A high school track meet in California became the scene of protests on Saturday as a transgender student athlete secured first place in three jumping events. Jurupa Valley senior AB Hernandez claimed the triple jump title with a distance of 42 feet 4 inches, outperforming the nearest competitor at the CIF Southern Section Division 3 preliminaries by several feet. In the long jump, Hernandez recorded 20 feet 4.25 inches, beating all other participants at Yorba Linda High School in Orange County by more than a foot. She also tied for first in the high jump at 5 feet 2 inches with Reese Hogan of Crean Lutheran High School, who has a history with Hernandez.
Background of the Controversy
After finishing second to Hernandez in a CIF event in 2025, Hogan was photographed standing on the top podium spot where Hernandez had stood moments earlier. That image quickly went viral. As in 2025, Hernandez's participation drew protesters on Saturday. The group Save Girls Sports accused California Governor Gavin Newsom of abandoning girls in the state. One grandparent attending the meet told Outkick, a Fox-owned website, 'It happened last year and I thought it'd be done, but it's California.'
Protests and Counter-Protests
Save Girls Sports outreach director and former NCAA soccer player Sophia Lorey spoke to the crowd outside the meet, arguing that transgender athletes in girls' sports would lead to lost scholarship opportunities. Citing the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) bylaw that permits participation based on gender identity, Lorey claimed, 'Girls across California will continue losing placements, safety and opportunities that they rightfully earned.' Meanwhile, a smaller counter-protest took place, with demonstrators challenging the argument that transgender athletes deprive female competitors of opportunities. One counter-protester stated, 'Last year, under CIF's policy, transgender athletes were not permitted to displace the cisgender athletes who placed after them. If they came in first, they shared that award with the runner up.' They also noted that transgender athletes are currently barred from competing in college, meaning they are not taking scholarships.
Policy Changes and Legal Actions
CIF changed its policy at last year's state meet to extend access and awards to biological females displaced by transgender competitors. Additionally, the NCAA has complied with President Donald Trump's executive order threatening funding for organizations that allow transgender athletes to compete in female sports, effectively eliminating scholarship concerns. In July, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against California state agencies over alleged Title IX violations related to this issue. The US Department of Education has since expanded its investigation to include 17 other institutions for potential civil rights breaches across the state. Governor Newsom's office has defended the current policy, citing a 2013 law requiring students to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity.
Reactions and Accusations
Lorey pushed back against accusations of bullying, framing her organization's actions as defending female student athletes. She criticized Newsom for calling the protesters 'bullies,' stating, 'Shame on Governor Newsom for calling the girls behind me bullies. That is unacceptable. These girls are not bullies for defending fairness and female sports.' A Newsom spokesperson had earlier criticized the planned protests as 'cynical' and vowed to stand up to 'bullies.'
