in the 200-meter butterfly 鈥� and that鈥檚 exactly what happened. 

Shackell is a rising junior at Carmel, but has committed to swimming at University of California-Berkeley, where she will be a conference title contender. There, she will her older brother Aaron Shackell, who鈥檚 also competing in his first Olympic games this year.

THOMAS HEILMAN, 17

Earlier this summer, 17-year-old Thomas Heilman the youngest American male swimmer to qualify for an Olympics team since Michael Phelps.

However, Heilman dismisses comparisons to the Olympic champion, who has a total of 28 medals.

鈥淚t鈥檚 always great to be in the same conversation as [Phelps], but I鈥檓 trying not to worry about that too much and trying to take things day by day,鈥� Heilman during a press conference after earning his ticket to Paris.

Heilman, an upcoming senior at Western Albemarle High School in Crozet, Virginia, and of the greatest high school swimming recruits of all time, has committed to the University of Virginia.

HEZLY RIVERA, 16

New Jersey native Hezly Rivera is the youngest person competing on Team USA鈥檚 roster.

After moving to Texas in 2021, Rivera began at World Olympics Gymnastics Academy. There, she is coached directly by Valeri and Anna Liukin, the parents of Olympic champion Nastia Liukin. The gym has collectively earned 36 World and Olympic medals, having trained Olympians like Carly Patterson and Gabby Douglas.

While Rivera enjoys baking in her downtime (her favorite creations include red velvet and chocolate cakes), spending time with her dog and laying down to rest and recover from six days of training is just as rewarding. 

Rivera attends Inspire Academy, an online school that allows her the flexibility to focus on training full time.

A federal district court judge in Missouri has blocked implementation of the Biden administration鈥檚 new Title IX rule in six additional states 鈥� Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.

The , ordered late Wednesday, brings to 21 the total number of states where the U.S. Department of Education can鈥檛 enforce the rule on Aug. 1.

Judge Rodney W. Sippel, a Clinton nominee, said the plaintiffs have a 鈥渇air chance鈥� of demonstrating that the department 鈥渆xceeded its statutory authority鈥� by using the Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock v. Clayton County to expand Title IX protections to LGBTQ students. 

Ravina Nath, a recent graduate of Gunn High School in Palo Alto, California, originally included Rice University in Houston on her short list of colleges to attend this fall. With an interest in neuroscience, she was drawn to its top-ranked biomedical engineering program. 

That was before Texas became one of to sue the U.S. Department of Education  over its new Title IX rule. The regulation extends protections against discrimination and harassment to LGBTQ students and requires prompt investigations into students鈥� complaints.

Instead, she鈥檒l attend Barnard College in New York City.

鈥淚 need to be in a place where I would feel like my school supported me,鈥� said Nath, who became a in high school. At Rice, some students to how officials handled complaints of sexual misconduct. And she ruled out the University of Georgia, a 鈥減otential safety school,鈥� because it to make data on such investigations public. Several of her friends made similar calculations when narrowing down school choices. 

鈥淢y friends who are survivors and who are LGBTQ+ students applied to schools on the West Coast or the Northeast,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 don’t think any of my friends applied to school in .鈥�

With the new rule set to go into effect Aug. 1 鈥� just seven days away 鈥� a flurry of lawsuits has once again turned the map of the United States into a familiar patchwork of red and blue.

District courts have blocked the regulation in 15 Republican-led states. In the most recent development, the on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow all but related to gender identity issues to go into effect in 10 of those states after two appellate courts denied earlier requests. 

Complicating the legal math further, in an earlier action, a federal judge in Kansas the rule just at serving children of current and future members of the conservative Moms for Liberty and students involved in , another advocacy organization opposed to trans girls competing on teams consistent with their gender identity. Moms for Liberty sees the ruling as an expansion opportunity: On Tuesday, the group tied to Title IX.

With the legal landscape changing daily, some experts think the Education Department should take a step back and delay the rule.

