Another California girls’ sports competition, another controversy that everyone saw coming except the people running the system. At the CIF Southern Section Division 3 preliminaries in Yorba Linda, transgender athlete AB Hernandez once again dominated the girls’ jumping events, reigniting the national debate over fairness in women’s sports.
Before the meet even began, demonstrators gathered outside the stadium for a “Save Girls’ Sports” rally, protesting California’s policy allowing biological males to compete against female athletes. Inside the gates, the results only added fuel to the growing frustration.
Hernandez, a senior from Jurupa Valley and former girls’ volleyball player, took first place in both the Long Jump and Triple Jump Division 3 preliminaries and tied for first in the High Jump competition. And these weren’t narrow victories either.
In the long jump, Hernandez posted a mark of 20 feet, 4 1/4 inches. The closest competitors finished at 19 feet, 1 1/2 inches and 18 feet, 7 inches. More than a full foot separated first and second place — which, apparently, California officials still consider perfectly reasonable.
The triple jump showed an even wider gap. Hernandez recorded 42 feet, 4 inches, while the nearest competitors landed at 39 feet, 7 1/2 inches and 37 feet, 8 inches. At some point, people are allowed to notice patterns without being lectured by activists pretending biology suddenly stopped existing.
The atmosphere at Yorba Linda High School reflected the growing national concern surrounding the issue. One grandparent attending the event summed up what many were thinking.
“It happened last year and I thought it’d be done, but it’s California,” the grandparent said with a shrug.
Another parent from Yucca Valley took a more measured approach, suggesting transgender athletes should compete in a separate category rather than against girls in women’s divisions.
“I think they should have their own division. I just don’t like bullying one kid,” he explained.
The high jump also drew attention because of competitor Reese Hogan, who tied Hernandez after both cleared 5 feet, 2 inches. Hogan previously made headlines for stepping onto the first-place podium spot after an event won by Hernandez, a symbolic gesture supported by advocates defending women’s sports.
Across the country, Americans continue debating where fairness, opportunity, and common sense fit into modern athletics. While activists and bureaucrats keep insisting there’s no issue here, more parents, athletes, and spectators are openly questioning policies that many believe place female competitors at a disadvantage.
One thing is becoming increasingly clear: the conversation around protecting girls’ sports is not going away anytime soon