Transgender athlete AB Hernandez competed for a state title Saturday as indignant mother and father and activists rallied outdoors the CIF State Observe & Subject Championships, demanding feminine occasions be reserved for organic ladies.
Hernandez, a senior at Jurupa Valley Excessive College, superior to Saturday’s finals within the ladies’ lengthy soar, excessive soar and triple soar after posting the highest qualifying mark in two occasions throughout Friday’s preliminary spherical.
The athlete has turn out to be one of many most controversial figures in highschool sports activities, drawing nationwide consideration and fierce criticism from mother and father, opponents and girls’s sports activities advocates who argue that organic males shouldn’t compete in ladies’ divisions.
Outdoors Buchanan Excessive College in Clovis, protesters carrying “Save Woman’s Sports activities” shirts lined the realm surrounding the championship venue.
A number of carried flags and indicators studying, “No boys. No bias. Simply equity.”
Others accused officers of permitting alternatives to be taken from feminine athletes, displaying indicators that mentioned prime finishes had been “stolen from our daughters.”
Further indicators urged the CIF to “Save Woman’s Sports activities.”
Contained in the stadium, Hernandez completed third within the ladies’ lengthy soar with a mark of 20 toes, 2 1/4 inches.
First place was shared by Ellie McCuskey-Hay of St. Ignatius Excessive College and Gianna Gonzalez of Moorpark Excessive College, who every jumped 20 toes, 3 1/2 inches.
Regardless of ending in fourth, Corinne Jones from St. Mary’s Excessive College joined Hernandez on the rostrum to share third place.
The bizarre association stems from a CIF coverage adopted forward of the 2025 state championships and continued into 2026 beneath mounting political and authorized strain.
Beneath the rule, if a transgender athlete locations in a postseason monitor occasion, the highest-finishing cisgender feminine competitor is elevated into the identical placement.
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The state championship adopted weeks of controversy surrounding Hernandez’s success in ladies’ competitors.
Simply two weeks in the past, Hernandez swept the women’ lengthy soar, excessive soar and triple soar on the CIF Southern Part championship last.
The victories triggered backlash from mother and father, athletes and activists and led officers to award duplicate gold medals to the feminine runners-up.
The strain was seen through the medal ceremony.
Some opponents appeared to keep away from celebrating alongside Hernandez, with one athlete reportedly selecting to not stand on the rostrum and others preserving their distance.
The controversy intensified once more one week later when Hernandez repeated the feat on the CIF Southern Part Observe and Subject Masters Meet in Ventura County, taking first place in all three leaping occasions.
Officers as soon as once more awarded gold medals to the second-place feminine finishers, and Hernandez shared the highest spot on the rostrum with every runner-up.
