AB Hernandez Wins 3 Southern Section Prelims Events as California Faces Federal Fight Over Trans Sports
Updated
Updated · Los Angeles Times · May 14
AB Hernandez Wins 3 Southern Section Prelims Events as California Faces Federal Fight Over Trans Sports
3 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · May 14
AB Hernandez, a 16-year-old Jurupa Valley junior, finished first Saturday in triple jump, long jump and a five-way high jump tie at the CIF Southern Section Division 3 preliminaries.
Her triple-jump and long-jump results were California’s best marks this season, extending the form of a two-time state champion now aiming for Southern Section finals and the state meet in Clovis.
About 10 protesters gathered outside Yorba Linda High after anti-transgender groups promoted the meet online, while Hernandez’s mother said the family had prepared for renewed national scrutiny.
The backlash comes as California keeps allowing transgender girls to compete under CIF rules, even after Trump’s 2025 order pushed federal agencies to restrict trans athletes from girls’ and women’s sports.
That conflict is widening into court and regulatory battles: California sued the Justice Department this week, while federal officials pursue Title IX investigations tied to the state’s participation rules.
How might legal battles over transgender athletes redefine the 50-year-old protections of Title IX for all women in sports?
How should evolving science on transgender athletes' performance influence future sports policies and legal rulings currently being decided in court?
As California awards duplicate medals, is this a fair solution or a temporary fix for a complex debate on athletic inclusion?