鈥淔or schools, universities and students, it’ll calm things down,鈥� said Sandra Hodgin, who runs a Title IX consulting firm in Los Angeles. 鈥淲hat are we talking about, 75% of the country not implementing Title IX and only 25% of the country implementing it?鈥�

A spokesperson said the department has no plans to skirt the Aug. 1 deadline. On Tuesday, it sent schools a list of 鈥溾�� and a on how to draft policies to comply.   

For now, the Supreme Court is considering whether to lift the temporary pause on the rule in the affected states.

The far larger question is what the justices might decide if and when they consider the substance of the rule itself. In addition to expanding protections to LGBTQ students, the new rule largely replaced one issued under former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. That regulation narrowed the definition of sexual misconduct and required live hearings so male students could face their accusers. 

W. Scott Lewis, managing partner with TNG Consulting, which trains districts across the country on Title IX, has advised red states covered by an injunction, like Wyoming and Idaho, that they鈥檙e currently bound by the 2020 regulation.

But that could change quickly. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 a race to the Supreme Court right now,鈥� he said.

鈥楤igger than sports鈥�

Some families with LGBTQ students aren鈥檛 waiting for the legal drama to run its course. They鈥檝e already to escape laws that bar trans students from using bathrooms or playing on sports teams consistent with their gender identity. Several have moved to the Denver metro area, where Lewis lives, to attend schools in a state that is not challenging the rule.

鈥淲e have more than a handful of students at my kid鈥檚 high school who moved here from Wyoming, from Kansas, from Iowa,鈥� he said. 

Most of the controversy surrounding Title IX focuses on trans students鈥� participation in sports, a part of the rule that the U.S. Department of Education has delayed addressing until after the election. But in Lewis鈥檚 estimation, that issue is 鈥渂igger than sports.鈥� 

鈥淚f I’m in a state that won’t let me compete, I’m probably not in a state that’s very friendly to LGBTQ students on the whole,鈥� he said. 鈥淚’m far more likely to just move on.鈥�

In blue states set to implement the new rule, many conservative parents say their children鈥檚 rights are also at stake. 

They鈥檙e concerned students would be disciplined for not using LGBTQ kids鈥� preferred pronouns, forced to censor their speech or share bathrooms and locker rooms with trans students.

Hillary Hickland, a mother of four in central Texas, moved her children out of the Belton Independent School District partly because she felt there was too much emphasis on students鈥� gender identity. Her sixth grade daughter told her that teachers encouraged a friend to identify as a boy and use a boy鈥檚 name without the parents鈥� knowledge. 

鈥淒on’t do it behind the backs of the parents. That’s a huge violation of trust,鈥� she said. As a Republican running for the Texas House, she鈥檚 concerned about sexual orientation and gender identity becoming part of Title IX. 鈥淲e have the federal government dictating what goes on in our local public schools. It really undermines the neighborhood school and that culture that we’re trying to preserve.鈥�

鈥楴ine months behind鈥�

Lewis predicts the Supreme Court will eventually follow its precedent in , which said that at least in the workplace, LGBTQ employees are protected from discrimination. The Biden administration鈥檚 new rule rests on that decision.

, who wrote that majority opinion, 鈥渃an鈥檛 undo Bostock. He said sex means LGBTQ rights,鈥� Lewis said. In red states where the rule is on hold, districts 鈥渂etter be ready to implement very quickly because [they鈥檙e] going to be nine months behind everyone else.鈥�

If the court also decides to address sports participation 鈥� an expected part of the regulation the administration has yet to issue 鈥� Lewis said it鈥檚 possible the justices would rule similar to the way they handled , leaving it to the states to determine when trans students can compete on teams consistent with their gender identity. 

