AB Hernandez closes out high school career with 2 California state titles amid ongoing controversy
The party is over.
Transgender athlete AB Hernandez completed one of the most publicized high school sports careers in modern history Saturday night at the California track and field state championships, winning two titles and sharing the titles with female competitors.
Hernandez took first place in the girls high jump and triple jump, and third place in the long jump. Last year, Hernandez won the triple jump and high jump state championships and placed second in the long jump.
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AB Hernandez is about to jump in the final high school track meet on Saturday, September 31, 2026 at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium in Clovis, California. (Fox News Digital)
And just like last year, Hernandez shared all of the field appearances alongside a female competitor who finished one place behind the sprinter. The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) used the same evaluation system used in last year’s championships, awarding field honors to every girl who finished directly behind Hernandez.
In Saturday’s girls’ high jump event, Hernandez’s last stadium appearance of the night, many girls shared podium spots, leaving one side of the stadium completely empty.
Photos of Hernandez sharing arena spots with female opponents became a controversial topic in the two weeks leading up to the final, following a controversial CIF policy change.
This goal was heavily criticized by women’s sports activists and even Hernandez’s fans, including the athlete’s mother after she returned to work three weeks ago in the CIF Southern Section finals.
The photos fueled a heated political debate about transportation athletes in women’s sports that has followed Hernandez’s high school career since the 2024-2025 school year.
The political intersection of Hernandez’s high school career came to a head during tournament weekend, when the athlete appeared on video with Democratic challenger Tom Steyer early in the first round of the CIF tournament on Friday. Later that day, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton made headlines at a rally outside the first convention to advocate for the protection of girls’ sports.
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AB Hernandez stands in first place next to her female opponent at the 2026 California track and field state championships. It was a milestone in the history of girls’ sports. (Fox News Digital)
Then on Saturday, a press conference, organized by local California LGBTQ advocacy group Pride at the Pier and Rainbow Families Action, took place outside the CIF state tournament, and police were called in as Hernandez supporters engaged in a war of words with “Save Girls Sports” activists.
AB Hernandez’s last high school stage event saw many girls sharing spots behind Hernandez. (Fox News Digital)
Hernandez’s mother, Nereyda Hernandez, and other LGBTQ activists spoke out in support of the trans athlete.
Towards the end of the press conference, a group of “Save Girls Sports” activists appeared and engaged in a heated confrontation with the participants of the LGBTQ press conference.
Clovis Police Department cars were parked in the area, many police officers came to check the dispute when the shouting started.
In the end, the conflict was ended without direct police intervention.
Hernandez went on to win two state titles later that night, bouncing back from a loss in the long jump to win the high jump and long jump. This athlete was competing in both sports at the same time, running back and forth between the two sports as one of the athletes competing in both.
Now, with Hernandez’s high school career over, California is left with an ongoing controversy over the issue of natural men in girls sports.
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The US Department of Justice is currently suing educational institutions in the state over policies that allow trans athletes to compete against women, and Hernandez’s school district, the Jurupa Unified School District, is under investigation by the Department of Education.
With California’s gubernatorial primary also days away, the issue of transgender athletes in girls’ sports is emerging as a prominent campaign topic as Hilton seeks a place in the general election later this year.
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