A teenage girl made sure she still got her moment to shine after a transgender athlete pushed her into second place at a track meet in California.
Reese Hogan of Crean Lutheran High School competed in the CIF Southern Section Finals on Saturday, setting a new PR and record for her school.
After the meet, Hogan stood beside competitors from other schools, including AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley – a male-born transgender athlete competing in girls track and field.
After they all posed for a picture – with Hernandez standing on the top, first place podium – Hogan ‘assumed her rightful spot,’ Riley Gaines, a political activist who fights against trans women in female sports, said.
‘When the boy got off the podium, she assumed her rightful spot as champion,’ Gaines wrote on X alongside a short clip of Hogan beaming as she stood at first place.
‘The crowd erupts with applause. THIS is the way. Congrats to Reese Hogan, the REAL champ!!!’
Gaines also said Hernandez, who was seen holding up the number one and a medal, is a ‘fraud.’
Hernandez won against Hogan in the triple jump by just over four feet. The trans athlete also won the long jump title and finished in seventh place for the high jump during the event, Sports Illustrated reported.
Hernandez (middle) is seen holding up the number one and a medal after winning
Reese Hogan of Crean Lutheran High School stepped right on up to the first place podium after she came in second behind transgender athlete AB Hernandez on Saturday
Hogan ‘assumed her rightful spot,’ Riley Gaines, a political activist who fights against trans women in female sports, said
Hernandez now qualifies for the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet held on May 24 back at Moorpark High.
Hernandez currently holds the top marks in long jump in the state, along with triple jump.
Just weeks before this moment, Hernandez sparked backlash after winning the triple jump by an astonishing distance.
According to official records, won the jump by nearly three feet, while the margin of victory in the long jump came in at a distance of nearly two feet.
A week prior, Hernandez won the triple jump at Ontario Relays by eight feet over the runner-up.
Hernandez’s participation have sparked anger on social media as Jennifer Sey, founder of the organization XX-XY – which vows ‘to protect women’s sports and spaces’ – shared video of the athlete on X and wrote: ‘This guy won the girls long jump and triple jump in a CA track meet over the weekend. He won the triple jump by 8ft. He’s really crushing it!’
Colin Rugg, the co-owner of Trending Politics, also shared footage of Hernandez competing to his 1.7million followers and said: ‘Transgender high school track star demolishes the female competition by *8 feet* in the triple jump at a track meet in California.
‘Wow, what an accomplishment. I’m sure it had nothing to do with being a biological male. AB Hernandez says they plan to win 1st place in the state of California for the triple jump.’
According to Newsweek, Hernandez also finished third last year in the triple jump behind two seniors at the 2024 track state championship meet.
Hernandez has been outspoken about transgender women participating in female sports.
In a recent interview with Capital & Main, Hernandez said: ‘There’s nothing I can do about people’s actions, just focus on my own.
‘I’m still a child, you’re an adult, and for you to act like a child shows how you are as a person.’
In reference to placing first, Hernandez said: ‘All I thought was, “I don’t think you understand that this puts your idiotic claims to trash. She can’t be beat because she’s biologically male.” Now you have no proof that I can’t be beat.’
Hernandez has been outspoken about transgender women participating in female sports, stating: ‘There’s nothing I can do about people’s actions, just focus on my own’
The latest moment involving transgender women in female sports comes as President Donald Trump’s bill to ban that from happening fell into the senate earlier this month. (Pictured: Trump signing an executive order in February barring transgender female athletes from competing in women’s or girls’ sporting events)
The latest moment involving transgender women in female sports comes as President Donald Trump’s bill to ban that from happening fell into the senate earlier this month.
Legislation that aimed to bar transgender women and girls nationwide from participating in school athletic competitions designated for female athletes failed to advance in a divided Senate as Democrats stood united against an issue that Republicans leveraged in last year’s elections.
A test vote on the bill failed to gain the 60 votes needed to advance in the chamber as senators stuck to party lines in a 51-45 vote tally.
The bill sought to determine Title IX protections ‘based solely on a person´s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.’
