OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
6:00 PM – Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Amid intensifying federal scrutiny and a number of high-stakes legal battles, a male student-athlete secured first place in the girls’ triple jump at the 2026 VS Athletics California Winter Championships this past Saturday.
AB Hernandez, a senior at Jurupa Valley High School, secured first place in the girls’ triple jump at the California Winter Championships on February 7th. Hernandez also placed second in the long jump and had strong showings in other jumping events, building on his success from the 2025 outdoor season.
Competing at Arcadia High School, Hernandez posted a winning mark of 39 feet, 10 inches, surpassing the runner-up’s jump of 39 feet, 3¼ inches by a margin of approximately seven inches. Hernandez also took first place in the girls’ high jump and triple jump events at the May 31st meet in Clovis, California, last year.
The Saturday event drew a significant security presence and sparked vocal protests from “Save Girls’ Sports” demonstrators outside the venue, highlighting the ongoing tension between what protesters have described as California’s “anti-woman, far-left” athletic policies and recent federal Title IX enforcement actions.
California is currently defying that federal guidance based on its own state laws.
The controversial win occurs amid the Trump administration’s enforcement actions against California’s pro-LGBTQ policies, including federal Title IX investigations and threats of withheld funding. Federal officials have warned that California’s refusal to align with the new Title IX interpretation puts approximately $8 billion in annual federal education funding at risk.
In response to the backlash, Governor Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) and Attorney General Rob Bonta have continuously argued that California state laws require schools to allow students to compete on teams “consistent with their gender identity,” rather than biological sex. They have also characterized the federal investigations as “unlawful bullying.”
The outcome almost immediately sparked backlash on social media platforms like X, where critics contended that second-place finisher Malia Strange should be considered the true winner on the basis of biological sex.
In addition to his track success, Hernandez is a standout on the Jurupa Valley girls’ varsity volleyball team, where he recently completed his final season this past autumn.
On Saturday, protests were visible outside the venue. According to reports, “increased security” and event staff provided escorts for Hernandez throughout the meet to “ensure his safety and privacy” amid heightened attention.
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California’s “Dual Podium” Strategy: Title IX Standoff
In CIF-sanctioned events, a “dual” or shared podium approach is occasionally utilized, allowing displaced female athletes to also receive first-place recognition and medals in order to “address fairness concerns,” officials told the press. Under this approach, many state-sanctioned events now permit the top-performing non-transgender girl to share the first-place podium and receive an identical gold medal alongside the winner. The policy “aims to recognize both athletes as champions” in the official records: while Hernandez claims victory, the female athlete he displaces is still officially acknowledged for what her performance would have achieved absent of Hernandez’s participation. This compromise was first implemented last year, when Hernandez shared top honors in multiple events. However, the Department of Education and Department of Justice (DOJ) under the Trump administration have since argued that such “co-winner” arrangements still violate Title IX, as they permit males to participate in the female category at all — regardless of shared recognition.
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The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, in coordination with the DOJ, has already launched multiple Title IX investigations through its “Title IX Special Investigations Team,” targeting entities including the Jurupa Unified School District, Hernandez’s district, community college associations and other California institutions over policies permitting male athletes to compete in girls’ and women’s sports.
Government officials have reiterated the potential loss of billions in education funding if entities fail to align with the Trump administration’s interpretation of Title IX, which prioritizes biological sex distinctions in sports.
With the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) considering related cases on transgender sports participation and Title IX enforcement, outcomes tied to investigations like those involving Jurupa Unified could influence national standards.
In March last year, Newsom admitted that he believes it is “unfair” for males who identify as transgender females to compete in women’s and girls’ sports. The remarks were made during the first episode of the California governor’s podcast, “This is Gavin Newsom,” which featured the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was tragically murdered on September 10, 2025.
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