He called that a 鈥渘ightmare scenario鈥� because it would 鈥渃reate a world where athletes could compete in some states but not others.鈥� And at the college, NCAA level, 鈥渢here will be all sorts of questions that can’t be limited to state borders,鈥� said Joshua Dunn, executive director of the Institute of American Civics at University of Tennessee, Knoxville. 鈥淭hey鈥檒l have to address that, too.鈥�

Dunn also suggested the conservative court might not follow Bostock and could treat LGBTQ issues differently at school than they do in the workplace. He noted cases, like , where the court put limits on students鈥� First Amendment rights in schools 鈥渢hat it would never allow outside of K-12 education.鈥� 

Overturning 鈥楥hevron鈥�

Another recent Supreme Court decision, unrelated to education, adds an additional layer of uncertainty to the debate over Title IX鈥檚 future 鈥� one that could affect both sides. 

In , the court overturned what was known as 鈥淐hevron deference,鈥� which gave federal agencies broad authority to interpret ambiguous laws through guidance and regulations. The decision gives federal courts more power to explain the law when it鈥檚 unclear, and experts say, should end 鈥�.鈥�

The Obama administration first issued a in 2011 stating schools鈥� obligations to protect students from sexual violence and harassment, which the Trump administration largely reversed in 2020, followed by yet another 180 in the spring by Biden鈥檚 education department.

Republicans have Education Secretary Miguel Cardona that they will review the department鈥檚 rules since President Joe Biden took office,  including Title IX. GOP leaders call the rule 鈥渙verreach.鈥� 

The conservative Heritage Foundation鈥檚 , largely assumed to be a legislative blueprint for a second Trump term,would remove the terms sexual orientation and gender identity from 鈥渆very federal rule, agency regulation, contract, grant, regulation and piece of legislation that exists.鈥�

But if Trump tries to reinstate the DeVos rule, Democrats could use Loper Bright to bring the same challenge, Lewis said.

鈥淚f you 鈥� say the department does not have the authority, then the 2020 regulations don鈥檛 count either,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was exactly the same procedure.鈥� 

A bill filed in the Arkansas Legislature focused on students-athlete鈥檚 publicity rights looks like a win-win for all involved on the surface. But student-athlete advocates call foul on it.

by House Speaker Matthew Shepherd of El Dorado and Rep. RJ Hawk (R-Benton) would allow high school athletes who have been admitted to or signed a letter of intent at an Arkansas college 鈥渢o enter into a contract and receive compensation for the commercial use of the student-athlete鈥檚 publicity rights.

The bill, Hawk said, attempts to rein in the 鈥渨ild, wild West鈥� of NIL 鈥� name, image and likeness 鈥� in high school sports that would allow student athletes to profit off of their image.

The NCAA began allowing college athletes to use NIL in 2021 to secure endorsements and sponsorships. But high school athletics have been a bit tricky.

The NIL became a focal point after former UCLA basketball star Ed O鈥橞annon and others sued the NCAA and won. They claimed the NCAA violated United States antitrust laws by not allowing college athletes to receive revenue generated from the use of their images in broadcasts and video games.

From that ruling, high school athletes want a chance to make money off of their images, too, especially as they have gained enormous popularity and thousands of followers on their social media platforms.

鈥淭wenty-two states currently allow high school kids to profit off of NIL, including Tennessee and Louisiana,鈥� Hawk said. 鈥淚 had some constituents ask about it. We got in a room with the triple A (Arkansas Activities Association), some coaches and the NCAA and started looking at things.鈥�

After filing HB 1649, Hawk and Shepherd filed , calling for a 14-month study on the issue.

The Arkansas Activities Association oversees high school sports. Its handbook states high school athletes may not accept gifts or compensation for 鈥減ermitting his/her name, picture, or person to be used to advertise, promote or recommend a product, service, commercial venture or political venture.鈥�

The association could not be reached for comment on this story.

鈥楿nnecessary and unfair鈥�

鈥淭his bill [HB1649] is about control,鈥� said Byron Jenkins of Arkansas Athlete Connection, a website that serves as a booking agent for Arkansas athletes. 鈥淣IL is about allowing the athlete to profit off of their own image whether they want to sell a T-shirt with their name and image on it, sell an autograph, whatever product they want to sell. That should be allowed.

