Transgender athlete wins CIF track and field titles in girls high school events

AB Hernandez, a junior at Jurupa Valley High School in California, has been at the center of storylines the past two weeks during the CIF Southern Section high school track and field postseason.

Hernandez is an outspoken transgender athlete competing in girls track and field.

Hernandez did a recent interview with Capital and Main speaking about the backlash faced at track and field events.

“All I thought was, 'I don’t think you understand that this puts your idiotic claims to trash. She can’t be beat because she’s biologically male.’ Now you have no proof that I can’t be beat,” Hernandez said in the interview.

After qualifying in three events at the prelims in triple, long and high jump, Hernandez won two CIF titles in the triple and long jump at the Southern Section finals at Moorpark High School on Saturday, May 17.

Hernandez's winning long jump was 19 feet, 2.75 inches, beating out second-place finisher Katie McGuinness of La Canada 18-9.5.

Hernandez's winning triple jump was 41 feet, 4 inches, beating second-place finisher Reese Hogan of Crean Lutheran by just over 4 feet (37-02). Hernandez finished seventh in the high jump (5 feet, 2 inches).

The two CIF victories and seventh-place finish qualify Hernandez for the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet on May 24 back at Moorpark High.

The CIF State championships are in Fresno on May 30-31.

Hernandez currently holds the state's top marks in long jump (20-1.5) and triple jump (41-4) in girls track and field.

HOW THE STORY CAUGHT FIRE

Three Southern California high schools banded together in what a California attorney called a "stand" opposing transgender athletes competing in girls sports.

• FULL STORY

"JSerra Catholic High School, Orange Lutheran High School, and Crean Lutheran High School took a stand today. Thank you," California Justice Center attorney Julie Hamill's May 9 post says on Twitter/X.

Attached to the post is a three-page letter from the Orange County schools, signed by each school's president and/or executive director, stating "... disappointment in CIF's failure to respect and protect our female athletes and our strong opposition to CIF's Gender Identity Policy."

The letter focused on the CIF Southern Section track and field prelims on May 10.

"As a school, we are working our way through a significant issue deeply intertwined with a fundamental aspect of our mission. Tomorrow four of our female student-athletes will be competing in the CIF Track & Field State Prelims," a letter from JSerra to its parents says. "Unfortunately, in three of these events our young women will be competing against a young man (who identifies as a female). He will likely dominate the competition and handily win all three events. To be clear, we hold no malice toward this particular student. We do feel compelled, however, to take a stand for the right, duties and dignity of our young women."

Hernandez won the River Valley League championships in the triple, long and high jump. Hernandez won the triple jump by nearly 7 feet, the long jump by more than 3 feet, and the high jump by a foot.

The "stand" from the three schools made it sound like their student-athletes weren't going to compete in protest, but the letter never explicitly states that. Their athletes did end up competing.

Crean Lutheran's Olivia Viola and Reese Hogan both qualified for the CIF finals in the high jump, with both jumping the qualifying height of 5 feet, 2 inches.

Orange Lutheran's Brooke Dahman qualified in the long jump with a fifth-place finish (17-7). Hogan also qualified in the triple jump (35-0).

Following the CIF sectional track and field finals on May 17 is the CIF Masters Meet on May 24 before the CIF state championships in Fresno on May 30-31.

WHERE CIF STANDS ON THE ISSUE

The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is the governing body of education-based athletics in California.

When President Donald Trump took office in January, he signed executive orders declaring that the U.S. government recognizes only two sexes that are "not changeable," according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.

In February, the U.S. Department of Education announced the opening of a Title IX investigation into the CIF for its policy allowing transgender high school athletes to play girls sports. It did the same in Minnesota.

The CIF issued the following statement regarding transgender athletes:

"The CIF provides students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete in education-based experiences in compliance with California law [Education Code section 221.5. (f)] which permits students to participate in school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, consistent with the student’s gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the student’s records," the statement to The Times said.

NOT A NEW STORY

In the past calendar year, there have been two sizable stories related to a transgender athlete competing in girls high school athletics.

In May of 2023, track runners Lorelei Barrett of Sherman Oaks Buckley and Athena Ryan of Santa Rosa Sonoma Academy — two transgender student-athletes — finished third and second in their respective running events to qualify for the CIF state finals.

However, leading up the finals, the two athletes faced backlash and decided to not compete in the CIF state finals.

This past fall, a Northern California girls volleyball team from Stone Ridge Christian of Merced cut its own season short before the Division 6 semifinals due to the belief its opponent — San Francisco Waldorf — had a transgender player on its roster.

Stone Ridge Christian administrator Julie Fagundes announced the Knights would end their season, notifying the families of the private school of 448 (K-12): “We do not believe sex is changeable and we do not intend to participate in events that send a different message. We also have a duty and responsibility to care for the health and safety of our athletes ... " (MORE ON THAT STORY)

More from High School On SI:

Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school sports news.

To get live updates on your phone — as well as follow your favorite teams and top games — you can download the SBLive Sports app: 

Download iPhone App | Download Android App