'She did it!': Mom of trans teen celebrates championship amid protests

[Jessica_Rose ✅]

'She did it!': Mom of trans teen celebrates championship amid protests

https://www.advocate.com/news/people/ab-hernandez-california-championship 🔗

Dawn Ennis (1 June 2026)

Despite negative headlines across far-right media, a 17-year-old California girl walked away a state champion, with two gold medals around her neck.

Just days after graduating high school in Jarupa out transgender teen AB Hernandez won the girls' high jump and triple jump in the CIF track and field state championships. Saturday's wins at the Clovis meet marked her second consecutive year placing first in those events, making her a four-time state champion.

Hernandez's achievements in track and field and her participation in girls' volleyball have drawn criticism and outrage from opponents of transgender athletes, including President Donald Trump, The Advocate has reported.

She also placed third in the long jump on Saturday, medaling in the event for her second straight year. In fact, Hernandez was the only high jumper in this year's competition to clear 5 feet, 10 inches, while her triple jump score of 48 feet, 8 3/4 inches was more than an inch ahead of the second-place finisher.

"Back to back feels awesome," Hernandez told the Los Angeles Times. "I couldn't get the long jump, but that's okay."

She jumped 20 feet, 2 1/4 inches on Saturday, behind first-place finisher Ellie McCuskey-Hay of St. Ignatius (20-3½) and Gianna Gonzalez of Moorpark (20-3½).

When it was time to stand on the podium and receive her medals, Hernandez was joined all three times by the same three cisgender girls who came close but did not match her achievement. Hernandez stood alongside St. Mary's Berkeley jumper Corrine Jones, who reached 19-9 ½.