On the morning of a day that would live in girls’ sports infamy, a letter was handed out to coaches who entered a championship track and field meet at Moorpark High School.
The letter announced that any girl who finished behind a biological male trans athlete would be bumped up by one spot on the podium, if that girl finished behind the trans athlete.
The letter was dated May 16 â the day of the event.
“The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) will implement the pilot entry process introduced last season at the 2025 CIF Track and Field State Championships.
“Under the Pilot entry process, any cisgender female student-athlete who would have earned the next qualifying mark for one of the CIF-Southern Section’s qualifying entries is extended an opportunity to participate in the next stage of qualifying for the 2026 CIF State Track and Field Championships.
“The CIF values all our student-athletes, and we will continue to uphold our mission in providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete, while complying with California law and Education Code.
“Additionally, any cisgender female student-athlete who would have earned a specific placement on the podium will also be awarded the medal for that place, and the results will be reflected in the recording of the event.”
A week earlier, a pair of competing political press conferences took place the first-round meet, all due to the presence of a trans athlete. The White House had engaged in a war of words with California Gov. office over the issue in the days leading up to that first-round meet.
It all started when a source within Newsom’s office provided a statement to Fox News Digital prior to the first round, addressing the pending “Save Girls’ Sports” protest. That statement thrust the state’s entire girls’ track and field postseason into the eye of the storm of a , amplified by a hotly-contested high-stakes election cycle.
The statement contained the now-infamous line that read “stand with all kids and stand up to bullies.”
Fox News Digital has reached back out to Newsom’s office for another response to what happened in the most recent meet on Saturday, and was met with the following response:
“Thanks for reaching out. Adding the wider press team â its best to email govpressoffice@gov.ca.gov with any inquiries moving forward. Would direct you to CIF for comment.”
Fox News Digital has since reached back out for a substantive response to what happened on Saturday.
That day, AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley High School strutted onto the field in a varsity jacket. Hernandez had been battling through the drums of a national culture war to competitions dating back to last May.
The drums had only gotten louder, maybe as loud as they’ve been yet, when Hernandez started warming up for the long jump.
None of the distracting political overcast stopped Hernandez from winning all three events the athlete competed in the first-round meet. And it wouldn’t stop Hernandez from doing the same on Saturday.
It was partially cloudy in that first event on Saturday, still a slight chill in the air.
The stands weren’t completely full yet. There weren’t any competing rallies like the previous week. There was only one woman wearing “Save Girls Sports” attire in the vicinity for Hernandez’s first event that morning.
Hernandez leapt to an easy first-place finish. Exact numbers aren’t necessary, but it wasn’t close.
Many spectators and most media left the east end of the field after the last jump, and went by the far end of the track’s 50-yard line for the podium ceremony.
The public address announcer called for for the girls’ Division 3 long jump winners. But it would be an unusual amount of time before any of them showed up or took the podium. Winners of other events that were called to come up after the Division 3 long jump had their events before it.
Hernandez wasn’
