High school athlete slams CIF’s shared podium rule as humiliating response that fails female competitors
Trans athlete (biological male) AB Hernandez spent another weekend dominating girls’ track and field competition, winning first place in the high jump, long jump and triple jump at the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Division finals on Saturday (Reporting by Fox News Digital’s Jackson Thompson).
It seems America’s NewsroomCrean Lutheran High School girls track and field athlete Olivia Viola addressed the CIF’s continued neglect of calls by female athletes, including AB Hernandez, to kick boys out of competition.
Dana Perino spoke with Olivia and her mother:
“Olivia, I’m sorry for what you’re going through. Riley Gaines posted: ‘If you have to create a shared podium for the boy competing in the girls’ pageant, you’ve already admitted that he’s not a girl and that you know his participation isn’t fair. At this point, you’re just looking for a public humiliation ritual for girls.'”
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The high school athlete responded by emphasizing that the CIF’s co-champion rule only applies to major postseason state qualifiers.
Transgender student athlete AB Hernandez competes in the girls high jump during the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Division Section Championship Finals on May 16, 2026 in Moorpark, California. Hernandez, from Jurupa Valley High School, placed first in the event. (Fox News Digital)
“I would say this is nothing more than a Band-Aid fix by the athletic board. It doesn’t actually undo all the substitutions that have occurred throughout the entire league. It only applies to recent CIF meets. It doesn’t apply to the league, it doesn’t apply to outside meets, it doesn’t apply to other sports. It doesn’t actually fix the problem; it’s just a blanket to keep us quiet.”
WRISTWATCH:
The controversy stems from the outcome of the CIF Southern Division Division finals held Saturday in Moorpark, California.
Hernandez, a Jurupa Valley High School senior, swept the postseason vault competition and beat Crean Lutheran’s Reese Hogan in the high jump. This was the second weekend in a row that Hernandez demonstrated his dominance on the field.
Transgender student athlete AB Hernandez competes in the girls high jump during the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Division Section Championship Finals on May 16, 2026 in Moorpark, California. Hernandez, from Jurupa Valley High School, placed first in the event. (Fox News Digital)
As dictated by the CIF, which attempts to appeal to both sides of the trans issue, any biological female athlete who finishes immediately behind a transgender competitor is automatically promoted to the same ranking.
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This policy meant that the biologically top-ranked female athletes were designated as co-champions, leading to widespread images of Hernandez sharing the top step of the medal podium with female athletes.
While they think the CIF decision makes sense, girls also raise the issue of allowing boys to compete with girls. Viola’s reaction revealed growing frustration among competitors who believe the ruling body is using procedural fixes to avoid addressing biological differences in girls’ sports.
The rule does not retroactively address the regular season, when female athletes across California could be displaced from domestic league meets, invitationals and dual meets without any podium adjustments.
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Transgender student athlete AB Hernandez competes in the girls high jump during the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Division Section Championship Finals on May 16, 2026 in Moorpark, California. Hernandez, from Jurupa Valley High School, placed first in the event. (Fox News Digital)
While track and field has adopted a dual progression and dual medal system, this policy does not easily translate to head-to-head contact sports or other athletic competitions, creating what critics see as a glaring inconsistency statewide.
CIF argues that its rules are subject to 2013 California Assembly Bill 1266, which requires schools to allow students to participate in sports programs consistent with their gender identity.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office defended the framework and called the protests against Hernandez a cynical attempt to weaponize the debate.
But the resistance of female athletes like Viola dovetails with a broader federal response.
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Transgender student athlete AB Hernandez competes in the girls high jump during the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Division Section Championship Finals on May 16, 2026 in Moorpark, California. Spectators wear “Save Girls Sports” t-shirts and hats at the event. (Fox News Digital)
Following Hernandez’s dominant state championship run last year, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a Title IX lawsuit against California’s educational institutions, putting the state’s athletic policies at the center of a growing national legal battle as the track and field season heads toward the State Finals in Clovis.
The fight to maintain fairness in girls’ sports continues. And the case against the EU continues to echo pro-woman arguments rather than anti-trans narratives.
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