AB Hernandez, a male athlete from Jurupa Valley High School in California, won first place in three girls' track events at the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section Division 3 finals over the weekend. Hernandez took top honors in long jump, high jump, and triple jump, advancing to compete against the state's top female athletes with the state finals scheduled to begin May 29.
Under CIF's current rules, female athletes who would have claimed first place without a male competitor participating in their division are permitted to share the podium. According to OutKick, at one ceremony Hernandez shared the top spot with Gwynneth Mureika, while at another ceremony the female competitor did not attend and Hernandez stood alone on the highest step.
Hernandez previously won gold medals in the girls' triple jump and high jump at last year's state finals, along with a silver in long jump. The athlete also competes in girls' volleyball, according to the report.
What the Left Is Saying
Advocates for transgender inclusion in sports argue that policies allowing trans athletes to compete according to their gender identity protect young people from discrimination and support mental health outcomes. Organizations including the Human Rights Campaign have pointed to research suggesting that participation in athletics provides significant psychological benefits for LGBTQ+ youth.
The CIF policy represents a state-level approach that balances competitive integrity with inclusion, supporters say. They note that high school athletics vary significantly by region and competition level, making blanket federal mandates difficult to implement fairly across diverse athletic programs.
Some advocates have framed Hernandez as experiencing bullying rather than receiving unfair advantage. A post shared by Rainbow Families Action on Instagram criticized what it called "government sanctioned bullying" and argued that officials failed to address the athlete directly about policy concerns.
"All these big tough ex-athletes at CIF, and the most courage they could muster was to hand this to coaches at AB's meet today," the post stated. "Not one of them was brave enough to look her or her mother in the eye and say 'This whole project of violating Ed Code is aimed at you. A child.'"
What the Right Is Saying
Critics argue that allowing male athletes to compete in girls' divisions undermines Title IX's purpose of creating equal athletic opportunities for women and girls. The Trump administration Department of Justice filed suit against the California Department of Education and CIF in 2025, alleging violations of Title IX related to policies permitting male participation in female sports.
Republican lawmakers and conservative advocacy groups have argued that biological differences give male athletes inherent physical advantages that cannot be eliminated through hormone therapy or policy changes. They contend that women's athletic spaces require protection from competitors who were born male.
"This is a matter of fundamental fairness for female athletes who have trained their entire lives to compete," said a spokesperson for the Women's Sports Policy Working Group, which has advocated for clear biological sex-based categories in competitive athletics.
The DOJ lawsuit argues that California's policies violate federal law by allowing what it characterizes as male competitors to displace female athletes from victories, podium positions, and advancement opportunities they would otherwise earn.
What the Numbers Show
Title IX, enacted in 1972, prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs and activities. The law transformed female athletic participation: according to the National Federation of State High School Associations, female high school sports participation increased from approximately 294,000 in 1971 to more than 3.4 million by 2022.
The DOJ lawsuit filed against California in 2025 represents one of several legal actions taken during the current administration regarding gender identity and athletic competition. Similar challenges have been filed in other states with policies allowing trans athletes to compete according to their gender identity.
CIF data indicates that participation in high school athletics has remained relatively stable, with approximately 800,000 student-athletes competing annually in California alone. The percentage of students identifying as transgender or nonbinary continues to increase, though exact figures vary by survey methodology.
At last year's CIF state track finals, Hernandez earned gold medals in two events and a silver medal in another, demonstrating competitive success against female athletes across multiple disciplines.
The Bottom Line
The situation at Jurupa Valley High School exemplifies the ongoing legal and policy conflict over gender identity in high school athletics. California maintains policies permitting trans athletes to compete according to their gender identity, while the federal government has challenged those policies through litigation.
Hernandez will compete at the state finals beginning May 29, with the outcome of pending lawsuits potentially affecting future eligibility rules. The legal dispute is expected to continue through the court system, with implications for how states and athletic organizations structure competition categories.
Athletic administrators face pressure from multiple directions: advocates for transgender inclusion argue that participation benefits student wellbeing, while opponents maintain that women's sports require protection from competitors who are biologically male. Both sides cite Title IX in support of their positions, reflecting the law's complex application to evolving questions about gender and athletic competition.