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Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Climate
- Los Angeles Times
Local duo look to finish strong at state track and field finals
Corona del Mar distance runner Max Douglass and Ocean View thrower Jack Paavola head into the final week of the track and field season with a brand new experience ahead of them. As they prepare to compete in the CIF State track and field championships at Clovis Buchanan High, each will be doing so for the first time. The state preliminaries take place on Friday, with the finals falling on Saturday. The expectations were dramatically different for the two. Douglass, a Notre Dame commit, was a Foot Locker Nationals qualifier in cross-country. He then broke the nine-minute barrier in winning the Eric Hulst Invitational 3,200-meter race to open his season at the Laguna Beach Trophy Invitational. Douglass, who said he dealt with a stress fracture that impacted his fitness during the winter heading into his junior track season, had another health concern this spring. 'It was definitely a rough pathway,' Douglass said. 'There was a lot of uncertainty towards the end of the season. It turns out that I got mono throughout the middle of the season, and that's the sickness that really was pulling me down. I ended up just kind of picking up the pieces again, … started taking some seconds off the mile, and it's a blessing to have made it this far.' Douglass noted feeling frustrated over how much rest is required to get over the illness, which he called 'the only choice' and resulted in the loss of 'some of the progress you've worked for.' 'I was feeling sick, just extreme muscle fatigue and soreness for a prolonged period of time,' he added. Douglass had qualified for the Southern Section's Masters Meet, which qualifies athletes into the state championships, in both the 800 and the 1,600. He chose to focus his energy on the 1,600 and booked his trip to the state meet by finishing fifth with a time of 4 minutes 12.15 seconds last Saturday. The top six in each event and those meeting at-large qualifying standards advanced. Although the state meet events are held in the evening, the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for a portion of central California from Friday through Sunday morning. Temperatures could surpass 100 degrees this weekend. 'I know it's supposed to be very hot,' Douglass said. 'I'm honestly not worried about it because I feel like CIF prelims was pretty hot, and I feel like I could see a lot of the guys around me kind of take a hit from not being used to it, or just mentally, it just affects them more. The tougher the race is, I feel like the better I thrive in it. 'I've just kind of pictured a really tough race, one that's not going to feel good, one that's going to hurt, and I imagine that's where I'll do my best.' Paavola's progression curve has rocketed upward since the elimination portion of the schedule. After claiming the Empire League titles in both the discus throw and the shot put, he went on to top the Division 3 discus throw competition in the CIF finals. Once more, the Seahawks standout improved upon his school record in the discus throw, producing a mark of 174 feet, 10 inches in the Masters Meet. The throw was good for third place. 'All season, it was always the question of, could we get to state?' said Paavola, a Harvey Mudd commit. 