Latest news with #CIFStateTrackandFieldChampionships
New York Post
10-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Trans athlete AB Hernandez said it's ‘weird' people protested high school track events: ‘I did what I wanted to do'
California transgender athlete AB Hernandez believes it's 'weird' that people were so outraged by her competing against biological females that they protested multiple high school track events. The teen, who was born a biological male, is on the track and field team at Jurupa Valley High School in Southern California, which dominated the California high school track-and-field championship on May 31. The high school junior faced scrutiny at events over the last few months, with many actively protesting at her at meets and online since Hernandez was participating against biological females. 6 Transgender athlete AB Hernandez believes it's 'weird' that people were so outraged by her competing against biological females that they protested multiple high school track events. KCRA 'It's definitely crazy, I get a lot of hate comments, but I'm like, 'I don't care',' Hernandez told KCRA. '[I'm a] 16-year-old girl with a mad attitude. You think I'm going to care?' The student-athlete also found people who were continually protesting the high school events to be a bizarre sight. 'It's just weird at this point,' Hernandez said. While dozens of demonstrators were outside the stadium gates to protest, Hernandez said people were more supportive inside. 'I wasn't expecting any of it to be honest. I was just expecting to go out there and compete alone, but the support was amazing,' she said. 6 The student-athlete also found people who were continually protesting the events to be a bizarre sight. AP 'They really made my experience perfect. I will forever be grateful for them because they helped me get through the weekend.' Hernandez tied in the varsity high jump final against two biological females, Jillene Wetteland and Lelanie Laruelle and shared the podium with them due to a newly passed California policy. The student-athlete also took home gold for the triple jump, finishing with a final jump of 42 feet and 2 inches, and had to share the podium with Kira Grant Hatcher, who jumped 40 feet 5 inches. 'I did what I wanted to do,' Hernandez said. 'My performance was all I wanted to be good. So all this backlash… I performed my best, so that's all I cared about.' 6 A plane tows a sign that reads 'No Boys in Girls Sports' in protest to transgender athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley (not pictured) during the CIF State Track and Field Championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium, Friday, May 30, 2025, in Clovis, Calif. Sports/Newscom via ZUMA Press 6 Hernandez tied in the varsity high jump final against two biological females, Jillene Wetteland (R) and Lelanie Laruelle, and shared the podium with them due to a newly passed California policy. AP The California Interscholastic Federation changed its rules before the event to mandate that any biological females who lost to a trans-athlete would not lose their place, meaning Hernandez's performance would displace no female winners. The new rule also allowed an additional biological female student-athlete to compete in each category in which Hernandez was set to perform. The change came in the wake of criticism over the federation's handling of Hernandez's success, including from President Trump, who threatened to withhold funding from the Golden State. 'California, under the leadership of Radical Left Democrat Gavin Newscum, continues to ILLEGALLY allow 'MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN'S SPORTS,'' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 6 A sign that reads 'Goo Girls. Honor Title IX' at a protest against transgender athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley during the CIF State Track and Field Championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium, Friday, May 30, 2025, in Clovis, Calif. Sports/Newscom via ZUMA Press 6 The student-athlete also took home gold for the triple jump, finishing with a final jump of 42 feet and 2 inches, and had to share the podium with Kira Grant Hatcher, who jumped 40 feet 5 inches. AP Trump previously warned that federal funding would be 'held back, maybe permanently' if the Golden State didn't adhere to his February executive order to safeguard women's sports. The president also said at the time that he would order 'local authorities, if necessary, to not allow' a transgender athlete to compete in the women's track and field contest, though he did not mention Hernandez by name. The Trump administration previously launched an inquiry into Maine to determine whether it was breaking Title IX rules by allowing transgender athletes to compete, putting at least $250 million in annual federal funding for the state in the crosshairs. However, the White House later agreed to unfreeze funding for Maine amid litigation and negotiations. Last month, the Justice Department announced plans to investigate whether California's School Success and Opportunity Act, which allows transgender students to compete in women's sports, violates Title IX.
