Male High School Athlete Proud Of Performance In Girls' State Track Meet, Calls Protesters 'Weird'
The 16-year-old has no regrets about taking three podium spots at the California state meet.
AB Hernandez is speaking out for the first time since taking three podium spots at the California high school track and field state championships.
Hernandez, a trans-identifying male from Jarupa Valley High School, won two titles — in the girls’ high jump and triple jump — and placed second in the long jump late last month. Under a last‑minute California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) rule change, podium places and medals were shared with the next‑placing female athletes.
Protesters stood outside Veterans Memorial Stadium, where male athlete AB Hernandez won two girls' state championship titles.
(Getty Images)
Outside Veterans Memorial Stadium, protesters held signs with slogans like "Save Girls Sports," "XX ≠ XY" and "California, Obey The Law."
Hernandez was unfazed, even calling the protesters "weird" in a recent interview with KCRA 's Sarah McGrew.
"It’s definitely crazy, I get a lot of hate comments but I’m like, 'I don’t care,'" Hernandez said. "[I'm a] 16‑year‑old girl with a mad attitude. You think I’m going to care?"
RELATED: SF Chronicle Posts Insane Article Praising AB Hernandez For Winning Girls' Title
Hernandez, who came out as transgender in eighth grade, has been competing in girls' volleyball and track and field for three years.
"I just tried to fly under the radar because you know trans athletes get a lot of hate," Hernandez said.
Hernandez's dominance this season made national headlines, prompting President Donald Trump to issue a warning to Gov. Gavin Newsom via Truth Social. The President threatened to withhold federal funding if Newsom continued to allow men to compete in women's sports. Shortly thereafter, the CIF announced a ‘rule change’ ahead of the state championship meet, ensuring any females who finished behind a biological male would be appropriately rewarded a medal based on where they placed among female competitors.
Therefore, the female competitors who finished behind Hernandez had to stand next to the male athlete on the podium while holding medals that reflected how they would have finished in a fair competition, one that included only biological females.
Despite the protests and national attention, Hernandez still had supporters and fans at the meet.
"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," Hernandez said. "They really made my experience perfect. I will forever be grateful for them because they helped me get through the weekend."
Overall, Hernandez has no regrets and still plans to compete on the girls' team next year.
"I did what I wanted to do. My performance was all I wanted to be good," Hernandez said. "So all this backlash... I performed my best so that's all I cared about."
Well, as long as you got what you wanted, AB. Who cares how the female athletes feel?