California championship track meet forces trans athlete to share top podium spot with female
A division championship track and discipline meet in California noticed a trans athlete share first place in three occasions with female opponents, regardless of profitable every occasion by massive margins.
Trans athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley High School took first place in lengthy leap, excessive leap and triple leap on the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section finals in Division 3.
Trans athlete AB Hernandez shares first place on a podium with a female athlete on the CIF Southern Section closing in Moorpark, California on May 16, 2026. (Fox News Digital)
Then, throughout podium ceremonies, announcers declared that every occasion had two co-champions, together with Hernandez. This was based mostly on a rule enacted final yr.
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Hernandez was absent for the primary medal ceremony in lengthy leap, as Moorpark High School’s Gianna Gonzalez stood alone on the first-place podium regardless of ending greater than a foot behind Hernandez. Hernandez appeared to be warming up for the subsequent occasion.
Hernandez later shared the top podium spot in excessive leap with Oak Park High School’s Gwynneth Mureika, regardless of profitable first place by two inches.
Then, after profitable triple leap by practically two toes over Malia Strange of Shadow Hills, Hernandez stood alone on the top spot, as Strange was absent.
Hernandez, now a Southern Section champion once more, alongside with all the opposite winners will transfer onto the CIF preliminaries subsequent Saturday to face the remainder of the state’s top female jumpers, with an opportunity to get again to the state finals. The two-day state finals start on May 29 in Clovis, California.
AB Hernandez, a transgender pupil at Jurupa Valley High School, competes within the women excessive leap on the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Divisional Championship Finals in Moorpark, Calif., on May 16, 2026. (Fox News Digital)
The CIF enacted pilot program for the state finals final May that awarded any female athlete that completed behind a trans athlete one larger spot, which resulted in women sharing podium spots with Hernandez for the championship. The program additionally ensured any female athlete who completed one spot out of qualifying for the state finals in occasions that included a trans competitor, to compete for the title as effectively.
The mum or dad of a female athlete at Saturday’s meet instructed Fox News Digital {that a} coach knowledgeable them that the identical pilot program can be applied for the rest of the state postseason, beginning with the ultimate part on Saturday.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the CIF for a response.
The pilot program was put in place after Hernandez superior to the ultimate state, which prompted President donald trump to communicate out in opposition to California and Gov. Gavin Newsom in a Truth Social publish within the days main up to the tip.
“California, under the leadership of Radical Left Democrat Gavin Newscum, continues to ILLEGALLY allow ‘MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS.’ This week a transitioned Male athlete, at a major event, won ‘everything’ and is now qualified to compete in the ‘State Finals’ next weekend. As a male, he was a less than average competitor. As a female, this transitioned person is practically unbeatable. THIS IS NOT FAIR, AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS,” Trump wrote.
AB Hernandez, a transgender pupil at Jurupa Valley High School, jumps throughout apply forward of the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Divisional Championship Finals in Moorpark, Calif., on May 16, 2026. (Fox News Digital)
“Please be hereby advised that large scale Federal Funding will be held back, perhaps permanently, if the Executive Order on this subject matter is not adhered to. The Governor, himself, said it is ‘UNFAIR.’ I will speak to him today to find out which way he wants to go??? In the meantime I am ordering local authorities, if necessary, to not allow the transitioned person to compete in the State Finals. “This is a completely ridiculous state of affairs!!!”
Trump’s Department of Justice then filed a Title IX lawsuit against the state’s education agencies in July of last year, after Hernandez won two state titles and finished in second place in another.
Hernandez then competed for Jurupa Valley’s girls’ volleyball team in the fall, as several teams forfeited to Jurupa Valley and two other players on the same team filed a Title IX lawsuit against the Jurupa Unified School District (JUSD) for putting the trans athlete on the girls’ team and locker room.
The controversy around Jurupa Valley’s track and field season was renewed last Saturday when “Save Girls Sports” protesters held a rally on the sectional preliminary spherical.
A supply inside Newsom’s workplace offered a press release to Fox News Digital within the days earlier than that meet, addressing the rally.
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AB Hernandez, a transgender student at Jurupa Valley High School, arrives at the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Divisional Championship Finals in Moorpark, Calif., on May 16, 2026. (Fox News Digital)
“The Governor has stated discussions on this problem ought to be guided by equity, dignity, and respect. He rejects the appropriate wing’s cynical try to weaponize this debate as an excuse to vilify particular person youngsters. The Governor’s place is straightforward: stand with all youngsters and rise up to bullies,” the statement read.
“California is considered one of 22 states which have legal guidelines requiring college students to be permitted to take part in sex-segregated college sports activities constant with their gender identification. California handed this legislation in 2013 (AB 1266) and it was signed into legislation by Governor Jerry Brown.”
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