Los Angeles Times
03-06-2025
- General
- Los Angeles Times
LA Times Today: Transgender track athlete wins gold in California state championships despite Trump threat
High school track athlete AB Hernandez won gold at the CIF State Track and Field Championships over the weekend. While temperatures topped 100 degrees on the field, President Donald Trump was turning up the heat on social media and in the courts, blasting California's decision to allow AB to compete because she's transgender. L.A. Times education reporter Howard Blume joined Lisa McRee with the story.
San Francisco Chronicle
01-06-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Perseverance pays off for Metro standouts at state track and field meet
CLOVIS, Fresno County — St. Ignatius junior Prince Babalola-Buchango and Pittsburg pole vaulter Khaliq Muhammad drew from the long term. Montgomery-Santa Rosa distance runner Hanne Thomsen and St. Mary's-Berkeley jumper Kira Ganta Hatcher were motivated by painful moments earlier in the day. And De La Salle-Concord sprinter Jaden Jefferson was inspired by his own record performance. What all had in common Saturday were individual championships at the 105th running of the CIF State Track and Field Championships at Veteran's Stadium on the campus of Buchanan High School. On a sweltering, muggy 100-degree day in the Central Valley, the quintet topped a banner day for Metro Area athletes, who piled up 55 medals in one of the nation's top track and field meets. Babalola-Buchango collected three, finishing fifth in the 100 meters and second in a blistering 110 high hurdles field, before 'putting on the gas and not letting anyone stop me' to capture the 200 title in a lifetime best of 20.79 seconds. The 6-foot-3, 170-pounder bettered his previous best of 20.88 in Friday's trials to the delight of a loud contingent of 30 fans rooting on the popular junior who planned to start a football camp the following day. ' I've been running track for seven years now and every year I've made a championship final,' Babalola-Buchango said. 'But I never won one. I was yearning for a win. I placed second and fifth earlier in the day and I told myself, 'It's my time.' 'So yes, this means everything to me.' Muhammad not only won his first pole vault after finishing second last year and placing as a freshman, but he broke the meet record as well, clearing 17 feet, 10 ½ inches, breaking the mark of 17-10 set in 2019 by Sondre Guttormsen of Davis. He beat the rest of the field by 16 inches. When he cleared the meet record, the crowd of nearly 8,000 roared and Muhammad, whose sister won two state titles, was swarmed and congratulated by teammates. 'When I cleared it for about five seconds I thought 'I can't believe this,'' Muhammad said. 'But then I remembered I put 12 years of hard work into this. I always expect to do well. Even set records.' More urgent and exhaustive speed work that included running open 100s, 200 and 400s contributed to late-season surge. This was the fifth straight week Muhammad broke the 17-foot barrier. Said Pittsburg coach Aaron Alantorre: 'He seemed really locked in and prepared for the moment.' Hatcher definitely wasn't locked in after fouling on her three preliminary long jumps in Saturday's finals, after qualifying second Friday in trials. The normally upbeat junior let out a scream, and immediately fell into a flood of tears after her third scratch, which eliminated her from the competition. But she regrouped and, nearly three hours later, was atop the medal stand with a winning triple jump of 40-5. 'It was really hard,' Hatcher said of her three fouls. 'I was really sad for a pretty long time. But I got a good pep talk from my coach and parents and that boosted me. I realized if I stayed sad I wasn't going to do well in my next event. Said St. Mary's coach Jeff Rogers: 'Honestly, it was like putting Humpty Dumpty back together again emotionally. Kira is an awesome, positive girl and great competitor. It was an amazing comeback performance.' So, too, for Thomsen, who ran a nearly perfect 1,600 only to be edged at the line by Santiago's Braelyn Combe — 4:35.64 to 4:35.69, the second- and third-best times in the country this year. A slight stumble near the finish line might have cost the Stanford-bound star the title. Two hours later, Thomsen found herself in the same position with another Santiago runner, Rylee Blade. Even though Blade was fresher, Thomsen found another gear down the stretch, breaking the state-meet record to win in 9:48.98 for her second 3,200 state crown (she also won as a freshman). Jefferson pulled off perhaps the most stunning 100-meter runs in Friday's prelims, breaking the state record with a 10.01 run, breaking the California mark by 0.19. 'It was a perfect race,' said Jefferson, a top junior football recruit who has committed to North Carolina, of Friday's effort. But the trials showing wouldn't have meant as much without following through on Saturday, which he did by grinding out a victory in 10.27, just ahead of Servite-Anaheim sophomore Benjamin Harris. Jefferson earlier ran a strong second leg to help De La Salle set a PR while placing fourth in the 4x100 relay (40.80). Later he finished fourth in the 200. 'It feels great to be a state champion,' Jefferson said. 'All the hard work and dedication came to light. It's truly exciting to be in the record books.' Jefferson, who last week set a North Coast Section record by winning the Meet of Champions in 10.30, said he wasn't surprised by the 10.01 finish. The warm conditions helped. 'Even though we PR'd on the (4x100 relay) the guys were kind of down because we were capable of winning,' Jefferson said. 'That added fuel to my 100, plus I wanted to bring home a first-place medal back to the school.'
