CARTHAGE, Ill. — Reagan Reed had her college plans set. Then came a curveball.

John Wood Community College women’s basketball coach Ali Schwagmeyer-Belger immediately emerged as a leading candidate to replace Courtney Boyd as Quincy University’s head coach after Boyd stepped aside in April to take the job at Valparaiso.

On April 29, Schwagmeyer-Belger was introduced as the Hawks coach, leaving the future for Reed and the rest of JWCC’s incoming freshman class up in the air.

That was until Schwagmeyer-Belger called the recent Illini West graduate and wanted her to come to QU as well.

“At first, I didn’t know what to say,” said Reed, an Illinois Basketball Coaches Association third-team all-stater who averaged 16.3 points, 7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3 steals per game as a senior. “I was so shocked it had even happened. I was like, ‘Whoa.’ My head was spinning.”

It didn’t take long for the spinning to stop.

“That night that she told me, I was like, ‘Ok, I’m down.’” Reed said.

So now, instead of playing on her future home court when she suits up for the Illinois squad in the Muddy River Showcase, which takes place June 21 at JWCC’s Student Activity Center, Reed will play alongside and against future QU teammates in Central-Southeastern’s Karly Peters and Palmyra’s Sydney Compton in the all-star event.

“It’s pretty exciting for me making new friends and getting to know them on a personal level,” Reed said. “I’m really excited to play with them because it’s always fun to play with new people.”

Reed recently chatted with Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman to discuss the Illinois vs. Missouri game, her future at QU and some of the things that interest her away from the court for this Showcase Q&A.

Q: What are you looking forward to about the Muddy River Showcase?

A: I’m very excited to play with girls from around my area. It’s so different playing against them than it is playing with them because you make bonds. It’s really fun to get to know them more than you do as an opponent.

Q: What does it mean to get the opportunity to play college basketball at a higher level?

A: It’s a big opportunity for me. Personally, I’m just blessed to have this opportunity to play at this next level. I’m just grateful for the opportunity.

Q: Do you know what you plan to study at QU?

A: I’m not really sure right now. I want to go into radiology, but I haven’t decided yet.

Q: What got you interested in radiology or something like that?

A: I know I want to do something in the medical field. Honestly, I wanted to be a dental hygienist at first, but QU doesn’t offer that and I don’t want to go to school more than four years. That’s my limit. So I told myself I had to find something at QU that I liked. I’ve always had an interest in radiology. I never focused on it because I wanted to be a dental hygienist. Now that I have the chance to go into radiology, I’ve been more interested in it.

Q: Since you’re going to be going to college in Quincy, which is close to home, are you going to be taking your laundry home?

A: I’m going to be taking it to my aunt’s house since she lives in Quincy.

Q: Are you looking forward to living on campus?

A: I’m very excited to be living with my roommate. We’ve already gotten our living assignments.

Q: What is it about basketball that you like?

A: I like the competitiveness and I really like how you never know what’s going to happen next.

Q: Do you know when you fell in love with basketball?

A: I’d say when I first started playing youth basketball. It was like first or second grade.

Q: What did you enjoy about growing up in a small town?

A: It’s knowing the community is always going to have your back through good and bad games. They’re always supportive. Hearing the crowds when you’re playing is pretty cool.

Q: Outside of basketball, volleyball and other sports, what piqued your interest?

A: I was in National Honor Society and I really liked helping with the Courageous Smiles track meet.

Q: What is the Courageous Smiles track meet?

A: It’s where a bunch of schools come together and we help the special needs students have a track meet and event. A bunch of little kids come and they get whistles and awards and medals. They have field events like kick the soccer ball or football or do hula hooping. It’s a bunch of little games for them to play. It’s a lot of fun.

Q: What did you enjoy most about it?

A: I loved watching the kids smile and having fun and just enjoying themselves.

Q: What do you do for fun away from sports?

A: In the summer, I like to tan, hang with friends and get ice cream.

Q: What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

A: Lemon ice cream with cheesecake.

Q: Where do you go to get it?

A: It’s called The Full Scoop in Colchester.

Q: Do you have a favorite or go-to meal?

A: I really like salmon.

Q: What’s the best way to prepare salmon?

A: I’ve never made it, but my dad has always made it. He puts it on the Traeger and smokes it. So that’s pretty good. Smoked salmon is really tasty.

Q: You mentioned you are working as a lifeguard this summer. Have you ever had to save anyone?

A: I haven’t yet. Fingers crossed I won’t have to.

Q: Have you ever seen another lifeguard have to save someone?

A: I have not. That’s a good thing.

CLOVIS, Calif. (AP) — 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.

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.

Associated Press writer Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this report.

Austin is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on X: @sophieadanna

National sports account for 9.6% of all individuals participating in physical activities and sports across the country, compared to 8.7% in 2023 with 619,200 people. The coaching staff consists of 1,781 trainers, with 1,004 based in rural areas.

The growth from 2018 to 2024 is as follows:

• 2018 — 375,926 people
• 2019 — 399,357 people
• 2022 — 432,457 people
• 2023 — 619,200 people
• 2024 — 660,000+ people

To promote national sports, 15 youth sports schools and 17 specialized clubs operate in the regions. Every year, Kazakhstan hosts more than 1,000 competitions in national sports.

To support the development of national sports, 15 youth sports schools and 17 specialized clubs operate across various regions. Each year, Kazakhstan hosts over 1,000 competitions dedicated to these traditional disciplines.

As reported earlier, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports has released a ranking of the ten most popular sports in the country based on year 2024 data.

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 with Brooke White of River City in West Sacramento.

“Sharing the podium was nothing but an honor,” White said. “As a part of the queer community I want AB Hernandez to know we all have her back.”

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.

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

–KCRA 3’s Sarah McGrew contributed to this report.

CLOVIS, Calif. — A transgender athlete bested the competition Saturday at the California high school track and field championships 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 might be the first of its kind nationally by a high school sports governing body.

Hernandez finished the high jump with a mark of 5 feet, 7 inches, 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, a junior at Jurupa Valley High School, 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. This year’s winner, Loren Webster, topped 21 feet, with Hernandez trailing by a few inches.

Webster, a senior from Wilson High School, told the Los Angeles Times that she focused only on her performance and didn’t give Hernandez much thought.

“It wasn’t any other person I was worried about,” Webster said. “I knew what I was capable of. I can’t control the uncontrollable.”

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.

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.

The federation announced the change after Trump threatened to pull federal funding from California unless it bars trans girls 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.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.