A jaw-dropping moment at a California high school track meet is sparking outrage and reigniting a fierce debate across the country.
During the CIF Southern Section Finals, Crean Lutheran’s Reese Hogan made a bold statement — literally — by stepping onto the first-place podium, even though she finished second in the triple jump.
The reason? Hogan was narrowly defeated by AB Hernandez, a transgender athlete who was born male but now competes as female.
War on women’s sports?
The debate over transgender athletes in women’s sports continues to divide the nation. Supporters argue it’s about inclusion, identity, and basic human rights, while critics say it threatens fairness and the integrity of women’s competition.
Now, the issue is not only a cultural flashpoint but a political one as well. In February, former President Donald Trump took a firm stance by signing an executive order banning transgender women from competing in female sports divisions.
Trump declared, “The war on women’s sports is over,” and vowed that during the upcoming LA Olympic Games, “my administration will not stand by and watch men beat and batter female athletes.”
The move, unsurprisingly, sparked nationwide controversy, and not every state is following suit. Maine, for example, has openly refused to ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports.
Now, a viral moment out of California has reignited the debate.
The footage
At the CIF Southern Section Finals on May 18, Crean Lutheran High School’s Reese Hogan took a defiant stand.
Although she finished second in the triple jump, Hogan returned to the podium after the official ceremony and stood on the top spot — left empty after the event’s winner, transgender athlete AB Hernandez, had stepped away. The moment, captured on video, quickly spread online. For many, it became a symbol of frustration over what they view as an uneven playing field.
Hernandez, a biologically male athlete who identifies as female, won the event with a jump of 41 feet, 4 inches — more than four feet ahead of Hogan.
Hernandez, representing Jurupa Valley High School in California, also won the long jump and placed seventh in the high jump, qualifying for the CIF Masters Meet scheduled for May 24.
The internet reacted swiftly.
“This guy won the girls long jump and triple jump in a CA track meet over the weekend,” wrote Jennifer Sey, founder of women’s sports advocacy group XX-XY.
“He won the triple jump by 8ft. He’s really crushing it!”
“Wow, what an accomplishment. I’m sure it had nothing to do with being a biological male,” wrote Trending Politics co-owner Colin Rugg.
Others echoed similar criticism.
“Second place is the real champion!” one person posted.
“Good on her! This nonsense has to stop,” another added.
A sign spotted at the meet read:
“The weakest men compete with girls, the weakest minds celebrate it.”
Another commenter wrote:
“I’m sick of this. All the fight for women’s rights is now gone because of the same people who fought for women’s rights in the first place.”
String of controversies
The backlash is the latest in a series of controversies involving transgender athletes competing in women’s sports. Critics often point to previous high-profile incidents, including one in North Carolina that had lasting consequences.
In 2022, 17-year-old volleyball player Payton McNabb suffered a traumatic brain injury after being struck by a spike from a transgender player. Her mother later said:
“At the time, we weren’t allowed to speak up. We couldn’t say, ‘No, she’s not playing against a boy, it’s dangerous.’”
The McNabb case helped motivate North Carolina lawmakers to pass legislation banning transgender athletes from competing on girls’ and women’s sports teams at the middle school, high school, and college levels.
However, not everyone supports that approach. More than 400 current and former Olympic athletes signed a letter urging the NCAA not to enact similar bans, saying they wanted to be on the “right side of history” and arguing that sports should remain “for all.”
Meanwhile, Hernandez dismissed the criticism as “ridiculous.”
“The mere fact that men compete against women is absurd,” one critic argued online. “Trans people should have their own league, and everyone else can have their traditional men’s and women’s sports.”
“Trans girls are girls”
Others defended the athlete’s right to compete.
“She followed all the rules,” one user wrote. “If people don’t like it, the problem is with the rules, not with her.”
“Trans girls are girls,” another added. “Hernandez won fair and square.”
In a recent interview with Capital & Main, Hernandez spoke about the backlash she has faced during a challenging track-and-field season — one that included standout performances as well as events where she did not make the podium.
“I’m still a child, you’re an adult, and for you to act like a child shows who you are as a person. All I thought was, ‘I don’t think you understand that this completely undermines your claims. She can’t be beat because she’s biologically male.’ Now you have no proof that I can’t be beat.”
According to Capital & Main, an award-winning nonprofit news outlet covering economic, environmental, and social issues in California, studies suggest that transgender athletes have not consistently outperformed their cisgender peers. In fact, several metrics showed transgender women at a disadvantage compared to cisgender women.
The issue shows no signs of fading anytime soon. With more states pursuing bans and prominent athletes weighing in on both sides, the debate over the future of women’s sports remains far from settled.
And because of Reese Hogan’s silent podium protest, the conversation has only grown louder.