Scottish Sun
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
AB Hernandez grins on podium as trans athlete wins state championship despite ‘violent' protests over competition
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TRANS athlete AB Hernandez was seen grinning and flaunting medals after defeating female rivals at the California state track championship. Hernandez claimed gold in the high jump and triple jump at the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) state finals - defying Donald Trump's executive order that bans trans athletes from women's sports. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 AB Hernandez, center left, shares the first-place spot on the podium with Kira Gant Hatcher during a medal ceremony for the triple jump Credit: AP 9 AB Hernandez, center, flashes a victory sign as sharing the first-place spot on the podium with Jillene Wetteland, left, and Lelani Laruelle during a medal ceremony Credit: AP 9 Hernandez was seen grinning and flaunting medals Credit: AP 9 Hernandez of Jurupa Valley competes in the girls' long jump during the CIF State Track and Field Championships Credit: Getty 9 Demonstrators hold signs outside the Veteran's Memorial Stadium during the California high school track-and-field championships in Clovis, California Credit: AP Violent protests erupted yesterday as the trans pupil, 16, sparked a heated row after competing in women's sports. Trump had said on social media that he was 'ordering local authorities, if necessary, to not allow' Hernandez to compete. But the CIF this week introduced a new policy that allowed an additional student to compete and win medals in the events where Hernandez qualified. This is why the trans athlete shared winning spots with at least one female rival. Hernandez claimed tied-first place in the varsity high jump final alongside Lelani Laruelle and Jillene Wetteland - both females. The trans athlete later won another first-place in the triple jump, sharing the top spot with Kira Gant Hatcher - who trailed by just over a half-meter. But the sports row surrounding Hernandez took a dramatic turn yesterday after furious protesters gathered around the stadium to denounce the trans teen. They were seen carrying placards and boards outside the Veterans' Memorial Stadium, where the sporting event took place. A banner reading "NO BOYS IN GIRLS' SPORTS!" was flown above the sporting venue during the high school track-and-field championships. Trump rips into boxer Imane Khelif about controversial Olympics win against Angela Carini The protests quickly turned violent after one person was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, Clovis police Sgt. Chris Hutchison told the Chronicle. He said the person - understood to be an LGBTQ activist - allegedly used a Pride flag to smash a car window, leaving a person injured. During the heats, furious high school parents berated Hernandez's mother for the trans athlete's dominant victory. The video, which has now gone viral on TikTok, shows the parents hounding Hernandez's mother for allowing the teen to compete. One of the parents can be heard yelling at the mother: "What a coward of a woman you are allowing that." Hernandez's story previously made headlines after another teenage girl, who the athlete beat to first place in a separate contest, waited for Hernandez to descend from the podium before moving to pose in the top spot. In the TikTok, the parent can also be heard shouting: "Your mental illness is on your son, coward." 9 Transgender athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley leaves the track during the CIF State Track and Field Championships Credit: Getty 9 Hernandez competes in the high jump Credit: AP 9 A banner reading 'no boys in girls' sports!' is flown above Veterans' Memorial Stadium during the California high school track-and-field championships Credit: AP More than half of the US states have implemented bans on trans youth athletes participating since 2020. But California state law allows the participation of trans women and girls in women's sports. Trump posted on Truth Social: "Please be hereby advised that large scale Federal Funding will be held back, maybe permanently, if the Executive Order on this subject matter is not adhered to." His message refers to an Executive Order from February titled "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports". In an interview with Capital & Main, Hernandez, from Jurupa Valley, California, said: "There's nothing I can do about people's actions, just focus on my own." The trans pupil faced heckling and protesters in the crowd at a track meet earlier this month and was accompanied by campus security and Sheriff's Department deputies, CNN has reported.
