CLOVIS, Calif. — A transgender athlete bested the competition Saturday at the California high school track and field championship to take home gold in the girls high jump and the triple jump at a meet that has stirred controversy and drawn national attention.

AB Hernandez competed under a new rule change that may be the first of its kind nationally by a high school sports governing body. California’s governing body changed the rules ahead of the meet to allow more girls to compete and medal in events in which Hernandez competed.

Hernandez finished the high jump with a mark of 5 feet, 7 inches (1.7 meters), with no failed attempts. Co-winners Jillene Wetteland and Lelani Laruelle also cleared that height after each logged a failed attempt. The three shared the first-place win, smiling as they stepped together onto the podium.

Hernandez wrapped up the night with a first place finish in the triple jump, sharing the top spot with Kira Gant Hatcher who trailed by just over a half-meter. Earlier in the afternoon, Hernandez placed second in the long jump.

Olympians Marion Jones and Tara Davis-Woodhall previously set state championship records in the long jump in 1993 and 2017, respectively, both surpassing 22 feet (6.7 meters). This year’s winner, Loren Webster, topped 21 feet (6.40 meters), with Hernandez trailing by a few inches.

The California Interscholastic Federation announced the new policy earlier this week in response to Hernandez’s success heading into the championships. Under the policy, the federation allowed an additional student to compete and medal in the events where Hernandez qualified.

The two-day championship kicked off Friday in sweltering heat at a high school near Fresno. Temperatures reached the triple digits during Saturday’s finals.

The atmosphere was relatively quiet despite critics — including parents, conservative activists and President Donald Trump — calling for Hernandez to be barred from competing. Some critics wore pink bracelets and T-shirts that read, “Save Girls’ Sports.”

During Friday’s qualifying events, an aircraft circled above the stadium for more than an hour with a banner: “No Boys in Girls’ Sports!” Two groups that oppose transgender athletes participating in women’s sports — the Independent Council on Women’s Sports and Women Are Real — took credit for flying the banner.

California at center of national debate

The federation’s rule change reflected efforts to find a middle ground in the debate over trans girls’ participation in youth sports.

“The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law,” the group said in a statement after announcing its rule change.

A recent AP-NORC poll found that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults think transgender female athletes should not be allowed to participate in girls and women’s sports at the high school, college or professional level. That view was shared by about 9 in 10 Republicans and roughly half of Democrats.

The federation announced the change after Trump threatened to pull federal funding from California unless it bars trans female athletes from competing on girls teams. The federation said it decided on the change before then.

The U.S. Department of Justice also said it would investigate the federation and the district that includes Hernandez’s high school to determine whether they violated federal sex discrimination law.

California law allows trans students to compete on sex-segregated sports teams consistent with their gender identity.

The federation said the rule opens the field to more “biological female” athletes. One expert said the change may itself be discriminatory because it creates an extra spot for “biological female” athletes but not for other trans athletes.

The federation did not specify how it defines “biological female” or how it would verify whether a competitor meets that definition.

Sophia Lorey, outreach director with California Family Council, was among those at the stadium Saturday. She said the federation’s policy is not a fix for the issue and only ends up causing more confusion.

“At the end of the day,” Lorey said, “it shows the girls that we know this is wrong and we’re still letting it happen to you.”

Hernandez told the publication Capital & Main this month that she cannot worry about critics.

“I’m still a child, you’re an adult, and for you to act like a child shows how you are as a person,” she said.

Other students break records

California’s championship stands out from that of other states because of the sheer number of competitors. The state had the second-largest number of students participating in outdoor track and field in the nation during the 2023-2024 school year, behind Texas, according to a survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations.

The boys 100-meter heats also were a highlight, with junior Jaden Jefferson of De La Salle High School in Concord finishing in 10.01 seconds Friday, 0.19 seconds faster than a meet record set in 2023. But he fell just shy of making it count as a meet record with a final time of 10.27 seconds in Saturday’s final.

Athletes set new meet records in several events, including boys and girls relay races, hurdle competitions and the boys pole vault.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Former Indiana libero Paula Cerame was named among the initial 19-player preliminary Puerto Rican women’s national team roster, as announced by the organization on Saturday (May 31) evening.
 
Team Puerto Rico is set to compete in four major events this summer on the women’s side – including the 2025 FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Championships in Thailand in August. Cerame has spent most of her collegiate and professional tenure training with her native country.
 