'Now that I'm here, I'd say I'm pretty proud of it. I feel like it's a huge achievement. Initially, when it happened, I wasn't like crazy excited. I think I was maybe a bit shocked, but now that state's just a couple days away, I'm pretty determined, and I guess locked in. I feel really eager to compete.' The Paavola traveling party will include family, he said. Twin sisters Kate and Juliet, who are both freshmen at Ocean View, will be along for the ride. 'I'm pretty grateful because they've given up basically every Saturday in the month of May for my track meets, even their birthday, too,' Paavola said. 'They really decided to go, and I'm pretty grateful for that.' CIF Southern Section Masters MeetAt Moorpark High State At-Large Standards in parentheses 100 (10.59) — 1. Dezeurn (Bishop Alemany) 10.35; 2. Francis (Santa Margarita) 10.43; 3. Harris (Servite) 10.44; 4. Sermons (Rancho Cucamonga) 10.47; 5. Obimgba (Torrance) 10.51; 6. Fernandez (Notre Dame/SO) 10.57; 7. Conyer III (Murrieta Mesa) 10.58; 8. Gardner (Servite) 10.59 200 (21.44) — 1. Sermons (Rancho Cucamonga) 20.97; 2. Dezeurn (Bishop Alemany) 21.04; 3. Wells (Servite) 21.05; 4. Francis (Santa Margarita) 21.14; 5. Obimgba (Torrance) 21.16; 6. Stadlman (Temecula Valley) 21.24; 7. Griffin (Newbury Park) 21.36; 10. Serrambana (Marina) 21.58 400 (48.35) — 1. Hunter (Servite) 46.91; 2. Stadlman (Temecula Valley) 47.91; 3. Smith (Long Beach Poly) 47.93; 4. Burroughs (Long Beach Wilson) 48.03; 5. Woodley (Bonita) 48.20; 6. Do. Mayrant (Culver City) 48.24; 7. Du. Mayrant (Culver City) 48.31; 8. Smith (JW North) 48.34 800 (1:53.64) — 1. Obando (Long Beach Wilson) 1:51.40; 2. Sullivan (Riverside Poly) 1:52.28; 3. Morales (JSerra) 1:52.38; 4. Hansen (Mira Costa) 1:52.45; 5. Divinity (Redondo Union) 1:52.46; 6. McGough (Loyola) 1:52.95; 7. Dos Santos (San Clemente) 1:53.62 1,600 (4:12.98) — 1. Miller (La Serna) 4:09.86; 2. Zavaleta (King) 4:10.55; 3. McCorvey (Lancaster) 4:10.97; 4. Arrey (JSerra) 4:11.84; 5. Douglass (Corona del Mar) 4:12.15; 6. Jubak (Trabuco Hills) 4:12.39; 7. Reza (Chaffey) 4:12.60; 8. Antonio (Woodbridge) 4:12.90; 9. Sigworth (Palos Verdes) 4:12.93 3,200 (9:03.03) — 1. Noonan (Dana Hills) 8:55.76; 2. Turk (Woodcrest Christian) 8:58.90; 3. Zavaleta (King) 9:04.02; 4. Udelson-Nee (Wildwood) 9:04.34; 5. O'Connor (Viewpoint) 9:04.72; 6. Miller (South Torrance) 9:05.27 110 HH (14.45) — 1. Newton (Long Beach Poly) 13.84; 2. Borquez (Notre Dame/SO) 13.96; 3. Simmons (Temecula Valley) 14.10; 4. Uzan (Notre Dame/SO) 14.10; 5. Vela (Vista Murrieta) 14.12; 6. Andrade (Etiwanda) 14.19; 7. Gammage (Canyon/CC) 14.27; 8. Lamkin (Mira Costa) 14.29; 9. Hoang (Gabrielino) 14.36; 10. Waring (Culver City) 14.45; 11. Burwell (Servite) 14.45 300 IH (38.68) — 1. Waring (Culver City) 36.91; 2. Whaley (Orange Vista) 37.03; 3. Schneider (Thousand Oaks) 37.69; 4. Stanford (Alta Loma) 37.90; 5. Lamkin (Mira Costa) 38.04; 6. Gary (Beckman) 38.09; 7. Penny (Palm Desert) 38.18; 8. Gammage (Canyon/CC) 38.20; 9. Andrade (Etiwanda) 38.31; 10. Brown (Tesoro) 38.37; 11. Carnaghe (Ventura) 38.41; 12. Schmidt (Los Osos) 38.48; 13. Johnson (Summit) 38.67 400 relay (41.69) — 1. Servite 40.40; 2. Notre Dame/SO 40.77; 3. Cathedral 41.43; 4. Murrieta Valley 41.55; 5. Santiago/C 41.57; 6. Culver City 41.77 1,600 relay (3:20.42) — 1. Long Beach Poly 3:10.83; 2. Cathedral 3:12.20; 3. Culver City 3:14.80; 4. Long Beach Wilson 3:14.93; 5. Servite 3:15.24; 6. Loyola 3:16.35; 7. Northwood 3:16.36; 8. Orange Vista 3:16.55; 9. Peninsula 3:17.42; 10. Rancho Cucamonga 3:17.94; 11. Santa Margarita 3:18.41; 12. Mira Costa 3:18.73; 13. Damien 3:19.02 3,200 relay — 1. Mira Costa 7:37.84; 2. Oaks Christian 7:39.31; 3. JSerra 7:42.07; 4. Long Beach Wilson 7:43.41; 