AB Hernandez Competes Amid Protests at CIF State Track Championships

Transgender athlete AB Hernandez participated in the state championships on Saturday, facing significant protests from parents and activists outside the venue. Demonstrators gathered at the CIF State Track & Field Championships, voicing their demands for female events to be exclusively for biological females.

Hernandez, a senior at Jurupa Valley High School, advanced to the finals in the girls' long jump, high jump, and triple jump, achieving top qualifying marks in two events during the preliminary rounds. This has made Hernandez a focal point in the ongoing debate surrounding transgender participation in sports, attracting both national attention and criticism from various stakeholders.

Outside Buchanan High School in Clovis, protesters donned “Save Girl’s Sports” shirts and displayed banners reading, “No boys. No bias. Just fairness.” Many expressed concerns that female athletes were losing opportunities, with signs alleging that top finishes had been “stolen from our daughters.” Calls to action urged the CIF to prioritize women's sports.

In the competition, Hernandez secured third place in the girls' long jump, achieving a distance of 20 feet, 2 1/4 inches. The top spot was shared by Ellie McCuskey-Hay of St. Ignatius High School and Gianna Gonzalez of Moorpark High School, both jumping 20 feet, 3 1/2 inches. Despite finishing in fourth, Corinne Jones from St. Mary’s High School was elevated to share third place with Hernandez due to a CIF policy designed to address the controversy surrounding transgender athletes in postseason events.

This state championship comes after weeks of intense scrutiny following Hernandez's performances at the CIF Southern Section championship, where the athlete won all three jumping events. The backlash prompted officials to award duplicate gold medals to the female athletes who finished in second place, a move that has further fueled discussions on fairness and competition in women's sports.