Trans Athlete Shares First Place in Three Events at California Track Finals

A trans athlete took first place in three events at a California high school track and field championship meet but shared the top spot on two podiums with female competitors under a new rule.

AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley High School won the long jump, high jump and triple jump at the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Division 3 finals.

Announcers declared co-champions in each event after the results, following a pilot program the CIF adopted last year.

Hernandez was not present for the long jump medal ceremony, leaving Moorpark High School's Gianna Gonzalez alone on the top step even though Gonzalez finished more than a foot behind.

In the high jump, Hernandez cleared the bar two inches higher than Oak Park High School's Gwynneth Mureika and shared the first-place podium with her.

Hernandez won the triple jump by nearly two feet over Malia Strange of Shadow Hills High School and stood alone on the top step after Strange did not appear.

Hernandez and the other section winners advance to the CIF state preliminaries next Saturday. The two-day state finals are scheduled for May 29 in Clovis, California.

The pilot program awards any female athlete who finishes behind a trans competitor one higher place on the results and allows girls who miss qualifying by one spot to compete for a state title when a trans athlete is in the field.

A parent at the meet said a coach told them the same rule will apply through the rest of the postseason.

The CIF put the program in place after Hernandez reached the state final last year. President Donald Trump criticized the policy on Truth Social and warned that federal funding could be withheld if California did not follow his executive order on the issue.

The Department of Justice filed a Title IX lawsuit against state education agencies in July after Hernandez won two state titles and placed second in a third event.

Hernandez also played on Jurupa Valley's girls' volleyball team in the fall. Several opposing teams forfeited matches, and two players sued the Jurupa Unified School District under Title IX.

Protesters from the group Save Girls Sports held a rally at the sectional preliminary round last Saturday.

A statement from Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said the governor supports fairness, dignity and respect and rejects efforts to vilify individual students. The statement noted that California law since 2013 has allowed students to compete in sports consistent with their gender identity.