5. Great Oak 7:43.42; 6. Redondo Union 7:46.37 HJ (6-6) — 1. Browner (Chaminade) 6-10; 2. Harel (Notre Dame/SO) 6-10J; 3. Gorski (Mater Dei) 6-6; 4. Guzman (Moorpark) 6-6J; 5. Baca (Ayala) 6-6J; 6T. Benson (Moorpark) 6-6J; 6T. Malinowski (Peninsula) 6-6J LJ (22-11¼) — 1. Alexis (Elsinore) 24-3½; 2 Shorter IV (Riverside Poly) 23-½; 3. Gorski (Mater Dei) 22-10½; 4. Haggerty (Viewpoint) 22-9; 5. Browner (Chaminade) 22-9; 6. Francis (Santa Margarita) 22-9 TJ (45-10½) — 1. Cotlage (Cajon) 48-10; 2. Smith (Quartz Hill) 48-3½; 3. Alexis (Elsinore) 48-1; 4. Ellis (Cathedral) 47-7; 5. Andrews (Downey) 47-6; 6. Green (Great Oak) 46-9½ PV (15-2) — 1. Furr (Santa Margarita) 16-2; 2. Cullen (Redlands) 15-8; 3. Epstein (de Toledo) 15-8J; 4. Lucsik (Burbank) 15-8J; 5. Higgins (Trabuco Hills) 15-2; 6. Brittain (Oaks Christian) 15-2J; 7. Gorzkowski (Mira Costa) 15-2J; 8. O'Brien (Roosevelt) 15-2J; 14. Le (Fountain Valley) 14-2J SP (55-4½) — 1. Lingenfelter (Yucaipa) 61-2; 2. Harisay (Etiwanda) 58-5; 3. Soufi (South Pasadena) 56-7½; 4. Grace (Westlake) 55-7½; 5. Buchanan (Murrieta Mesa) 53-7; 6. Legaspi (Canyon) 52-10½ DT (175-5) — 1. Lingenfelter (Yucaipa) 200-10; 2. Komrosky (Ayala) 178-4; 3. Paavola (Ocean View) 174-10; 4. Amu (Downey) 172-1; 5. Harisay (Etiwanda) 170-10; 6. Grace (Westlake) 168-0 CIF Southern Section Masters MeetAt Moorpark High State At-Large Standards in parentheses 100 (11.84) — 1. Cole (Redondo Union) 11.36; 2. Wright (Chaparral) 11.41; 3. Rainey (Calabasas) 11.57; 4. Scoggins (Calabasas) 11.60; 5. Kirk (Calabasas) 11.63; 6. Anyansi (Murrieta Valley) 11.63; 7. Holland (Long Beach Poly) 11.66; 8. Rice (Lakewood) 11.72; 9. Sproles (Oaks Christian) 11.76; 10. Collins (Rosary) 11.77; 11. Murray (Mater Dei) 11.78; 12. Terry (Oaks Christian) 11.82; 13. Nelson (St. Pius X-St. Matthias) 11.82; 14. Lee (Long Beach Poly) 11.84 200 (24.48) — 1. Wright (Chaparral) 23.21; 2. Wilson (Rosary) 23.38; 3. Scoggins (Calabasas) 23.59; 4. Kirk (Calabasas) 23.80; 5. Mosby (St. Mary's) 23.88; 6. Collins (Rosary) 23.89; 7. Whitehead (Summit) 24.03; 8. Crear (West Ranch) 24.03; 9T. Beatty (Long Beach Poly) 24.08; 9T. Rice (Lakewood) 24.08; 11. Rainey (Calabasas) 24.24; 12. Nelson (St. Pius X-St. Matthias) 24.43 400 (55.95) — 1. Mosby (St. Mary's) 53.53; 2. Beatty (Long Beach Poly) 54.77; 3. Wilson (Rosary) 54.79; 4. Whitehead (Summit) 54.91; 5. Rodriguez (Oaks Christian) 54.92; 6. Gant (Canyon/CC) 55.22; 7. Blue (Long Beach Wilson) 55.69; 8. Graves-Hogains (Canyon/CC) 55.79; 9. Cablayan (Murrieta Mesa) 55.82; 10. Scott (Canyon/CC) 55.84 800 (2:12.54) — 1. Packard (JSerra) 2:09.55; 2. Lewis-Williams (Long Beach Wilson) 2:10.28; 3. Smith (Claremont) 2:10.58; 4. Elbaz (JSerra) 2:10.87; 5. Wroblewski (Yorba Linda) 2:11.19; 6. Terrill (Monrovia) 2:12.63; 11. Robar (Newport Harbor) 2:14.40 1,600 (4:52.17) — 1. Combe (Santiago/C) 4:44.36; 2. Ivarsson (Dana Hills) 4:47.17; 3. Williams (Trabuco Hills) 4:47.22; 4. Lieberman (Murrieta Valley) 4:48.17; 5. Holley (JSerra) 4:49.32; 6. De Brouwer (La Cañada) 4:51.06; 7. Dye (San Juan Hills) 4:51.50; 8. Bulmer (Claremont) 4:52.08 3,200 (10:30.96) — 1. Blade (Santiago/C) 10:11.38; 2. Barker (Trabuco Hills) 10:18.10; 3. Wilson (Irvine) 10:21.90; 4. Hopkins (Arcadia) 10:23.22; 5. Errington (South Pasadena) 10:23.58; 6. Crum (Temescal Canyon) 10:29.46; 7. De Brouwer (La Cañada) 10:30.01; 10. McCullough (Newport Harbor) 10:36.88 100 HH (14.37) — 1. Edwards (Long Beach Wilson) 13.87; 2. Hervey (St. Bernard) 14.01; 3. Griffin (Da Vinci) 14.18; 4. Bain (Long Beach Poly) 14.21; 5. Gaines (Riverside Poly) 