Reese Hogan Faces Trans Athlete for Third Year at California Track Finals

Reese Hogan would claim a different set of medals if California track rules excluded transgender athletes from girls' events.

The Crean Lutheran senior finished second in the high jump at last Saturday's sectional preliminaries. She took first place outright among biological females. This weekend, Hogan represents her Christian high school in the finals against a transgender competitor. It marks her third straight year facing one at the California Interscholastic Federation state tournament.

One year ago, Hogan drew national attention by stepping from second to first on the medal podium after the transgender winner left. "This is my third year competing against a transgender athlete, and last year I was stripped away of a CIF Title, and I basically worked my whole career to get to that point," Hogan said Tuesday on Fox News at Night. "It's just really disappointing to go into a competition knowing you already lost."

Teammate Olivia Viola has competed alongside Hogan against transgender athletes for three years. "I haven't heard nearly enough adults come out and say anything. A lot of them like to say that they agree with you, that they're proud of you for speaking up now, but they won't do it themselves," Viola said. "Just because it doesn't affect every adult out there doesn't mean it's not worth standing up for."

State law has permitted biological males in girls' sports since 2013. California education agencies face a federal Title IX lawsuit from the Trump administration over the policy.

Governor Gavin Newsom's office issued a statement last week ahead of a "Save Girls Sports" rally the athletes attended. "The Governor has said discussions on this issue should be guided by fairness, dignity, and respect. He rejects the right wing’s cynical attempt to weaponize this debate as an excuse to vilify individual kids. The Governor’s position is simple: stand with all kids and stand up to bullies," it read.

The statement noted California is one of 22 states requiring students to compete in sex-segregated sports matching their gender identity. The state enacted the law, AB 1266, in 2013 under Governor Jerry Brown.

At the rally, Hogan responded. "The recent statements coming from Governor Gavin Newsom's office have made it clear that there is no intention of creating a safe, fair, and equitable environment for female high school athletes. Him and his office have gone as far as calling young girls bullies for speaking up for what we believe in," she said. "The governor himself has admitted that males competing in women's sports is unfair, yet nothing is being done to protect girls who train every day to compete on a level playing field."

Viola called the statement manipulative. "He's saying stand up for all kids, yet he's essentially trying to silence us... these girls are not bullies. They make a point, we all make a point to say we are not against any individual athlete, we are against California's policies," she said. "We believe athletes deserve dignity and respect, and that's why we believe women deserve the dignity of having their own category."

Hogan and Viola compete Saturday at the CIF Southern Section Final in Moorpark, California. Podium ceremonies follow the events, as they did last year.