鈥淭his bill [allows] foundations and boosters connected to a school to control the athletes鈥� deal for money by using their image.鈥�

Jenkins pointed out that a high school musician, for example, can hold concerts, sell recordings and monetize themselves as social media influencers while still in high school. So could student artists and writers. Athletes cannot.

Student athletes 鈥渟hould be able to make money off of their name, image and likeness in high school without having to sign with any college,鈥� Jenkins said. 鈥淥wning your own image is a basic human right.鈥�

Jenkins also said that HB 1649 is unfair to students who never receive an offer from an Arkansas university yet receive one from an out-of-state college and sign a letter of intent with that university. That happens frequently, as every college is allowed so many spots to recruit from high schools.

Daniel Greene, an attorney in Syracuse, New York, and sports law professor at SUNY Cortland, agreed with Jenkins. He said the path Arkansas legislators are taking is particularly unique.

鈥淗igh school NIL has mainly been addressed by the state鈥檚 high school athletic associations, but Arkansas seems to be one of the few instances where it may need to be handled by the state legislature,鈥� Greene, an NIL expert, said. 鈥淭he unique caveat here is that not all high school athletes in Arkansas would be eligible, only those that have been accepted into admission or signed an NLI (letter of intent) or other written agreement to enroll in a university or college with the state of Arkansas.鈥�

This limitation seems 鈥渦nnecessary and unfair to the other high school athletes in the state that may not be ready or able to commit to a college or even want to go to go to college or pursue athletics at the next level,鈥� Greene said.

鈥淪houldn鈥檛 everyone have the right to exercise their right of publicity? No other state that permits high school NIL has this sort of cutoff, which seems a bit arbitrary,鈥� Greene said.

鈥榊ou should be able to sell yourself鈥�

Hawk said that questions like these are why he created a bill allowing for a legislative study on high school students鈥� publicity rights.

Greene pointed out that HB 1649 also has another questionable issue.

鈥淭his amendment would expressly permit a school鈥檚 鈥榮upporting foundations鈥� to facilitate and negotiate NIL deals,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his would be very controversial since it would potentially allow for NIL collectives and booster clubs to play a more active role in the NIL landscape, which is something the NCAA has been wary of in recent months. In fact, they recently sent out a memo reminding schools that the NCAA鈥檚 current rules prohibit schools from compensating athletes for their NIL, including entities acting on behalf of the institution.鈥�

People watching NIL at a national level, Greene said, 鈥渂elieve this memo was targeted at what was developing at Texas A&M and their 12th Man+ Fund and University of Arkansas with their OneArkansas NIL group.鈥�

Passing this law, Greene said, would put Arkansas law at odds with the NCAA rules if the bill is passed.

鈥淭his bill would also permit 501(c)(3) organizations to compensate athletes for the use of their NIL, which has been a controversial topic for some time as the number of charitable NIL collectives has grown,鈥� he said

After House Bill 1469 was filed, Hawk and Shepherd filed House Bill 1679, which allows for a study to examine high school student-athletes鈥� publicity rights. That bill would also create a program for student athletes about contracts and compensation rather than each athlete cutting their own deals.

The study鈥檚 results by the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education would be filed on or before Oct. 31, 2024.

鈥淲e have to ask, do we want kids to go into the court system for a NIL system?鈥� Hawk said. 鈥淚 think the answer would be no. If the states around us have it, what is to stop their parents from moving to another state so their kids can make money? We would lose top talent.鈥�

Jenkins argued that the talent always belongs to the student athlete. Many high school athletes, he said, already have what is considered as NIL value 鈥� production, exposure, influence and relationships.

鈥淭hose kids can influence people to buy a hat with their image on it, and that鈥檚 their image. They should not be forced to allow a college, boosters or a nonprofit to control it. They should be able to keep their brand going even if it starts in pee wee sports or elementary school. You should be able to sell yourself.鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arkansas Advocate maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sonny Albarado for questions: info@arkansasadvocate.com. Follow Arkansas Advocate on and .