A biological male has clinched a return to California’s girls state track championship for the second straight year, winning two jumping events at the postseason meet that decides who advances.
AB Hernandez, a senior at Jurupa Valley High School, captured the long jump at 19 feet, 3.5 inches and the triple jump at 40 feet, 4.75 inches Saturday at the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Masters meet in Moorpark, Sports Illustrated reported. Hernandez also tied for fourth in the high jump at 5 feet, 4 inches. All three results landed inside the qualifying window and sent Hernandez to the state final. (RELATED: Transgender Athlete AB Hernandez Dominates Not 1, Not 2, But 3 Jumping Events At Postseason Track Meet In California)
The CIF revived a rule from last spring that awards second-place girls a gold medal and a place on the top step beside a transgender competitor who finishes ahead of them, according to MyNewsLA. Any athlete who places among the top six in an event earns a spot at the state meet, scheduled for May 29 and 30 in Clovis.
Trans track athlete AB Hernandez dominates competition at California girls masters meet https://t.co/9K2ObHEIn0 pic.twitter.com/XxXKOnU50z
— New York Post (@nypost) May 24, 2026
The qualification stretches the story into a second year, Fox News reported. Crean Lutheran senior Reese Hogan, a frequent rival and a high jump favorite, missed the cut in that event and buried her face against her father after her last attempt.
Federal scrutiny has trailed the dispute. The Trump administration has questioned California over its policy, and that Hernandez reached the state meet as a sophomore in 2024 with a third-place triple jump, CBS News reported. Hernandez told the nonprofit outlet Capital & Main, “There’s nothing I can do about people’s actions, just focus on my own.”
Critics contend that California’s rules for transgender participation run up against Title IX protections meant for female athletes, the New York Post reported.