Cerame, who racked up over 990 digs in two seasons with the Hoosiers, is coming off her second season in the Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF). She played in the inaugural campaign with Orlando and spent this last year with Columbus – primarily as the team’s starting libero.
 
Head coach Steve Aird, a native Canadian, has brought a ton of international flare to Bloomington during his tenure as head coach. There will be two foreign players on this year’s roster – veteran outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles (Spain) and highly-regarded youth setter Teodora Krickovic (Serbia).
 
On top of the World Championships, Puerto Rico will also compete in the NORCECA Final Six and the Pan American Cup. Cerame’s former teammate, Mady Saris, will play with Team Canada’s roster in the Volleyball Nations League this summer. Krickovic and incoming outside hitter Charlotte Vinson (USA) will train with their respective youth national teams before joining the team this summer.

Peoria, IL — Bradley Athletics announces season ticket availability for Soccer, Volleyball, Men’s Basketball and Women’s Basketball.

Bradley Athletics season tickets are now available for Soccer, Volleyball Men’s basketball and Women’s basketball. Season tickets for Soccer and Volleyball are all general admission and start at $50. Women’s basketball general admission tickets are $75. 

Women’s Basketball

Season tickets are now on sale starting at $75 for general admission. Click below for more information.

Volleyball
Bradley Volleyball will play 15 home games at Renaissance Coliseum August through November this upcoming fall. Season tickets are at $50 for general admission. Click below for more information.

Soccer
Bradley soccer will host nine home games at Shea Stadium from August through November this upcoming fall. Season tickets are $50 for general admission. Click below for more information.

Men’s Basketball
Season tickets are now on sale for new season ticket holders After purchasing season tickets, season ticket holders are allowed to select their preference on ticket delivery options. If you are interested in season tickets and would like more information, fill out a Ticket Interest Form and a Ticket Office Representative will reach out to you.

Three total Rams will represent Colorado State at the outdoor track and field NCAA Championships.

Mya Lesnar (shot put) and Kajsa Borrman (hammer throw) qualified May 29 and Klaire Kovatch (discus) made it a third with her effort May 31 to finish the NCAA West Regional meet.

Kovatch finished 12th in women’s discus to secure the final qualifying spot.

The 2025 outdoor track and field NCAA Championships are June 11-14 in Eugene, Oregon.

Here’s a look at how all CSU athletes competing at the West Regional fared. The top 12 in each event qualify for the championship meet.

Women’s Shot Put

• Mya Lesnar: First with a top mark of 60-feet, 8 1/2 inches. Lesnar qualifies for nationals.
• Makayla Long: 26th with a top mark of 51-feet and 1/4 of an inch.

Men’s Shot Put

• Leonardo Ramos: 17th with a top mark of 60-feet, 8 1/2 inches.

Women’s Hammer

• Kajsa Borrman: 12th with a top mark of 206-feet, 5-inches. Borrman qualifies for nationals.

Men’s Hammer

• Leonardo Ramos: 26th with a top mark of 204 feet.
• Adam Hellbom: 28th with a top mark of 203-feet, 11-inches.
• Cameron Kalaf: 35th with a top mark of 200-feet, 6-inches.

Women’s Discus

• Klaire Kovatch: 12th with a top mark of 178-feet, 2-inches. Kovatch qualifies for nationals.
• Makayla Long: 27th with a top mark of 171-feet, 5-inches.
• Kajsa Borrman: 35th with a top mark of 165-feet, 10-inches.

Men’s High Jump

• Timothy Johnson: 33rd with a top mark of 6-feet, 8 1/4 inches.
• Ndayiragije Shukurani: 33rd with a top mark of 6-feet, 8 1/4 inches.
• Rhys Travis: 43rd with a top mark of 6-feet, 8 1/4 inches (when competitors finish at the same height, the placement is determined by how many attempts it took to reach).

Men’s Triple Jump

• Ismael Dembele: 13th with a top mark of 52-feet, 1 1/4 inch. Dembele had to scratch his final two attempts and missed nationals by one spot, losing a tiebreaker for the final place.

Men’s Long Jump

• Ismael Dembele: 31st with a top mark of 23-feet, 8-inches.

Women’s Pole Vault

• Maria Kimpson: 33rd with a top mark of 13-feet, 2 1/4 inches.

Women’s 400 hurdles

• Neya Jamison: 38th in a time of 1:00.05.

Men’s 5,000 run

• Michael Mooney: 45th in a time of 14:35.63.

Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on X and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.