YORBA LINDA, CALIFORNIA - MAY 10: AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley competes in the girls high jump during the CIF Southern Section Division 3 Track and Field preliminaries at Nathan Shapell Memorial Stadium at Yorba Linda High School on May 10, 2025 in Yorba Linda, California. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images)
Fontana, California – Jurupa Valley High School junior AB Hernandez has become the center of national attention following a dominant performance at the CIF Southern Section Finals in girls track and field. Hernandez, a transgender athlete whose gender was assigned male at birth, captured titles in both the long jump and triple jump on Saturday, May 17, qualifying for the CIF Masters Meet scheduled for May 24 at Moorpark High School.
Hernandez’s long jump of 19 feet, 2.75 inches and triple jump of 41 feet, 4 inches — the top marks in the state — secured her two Southern Section championships. She also placed seventh in the high jump with a mark of 5 feet, 2 inches, earning her a spot in the upcoming Masters Meet.
But her athletic achievements have been met with heated controversy.
One of Hernandez’s competitors, Reese Hogan, a 16-year-old from Crean Lutheran High School, finished second in the triple jump with a personal best of 37 feet, 2 inches. After the podium ceremony, Hogan stepped onto the first-place spot for a photo, drawing applause from the crowd and sparking a wave of reaction online. Conservative influencer and former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines reposted the image, calling Hogan the “real” champion and referring to Hernandez as a “fraud.”
The incident follows recent protests at the CIF Southern Section Division 3 Prelims, where several female athletes wore “Protect Girls Sports” shirts in silent opposition to the participation of transgender athletes in girls events. Officials allegedly told Hogan and others to remove the shirts immediately or risk disqualification. The CIF later clarified that athletes must be in school-issued uniforms during competition, but attendees reported that enforcement was uneven and appeared to target only those wearing protest slogans.
Three Southern California private schools — Crean Lutheran, Orange Lutheran, and JSerra Catholic — issued a joint letter ahead of the prelims expressing disappointment in CIF’s gender identity policy. While their athletes ultimately competed, the letter stated the schools’ belief that the policy unfairly disadvantages female competitors.
Hernandez, who also won the River Valley League championships in all three jumping events, addressed the backlash in a recent interview with Capital and Main, saying, “Now you have no proof that I can’t be beat,” and pushing back against claims that her wins were solely due to gender identity.
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) continues to affirm that its policies comply with state law, which allows student-athletes to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity. As Hernandez advances to the Masters and possibly the State Finals in Fresno on May 30-31, the broader national conversation surrounding transgender athletes in youth sports shows no signs of slowing
