Trans athlete wins state medal as protests erupt outside
A biological male athlete won third place in girls' long jump at California's state track championships as protesters outside demanded protection of female sports competition.
AB Hernandez, a senior competing for Jurupa Valley High School, finished third in the girls’ long jump event at the CIF State Track & Field Championships on Saturday with a mark of 20 feet, 2¼ inches, according to New York Post.
The athlete had advanced to Saturday’s finals in three events—long jump, high jump, and triple jump—after recording the top qualifying mark in two disciplines during Friday’s preliminary rounds.
Outside Buchanan High School in Clovis, demonstrators wearing “Save Girl’s Sports” apparel gathered to voice their opposition to biological males competing in female divisions. Protesters carried flags and signs declaring “No boys. No bias. Just fairness” and accusing officials of opportunities being “stolen from our daughters.”
The demonstration escalated when activists confronted pro-LGBTQ groups holding a press conference in support of Hernandez, as New York Post reports. Clovis police officers responded to monitor the heated verbal confrontation, which eventually subsided without physical altercation or direct police action, according to Outkick.
Inside the stadium, Ellie McCuskey-Hay of St. Ignatius High School and Gianna Gonzalez of Moorpark High School shared first place honors with identical jumps of 20 feet, 3½ inches.
In an unusual podium arrangement, Corinne Jones from St. Mary’s High School, who finished fourth, was elevated to share third place with Hernandez. This stems from a CIF policy implemented ahead of the 2025 state championships and maintained in 2026 under escalating political and legal pressure.
Under the rule, when a transgender athlete places in a postseason track event, the highest-finishing biological female competitor is elevated to share the same placement.
The state championship follows weeks of mounting controversy surrounding Hernandez’s dominance in girls’ competition. Two weeks prior, Hernandez swept all three jumping events at the CIF Southern Section championship final, prompting officials to award duplicate gold medals to the female runners-up.
Tension was evident during that medal ceremony, with some competitors appearing to avoid celebrating alongside Hernandez. One athlete reportedly declined to stand on the podium while others maintained physical distance.
One week later, Hernandez repeated the triple victory at the CIF Southern Section Track and Field Masters Meet in Ventura County, again claiming first place in long jump, high jump, and triple jump. Officials once more awarded gold medals to the second-place female finishers, who shared the top podium spot with Hernandez.
The controversy has thrust Hernandez into the national spotlight, drawing fierce criticism from parents, competitors, and women’s sports advocates who argue biological males hold unfair physical advantages that undermine fair competition for female athletes.
With information from New York Post
