AB Hernandez closes 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, winning two championships and sharing podium spots with female competitors at the California track and field state championships on Saturday night.

Hernandez placed first in the girls’ high jump and triple jump, and third in the long jump. Last year, Hernandez won the triple jump and high jump state championships and finished second in the long jump.

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And just like last year, Hernandez shared each podium appearance with the female competitor, who finished one place behind the athlete. The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) reimplemented the same pilot program used at last year’s championships, awarding podium recognition to each girl who finished right behind Hernandez.

At Saturday’s girls high jump podium ceremony, in Hernandez’s final catwalk appearance of the night, multiple girls shared podium spots, leaving one side of the podium completely empty.

Images of Hernandez sharing podium spots with female competitors became an infamous viral topic of discussion during the final two weeks leading up to the finals following the CIF’s controversial policy change.

The policy faced intense scrutiny from supporters of Hernandez, including women’s sports activists and even the athlete’s mother, after it was reintroduced at the CIF Southern Division finals three weeks ago.

The images sparked a heated political debate about transgender athletes in women’s sports that has followed Hernandez’s high school career since the 2024-2025 school year.

The political confluence of Hernandez’s high school career reached a fever pitch during championship weekend, when the athlete appeared in a video alongside Democratic California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer on the morning of Friday’s CIF championship preliminary round. Later that day, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton headlined a rally outside the primary advocating for the protection of girls’ sports.

LGBTQ ACTIVISTS SPEAK AFTER MEETING TRANS ATHLETE AT ‘SAVE THE GIRLS SPORTS’ RALLY ROCKS CALIFORNIA TRACK

AB Hernandez is on the podium in first place with her female opponent at the 2026 California track and field state championships. This was a turning point in the history of girls’ sports. (Fox News Digital)

Then on Saturday, a press conference organized by local California LGBTQ advocacy groups Pride on the Pier and Rainbow Families Action took place outside the CIF state championships and police were called as Hernandez supporters engaged in a war of words with “Save Girls Sports” activists.

At AB Hernandez’s final high school podium ceremony, many girls were seen sharing podium spots behind Hernandez. (Fox News Digital)

Hernandez’s mother, Nereyda Hernandez, and other LGBTQ activists spoke out in support of the transgender athlete.

Near the end of the press conference, a group of “Save Girls Sports” activists emerged and engaged in a heated verbal confrontation with LGBTQ press conference attendees.

clovis Police Department Vehicles were parked nearby and when the shouting began, many police officers arrived to monitor the conflict.

Eventually, the conflict broke up without the need for direct police intervention.

Hernandez won two state titles later that night and rebounded from the long jump defeat to dominate in the high jump and long jump. The athlete competed in both events simultaneously and ran back and forth between the two events, being one of the only athletes to compete in both.

Now, with Hernandez’s high school career over, California faces an ongoing conflict over the issue of biological males in girls sports.

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The U.S. Department of Justice is currently suing educational institutions in the state over their policies allowing transgender athletes to compete against women, and Hernandez’s school district, Jurupa Unified School District, is under investigation by the Department of Education.

California’s gubernatorial primary is also just days away; The issue of transgender athletes in girls’ sports has become a prominent campaign issue as Hilton seeks to win a seat in the general election later this year.

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