California Track Season Ends With Biological Male Claiming Two Girls’ State Titles

Clear Facts

• Transgender athlete AB Hernandez won two California girls’ state track and field championships on Saturday, taking first in high jump and triple jump while placing third in long jump
• California officials implemented a controversial podium policy giving recognition to girls who placed directly behind Hernandez, leaving portions of the podium empty
• The U.S. Department of Justice is suing California education agencies over policies allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports

AB Hernandez concluded a controversial high school track career Saturday night at the California state championship, winning two titles in girls’ events. The transgender athlete took first place in the girls’ high jump and triple jump, finishing third in the long jump.

Last year, Hernandez won the triple jump and high jump state championships and finished second in the long jump. The athlete has dominated California girls’ track and field for two consecutive seasons.

The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) reimplemented a pilot program from last year’s championships, awarding podium recognition to every girl who finished directly behind Hernandez. At Saturday’s girls’ high jump podium ceremony, multiple girls shared podium spots, leaving one side of the podium completely empty.

Images of these shared podium ceremonies became a viral flashpoint in the debate over biological males competing in women’s sports. The policy faced intense criticism from women’s sports activists over the past three weeks, after being reimplemented at the CIF Southern Section finals.

The controversy reached its peak during championship weekend. On Friday morning, Hernandez appeared in a video with Democrat California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer. Later that day, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton headlined a rally outside the preliminary round advocating for the protection of girls’ sports.

On Saturday, LGBTQ advocacy groups Pride at the Pier and Rainbow Families Action organized a press conference outside the state championship venue. Police were summoned when Hernandez supporters engaged in heated confrontations with “Save Girls Sports” activists.

Nereyda Hernandez, the athlete’s mother, and other LGBTQ activists spoke in support of the transgender competitor. Near the end of the press conference, “Save Girls Sports” activists arrived and the confrontation escalated.

Clovis Police Department vehicles were positioned nearby, and multiple officers monitored the confrontation when shouting began. The situation eventually dissipated without direct police intervention.

Hernandez won two state titles later that night, bouncing back from the long jump loss to dominate the high jump and triple jump. The athlete competed in both events simultaneously, running between the two competitions as one of the only athletes entered in both.

With Hernandez’s high school career concluded, California faces ongoing legal and political battles over biological males competing in girls’ sports. The U.S. Department of Justice is currently suing education agencies in the state for policies allowing transgender athletes to compete against females.

Hernandez’s school district, Jurupa Unified School District, is under investigation by the Department of Education. California’s gubernatorial primary is days away, with transgender athletes in girls’ sports emerging as a prominent campaign issue as Hilton seeks to advance to the general election later this year.

Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.