The Irish Sun
01-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
AB Hernandez grins on podium as trans athlete wins state championship despite ‘violent' protests over competition
TRANS athlete AB Hernandez was seen grinning and flaunting medals after defeating female rivals at the California state track championship. Hernandez claimed gold in the high jump and triple jump at the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) state finals - defying 's executive order that . Advertisement 9 AB Hernandez, center left, shares the first-place spot on the podium with Kira Gant Hatcher during a medal ceremony for the triple jump Credit: AP 9 AB Hernandez, center, flashes a victory sign as sharing the first-place spot on the podium with Jillene Wetteland, left, and Lelani Laruelle during a medal ceremony Credit: AP 9 Hernandez was seen grinning and flaunting medals Credit: AP 9 Hernandez of Jurupa Valley competes in the girls' long jump during the CIF State Track and Field Championships Credit: Getty 9 Demonstrators hold signs outside the Veteran's Memorial Stadium during the California high school track-and-field championships in Clovis, California Credit: AP Trump had said on social media that he was 'ordering local authorities, if necessary, to not allow' Hernandez to compete. But the CIF this week introduced a new policy that allowed an additional student to compete and win medals in the events where Hernandez qualified. This is why the trans athlete shared winning spots with at least one female rival. Advertisement read more on the row Hernandez claimed tied-first place in the varsity high jump final alongside Lelani Laruelle and Jillene Wetteland - both females. The trans athlete later won another first-place in the triple jump, sharing the top spot with Kira Gant Hatcher - who trailed by just over a half-meter. But the sports row surrounding Hernandez took a dramatic turn yesterday after furious protesters gathered around the stadium to denounce the trans teen. They were seen carrying placards and boards outside the Veterans' Memorial Stadium, where the sporting event took place. Advertisement Most read in The US Sun Breaking Exclusive Exclusive A banner reading "NO BOYS IN GIRLS' SPORTS!" was flown above the sporting venue during the high school track-and-field championships. Trump rips into boxer Imane Khelif about controversial Olympics win against Angela Carini The protests quickly turned violent after one person was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, Clovis police Sgt. Chris Hutchison told the Chronicle. He said the person - understood to be an LGBTQ activist - allegedly used a Pride flag to smash a car window, leaving a person injured. During the heats, Advertisement The video, which has now gone viral on TikTok , shows the parents hounding Hernandez's mother for allowing the teen to compete. One of the parents can be heard yelling at the mother: "What a coward of a woman you are allowing that." Hernandez's story previously made headlines after another teenage girl, who the athlete beat to first place in a separate contest, waited for Hernandez to descend from the podium before moving to pose in the top spot. In the TikTok, the parent can also be heard shouting: "Your mental illness is on your son, coward." Advertisement 9 Transgender athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley leaves the track during the CIF State Track and Field Championships Credit: Getty 9 Hernandez competes in the high jump Credit: AP 9 A banner reading 'no boys in girls' sports!' is flown above Veterans' Memorial Stadium during the California high school track-and-field championships Credit: AP More than half of the US states have implemented bans on trans youth athletes participating since 2020. Advertisement But California state law allows the participation of trans women and girls in women's sports. Trump posted on Truth Social: "Please be hereby advised that large scale Federal Funding will be held back, maybe permanently, if the Executive Order on this subject matter is not adhered to." His message refers to an Executive Order from February titled "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports". In an interview with Capital & Main, Hernandez, from Jurupa Valley, California, said: "There's nothing I can do about people's actions, just focus on my own." Advertisement The trans pupil faced heckling and protesters in the crowd at a track meet earlier this month and was accompanied by campus security and Sheriff's Department deputies, CNN has reported. 9 AB Hernandez, second left, leaves the stadium after competing in the triple jump at the California high school track-and-field championships
