High School Athlete Sweeps Girls’ Events During Weekend Meet
A California high school track meet has once again ignited a national debate over transgender participation in girls’ sports after a transgender athlete dominated multiple events at a major invitational competition.
AB Hernandez, a senior at Jurupa Valley High School, captured three first-place finishes Saturday at the Roosevelt Invitational, competing in the girls’ division. Hernandez won the high jump, long jump, and triple jump, delivering performances that placed her well ahead of much of the field.
The most striking result came in the high jump. Hernandez cleared 5 feet 8 inches (1.72 meters), nearly a full foot higher than the runner-up, who cleared 4 feet 10 inches (1.47 meters). The gap drew particular attention from spectators and commentators following the results.
Hernandez also secured first place in the girls’ long jump with a mark of 17 feet 3¼ inches (5.26 meters) and in the triple jump with a leap of 38 feet 4 inches (11.68 meters), completing a sweep of the jumping events.
The performance follows another standout showing earlier this year. In February, Hernandez won the girls’ triple jump at the VS California Winter Championships with a jump of 39 feet 10 inches. She now holds the No. 1 ranking in the United States for the girls’ triple jump in the 2026 outdoor season, with a personal best of 40 feet 7.5 inches.
Hernandez has become a prominent figure in a broader political and legal dispute over transgender participation in school athletics. In 2025, President Donald Trump publicly criticized California’s policies allowing transgender athletes to compete according to their gender identity, threatening to withhold federal funding from the state.
“California, under the leadership of Radical Left Democrat Gavin Newscum, continues to ILLEGALLY allow ‘MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS,’” Trump wrote at the time on Truth Social.
The controversy has since expanded into a federal investigation. The U.S. Department of Education is examining whether California’s policies violate Title IX, the federal law designed to protect equal opportunities for women and girls in education and athletics. The probe now includes both the Jurupa Unified School District and the California Community College Athletic Association.
California officials, however, maintain that state law requires schools to allow transgender students to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity. That law remains in effect despite federal scrutiny.
Hernandez has said the national attention surrounding her participation has been difficult. Earlier this season she told reporters she simply wants to compete like any other student-athlete.
“I’m just a normal kid going to school, playing sports,” Hernandez said. “They don’t take the time to get to know me. It’s just a little frustrating.”
As the track season moves toward the California State Championships, Hernandez’s performances continue to place her among the top competitors in the jumping events.