Female H.S. Triple Jumper Poses For Photos Atop Podium After Coming In 2nd To Male Athlete
California continues to defy President Trump's executive order banning males from girls' and women's sports.
A trans-identifying male took home two first-place medals from the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) girls' track and field finals on Saturday.
AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley High School won first place in both the Womens Division 3 Long Jump and Triple Jump events. Hernandez is now ranked No. 1 in the state in the Triple Jump heading into the state championship meet May 31.
Behind Hernandez in second place in the Triple Jump was Crean Lutheran female jumper Reese Hogan, who set both a personal record and a school record at 37 feet, 2 inches.
Hogan stood alongside Hernandez during the official photos. But after the other athletes cleared the podium, Hogan took her spot in the No. 1 position, smiling for photos as the crowd cheered.
This isn't the first time Hernandez has taken a spot atop the podium in girls' track events in California. In fact, the junior male athlete has won several events in girls' track and field already this year. And he isn't the only male athlete in the state doing it, either.
RELATED: California Still Allowing Males To Win Girls' High School Track & Field Events
Earlier this month, Hogan participated in a rally — which took place during the Division 3 Prelims — challenging the CIF's longstanding policy that allows biological males to compete in girls' sports. During the rally, officials forced Hogan and her fellow female athletes and supporters to remove their "Protect Girls Sports" shirts.
"It wasn't said, but it was implied that if I didn't take my shirt off then and there, then something could potentially happen to my spot. It wasn't said but it was implied," Hogan said. "Throughout the day it was kind of getting a little bit more stricter… getting a little bit more hostile with their voices… they never said anything about getting disqualified, but it was kind of implied by the tone of their voice and the way that they said things."
Currently, CIF allows student-athletes to compete in sports "consistent with the student’s gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the student’s records." In March, U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent a letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom threatening to cut the funding for schools if they don't comply with President Donald Trump's order on transgender athletes.