The California Interscholastic Federation crowned two champions in a pair of events at Saturday’s state high school track and field meet when transgender athlete AB Hernandez placed first in the high jump and triple jump – and finished second in the long jump.

Mars’ Sean Brennan (19) with a shot on goal against Bethel Park in a WPIAL Class 2A boys lacrosse quarterfinal game Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Mars Athletic Complex. Mars wins 18-0. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle

The PIAA released the 2025 state baseball, softball, boys volleyball and boys and girls lacrosse brackets this weekend.

Four Butler County teams have made states, which begin Monday. Nine-time WPIAL champion Mars boys lacrosse is seeking a fifth straight PIAA title game appearance, and is joined by the girls team, which just won its third straight WPIAL title.

This marks the eighth time that Seneca Valley’s baseball team has made the state tournament and the first since 2014. The Raiders’ boys volleyball team is aiming to make a run after falling short in the WPIAL title match.

Here are the first-round matchups, sites and times for every Butler County team.

Related Article: PIAA baseball: Seneca Valley to square off with McDowell in opening round

Related Article: WPIAL boys volleyball: North Allegheny denies Seneca Valley first gold in Class 3A championship

PIAA baseball tournament: Local matchups, sites, times

Monday, June 2

4 — Class 6A first round: McDowell at Seneca Valley

PIAA boys lacrosse tournament: Local matchups, sites, times

Tuesday, June 3

6:30 — Class 2A first round: Lower Dauphin at Mars

PIAA girls lacrosse tournament: Local matchups, sites, times

Tuesday, June 3

5 — Class 2A first round: Twin Valley at Mars

PIAA boys volleyball tournament: Local matchups, sites, times

Tuesday, June 3

5:30 — Class 3A first round: Seneca Valley at Central York

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State head volleyball coach Kristen Kelsay has rounded out her staff for the 2025 season, announcing the additions of Matt Jackson as an assistant coach and four-year Spartan letterwinner Julia Bishop as a graduate assistant Sunday.

“I am thrilled to add Matt and Julia to our staff,” said Kelsay. “Matt is a welcome addition to our Spartan family and the perfect piece to round out our coaching staff. Julia is a Spartan through and through and I cannot wait to see her coaching career flourish, starting with her alma mater.”

Big time in the 517!

Completing our coaching staff is Matt Jackson as our assistant coach and Julia Bishop as our graduate assistant!#GoGreen pic.twitter.com/BP8AEGITiM

— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) June 1, 2025

Jackson arrives in East Lansing after serving as a club coach at Winter Park Volleyball Club in Winter Park, Florida, since 2014. At WPVC, Jackson worked as a head coach for players between the ages of 12 and 18 and also worked as WPVC’s lead mentor, leading a group of 25 mentors. 

Since 2023, Jackson has served as the program lead at West Orange High School in Winter Garden, Florida, coaching both the varsity and freshman volleyball teams. 

Jackson, who hails from Ococee, Florida, holds VertiMax and USA Volleyball IMPACT certifications. He graduated from the University of Central Florida in December 2018 with a degree in sport and exercise science and was a setter on UCF’s club volleyball team. 

“I am thrilled to be joining Michigan State at such an exciting time with the return of head coach Kristen Kelsay to the program and such an amazing staff,” said Jackson. “I am looking forward to joining MSU at a time where things are on the up and can’t wait to see where we can take this program. I would like to thank Coach Kristen for giving me an opportunity to join this staff and Coach Aaron and Shawna from WPVC for giving me a platform to grow as a coach and be ready for this opportunity.”  

Bishop, a setter at MSU from 2021-24, finished her career as one of just five three-time captains in program history. In four seasons, she logged 1,761 assists, 572 digs, 131 kills and 56 service aces. Last October, Bishop was named one of 18 recipients of the American Volleyball Association (AVCA) Coaches 4 Coaches Scholarship, awarded to young coaches and recent college graduates who have interest in coaching volleyball. She was the only active undergraduate student-athlete to earn the scholarship in 2024. 

The Dearborn, Michigan, native is the owner of Zone1 Volleyball Training, where she attends and coaches interscholastic volleyball camps throughout the state of Michigan. 

Bishop graduated from MSU with a degree in computational data science this spring. She is a three-time College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honoree, three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and 2023 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. 

“I’m incredibly grateful and excited to be joining the Michigan State volleyball staff,” said Bishop. “It is a privilege to come back in this new role and contribute to a program and university that have given me so much. I’d like to thank Coach Kristen Kelsay and the entire staff for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I am thrilled to start this next chapter! Go Green!” 

A transgender female student athlete competing at California’s high school track and field championship finals took home first place in the high jump and triple jump, and second place in the long jump.

It marked a historic moment at the 2025 CIF Track and Field Championships held on Saturday at Buchanan High School in Clovis. There has not been a known transgender student reach the state finals in the competitions until this year.

The participation in the track and field championships by Jurupa Valley High School junior AB Hernandez has in some ways pushed the limits on how the broader participation of transgender student athletes in sports can look.

It forced the state agency that oversees high school sports to grapple with how to address when a transgender student athlete participates in games, but the agency did so in the face of heavy criticism over the fairness of allowing a transgender female to compete against non transgender females.

The championships even drew national attention, including from President Trump – who threatened to withhold federal funding from California over the student’s participation in the games. The federal Department of Justice also announced it would investigate whether California was violating the landmark civil rights laws known as Title IX. The investigation centers on a state law passed in 2013 that allows students who meet certain requirements to compete on sports teams that reflect their gender identity, rather than their biological sex.

CLOVIS, CALIFORNIA – MAY 30: Transgender athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley competes in the girls long jump during the CIF State Track and Field Championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium on May 30, 2025 in Clovis, California.

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AB Hernandez gets to keep her wins, but so do the female athletes that came in just behind her in the jumping events. This is the case after the CIF changed the rules to allow for an additional female competitor to get a medal if they are beaten by the transgender female athlete.

While Hernandez secured wins in her jumping events, the changes put her virtually in a league of her own.

The CIF initially expanded the eligibility for more “biological females” to compete in the championships than had previously qualified, and later made another change to the rules to allow a girl who placed second to a transgender athlete to also share the medal and spot on the podium.

The change is an experiment that came after mounting pressure and protest by some residents and public officials in the state. Gov. Gavin Newsom and some coaches and spectators at the championship events said they thought the rules were a fair compromise.

But in what was a clamorous week of outrage, there were stronger calls to have Hernandez eliminated from the games altogether. Local officials held a press conference in Clovis on Thursday to speak out against Hernandez’s participation, as well as to call for the protection of girls’ sports.

CLOVIS, CALIFORNIA – MAY 30: A plane tows a sign that reads No Boys in Girls Sports in protest to transgender athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley (not pictured) during the CIF State Track and Field Championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium on May 30, 2025 in Clovis, California.

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On Saturday, cheers erupted when Hernandez’s name was called as she stood on the track before her competition. In the distance, a small crowd of protesters tried to form a chant as her name was called. They stood outside the stadium as they had a day before.

The small protest was largely drowned out by the cheering and focus on the competitions inside the stadium. A day earlier one person was arrested for allegedly striking another during the protest. And a small airplane flew over the stadium with a banner that read “No boys in girls’ sports.”

Inside the stadium Saturday, there were no apparent disruptions or major displays of political infighting. Some spectators wore T-shirts that displayed words against the transgender athlete’s participation in the games.

There was a brief pause in one moment, when an announcer asked spectators to respect the athletes who were there to compete, including Hernandez.