High school junior and transgender athlete AB Hernandez won the high jump competition in the California high school track and field championships on Saturday.
Hernandez competed in high jump, triple jump and long jump at the meet in the Fresno County community of Clovis after a week of developments over her participation in the girl’s competitions. New rules were in place that allowed more girls to compete and medal in the three events for which Hernandez qualified.
The competition ends a week after President Trump, the California Interscholastic Federation and the U.S. Department of Justice weighed in on Hernandez’s inclusion in the championships. Her participation in girls high school track and field meets has drawn reaction throughout the season, notably from the Chino Valley Unified School District board president and a state Assembly member.
The spotlight intensified after Hernandez finished first in the triple jump and long jump at the Southern Section Masters Meet last weekend at Moorpark High School. She tied for fourth in the high jump at the Masters Meet.
Hernandez says the extra attention has been a challenge, but isn’t stopping her from focusing on the sport and doing the best she can.
“Back here again, just not letting it get to my head and relax but it’s a little harder this year,” said Hernandez. “You’re just another competitor and that’s what it is.”
In what might be the nation’s first effort to expand participation due to a trans athlete’s qualification, California’s high school sports governing body announced this week that it will allow an additional athlete to compete — and potentially offer an extra medal after finals — in the three events in which a trans athlete is competing. Hernandez will be the only openly transgender athlete competing at the CIF State Track and Field meet.
The fight over allowing a trans athlete to compete in a girls’ sports competition has been boiling for some time until lawmakers in the Central Valley called for Hernández to be removed, which led to changes from the CIF on how girls play and qualify.
Under the pilot policy, if a transgender athlete medals, their ranking would not displace a “biological female” student from medaling, the federation said. The federation did not specify how it would define “biological female” or how it would verify whether a competitor meets that definition.
“The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law and Education Code,” the CIF said in a statement. “With this in mind, the CIF will be implementing a pilot entry process for the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships.”
State law in California allows trans students to compete on sex-segregated sports teams consistent with their gender identity.
“I think they tried to come up with a solution to protect me, but it didn’t work out. People still say it’s not good enough,” said Hernandez. “They should have left it alone this year and changed things next year. “
The CIF announcement that it was essentially expanding the number of girls eligible to compete at the state meet and qualify for finals in the jump events came after a threat Tuesday from President Trump to cut federal funds for California over trans athletes’ participation in girls sports. The CIF said it’s decision to change rules was made over the weekend during the section meets.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced an investigation into whether a California law that allows transgender athletes to compete in girls high school sports violates the landmark Title IX federal civil rights law. The investigation will determine whether California’s School Success and Opportunity Act, or AB 1266, conflicts with Title IX, the federal law that bans sex discrimination in schools or educational programs that receive funding from the U.S. government.
In February, the Department of Education launched investigations into the California Interscholastic Federation and the Minnesota State High School League over what the administration called “failures to comply with President Trump’s executive order protecting girls in sports.”
Ab’s mother released a statement, saying in part, “As a mother, my heart breaks every time I see my child being attacked, not for a wrongdoing, but simply for being who they are. My child is a transgender student-athlete, a hardworking, disciplined, and passionate young person who just wants to play sports, continue to build
friendships, and grow into their fullest potential like any other child. My child has competed fairly, in full compliance with California law and athletic policy. This is her third year in sports, and she already holds THIRD PLACE IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA in the Triple Jump Category.”