AB Hernandez wins California state track medal as ‘Save Girls Sports’ protesters rally outside

CLOVIS, CALIFORNIA: Transgender athlete AB Hernandez won a state championship medal on Saturday, May 30, at the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) State Track and Field Championships, as demonstrations outside the venue highlighted the continuing national debate over transgender participation in girls’ sports.

Hernandez, a senior at Jurupa Valley High School, competed in three girls’ jumping events after advancing through Friday, May 29, preliminary rounds. The championship unfolded as protesters gathered carrying signs and banners calling for girls’ competitions to be limited to biological females.

Protests erupt over AB Hernandez participation

Inside Veteran’s Memorial Stadium, Hernandez earned a third-place finish in the girls’ long jump with a mark of 20 feet, 2¼ inches.

First place was shared by Ellie McCuskey-Hay of St Ignatius High School and Gianna Gonzalez of Moorpark High School, who each recorded jumps of 20 feet, 3½ inches.

Under a CIF policy first adopted for the 2025 postseason and continued this year, if a transgender athlete places in a championship event, the highest-finishing cisgender female competitor is elevated into the same placement.

As a result, Corinne Jones of St Mary’s High School, who finished fourth, joined Hernandez on the podium and was also recognized in third place.

Earlier this month, Hernandez won the girls’ long jump, high jump, and triple jump at both the CIF Southern Section Finals and the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet.

Following criticism from athletes and parents, officials awarded duplicate gold medals to female runners-up in those competitions.

Protests surround California track championships

Outside the stadium, demonstrators wearing “Save Girls Sports” shirts rallied throughout the weekend. Signs displayed messages including “No boys. No bias. Just fairness” and “Save Girls Sports,” while some participants argued that opportunities for female athletes were being unfairly affected.

Tensions briefly rose when activists confronted pro-LGBTQ groups holding a press conference supporting Hernandez. Clovis police monitored the situation, though no physical altercations were reported.

The demonstrations featured remarks from California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton and former NCAA soccer player Sophia Lorey. “The message being sent to female athletes is clear, your opportunities, your records... comes second to males,” Lorey said during the event

Meanwhile, Hernandez appeared in a social media video with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer, discussing concerns about safety and public attention surrounding the controversy.

Hernandez said they had been “outed” and “doxed” multiple times, while Steyer said it was the government’s responsibility to ensure people are protected.

In recent remarks, President Donald Trump criticized policies allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls’ sports, saying Democrats “want men to play in women’s sports” and describing the issue as one of the major policy differences between Republicans and Democrats.