A transgender teenager from Southern California competed in Saturday’s CIF track-and-field finals regardless of drawing nationwide scrutiny and criticism from President Trump over her participation earlier within the week.
AB Hernandez, a Jurupa Valley Excessive College junior, competed in a number of occasions on Saturday after ending as the highest qualifier within the ladies’ excessive soar, lengthy soar and triple soar on Friday.
“There’s no words to express how proud I am of her, despite her being targeted, harassed for all these months. She’s here, she’s successful, she did it,” mentioned Hernandez’s mom Nereyda. “When you’re actually here the whole event, you actually see, it’s not just hating. There’s more support, there’s more love.”
Hernandez took dwelling first place medals in each excessive soar and triple soar and she or he positioned second within the lengthy soar occasion. Following a rule change by the California Interscholastic Federation, a co-winner was named in every of the three occasions wherein Hernandez positioned.
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The coverage change permits a further athlete to compete and earn a medal in occasions wherein a transgender athlete additionally certified.
“If necessary, in the high jump, triple jump and long jump events at the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships, a biological female student-athlete who would have earned a specific placement on the podium will also be awarded the medal for that place and the results will be reflected in the recording of the event,” CIF officers mentioned in a press release issued on Wednesday.
“The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law,” the assertion mentioned.
Associated: Nationwide debate over Jurupa Valley transgender athlete’s eligibility in CIF finals continues
CIF officers introduced the brand new coverage days earlier than the championships, which then drew a response from the U.S. Division of Justice as they launched a Title IX investigation over transgender athlete participation in California highschool sports activities.
Their rule change was introduced lower than a day after Mr. Trump took to Fact Social to touch upon the matter, threatening to tug federal funding from the state if Hernandez competed.
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Some highschool coaches who had student-athletes collaborating within the finals provided their help for Hernandez, together with Santa Margarita Excessive College’s Bryn Williams.
“This is still a high schooler,” Williams mentioned. “She is learning, she is navigating the world just like we are every single day and that I know I would want grace if I was put in a situation where I had a bunch of light on me and what I was doing. So I encourage people to remember that. We are all human and at the end of the day we are all trying to navigate this world.”
The finals started Friday at Buchanan Excessive College in Clovis, which is situated in Fresno County. Apart from the group that gathered to help collaborating athletes, the occasion additionally drew about 20 protesters who denounced Hernandez’s participation. Some may very well be seen holding indicators that learn “Save Girls Sports” and an airplane additionally flew over the occasion pulling a banner that learn, “No Boys in Girls’ Sports.”
One individual was arrested following an altercation between counterprotesters, Clovis police mentioned. Video exhibits the moments that the individual is taken into custody by officers, in addition to the moments main as much as their arrest, after they shoved a flag pole via somebody’s window.
The automotive proprietor on the opposite finish of the alleged assault spoke with CBS Information Los Angeles on Saturday about why he was protesting.
“I think it’s completely unfair to these girls,” mentioned Josh Fulfer. “They’ve worked hard. He has an advantage by being a male and it’s really unfortunate that these girls, the psychological effect that it has on them and places on them when they know they’re not only competing against people of their own sex, but now they gotta go up against a man. … I think it’s really bad that we’re setting this precedent.”
Regardless of this, enterprise continued as traditional contained in the stadium, and the occasions had been accomplished with out disruption.