14.21; 6. Newsome (Bishop Alemany) 14.26; 7. Washington (Long Beach Wilson) 14.33 300 IH (43.78) — 1. Edwards (Long Beach Wilson) 41.48; 2. Griffin (Da Vinci) 41.89; 3. Varnado (Long Beach Wilson) 42.71; 4. Faulknor (Windward) 42.83; 5. Bain (Long Beach Poly) 43.18; 6. Gaines (Riverside Poly) 42.29; 7. Anderson (Long Beach Poly) 43.62 400 relay (47.56) — 1. Long Beach Poly 45.94; 2. Oaks Christian 46.12; 3. Redondo Union 46.96; 4. Canyon/CC 47.30; 5. Thousand Oaks 47.77; 6. Mater Dei 47.86 1,600 relay (3:53.73) — 1. Long Beach Wilson 3:43.71; 2. St. Mary's 3:45.61; 3. Canyon/CC 3:45.91; 4. Long Beach Poly 3:46.13; 5. JSerra 3:46.30; 6. Rosary 3:48.85; 7. Trabuco Hills 3:49.27; 8. Claremont 3:50.10; 9. King 3:51.80; 10. Santa Margarita 3:52.35; 11. Oaks Christian 3:52.43; 12. Mira Costa 3:52.55; 16. Newport Harbor 4:00.14 3,200 relay — 1. Claremont 8:59.39; 2. Santiago/C 9:02.98; 3. JSerra 9:03.87; 4. Long Beach Wilson 9:05.57; 5. King 9:25.42; 6. Trabuco Hills 9:28.64 HJ (5-6) — 1. Teven (Brea Olinda) 5-6; 2. Wetteland (Long Beach Poly) 5-6J; 3. Anderson (Long Beach Poly) 5-6J; 4T. Hernandez (Jurupa Valley) 5-4; 4T. Hogan (Crean Lutheran) 5-4; 6. Jones (Roosevelt) 5-4J LJ (18-3½) — 1. Hernandez (Jurupa Valley) 19-3½; 2. Best (Norco) 19-¾; 3. Webster (Long Beach Wilson) 18-11½; 4. Guannu (Claremont) 18-9½; 5. Fields (Golden Valley) 18-6½; 6. Faison (Rosary) 18-6¼; 7. Musalborn (El Segundo) 18-6; 8. McGuinness (La Cañada) 18-5½; 9. Key (Walnut) 18-3½; 11. Pasternak (Huntington Beach) 17-11½ TJ (37-6) — 1. Hernandez (Jurupa Valley) 40-4¾; 2. Best (Norco) 39-6; 3. Cazale (Calvary Chapel) 39-¾; 4. Spencer (Long Beach Wilson) 38-8; 5. Pleasant (Serra) 37-5½; 6. Strange (Xavier) 37-5¼ PV (12-3) — 1. Bettinger (Los Alamitos) 12-9; 2T. Harden (Dana Hills) 12-9J; 2T. Di Silvestri (Ventura) 12-9J; 4T. Turner (Westlake) 12-3; 4T. Suemnick (Chaparral) 12-3; 6. Reuter (JSerra) 12-3J; 7. Rakfeldt (Harvard-Westlake) 12-3J; 8. Frodis (Thousand Oaks) 12-3J; 16T. Mondino (Fountain Valley) 10-9J SP (40-5½) — 1. Massey (Aliso Niguel) 49-7½; 2. Johnson (Notre Dame/SO) 45-8; 3. Wilson (Paraclete) 44-9; 4. Middleton (Chino) 43-1; 5. Greer (Torrance) 42-8½; 6. Tipton (Camarillo) 41-1; 7. Batchelor (St. Mary's) 40-8½; 12. Karasawa (Marina) 36-8½ DT (135-7) — 1. Massey (Aliso Niguel) 165-6; 2. Johnson (Notre Dame/SO) 158-8; 3. Smith (Desert Christian) 154-0; 4. Gallacher (Canyon) 144-9; 5. Tipton (Camarillo) 142-10; 6. Williams (Redlands) 140-11; 7. Wilson (Paraclete) 140-9; 8. Reichard (Portola) 136-8; 9. Donovan (Golden Valley) 136-5; 10. Estelle (Simi Valley) 136-3
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump threatens to rescind California's education funding over transgender sports debate
President Donald Trump warned California Gov. Gavin Newsom against continuing to allow transgender athletes to compete in high school sports. Trump said the governor 'continues to ILLEGALLY allow 'MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN'S SPORTS,'' in a Truth Social post. After Trump issued his criticism, the California Interscholastic Federation announced it had changed a rule that would allow more girls to qualify for the finals championship later this week. Trump's criticism came after a transgender athlete qualified to compete in the California State Track and Field meet last weekend. This high school athlete won the girls triple jump and long jump. The Trump White House issued a set of directives that are taking direct aim at progressive policies — whether it's banning diversity, inclusivity and equity programs in federal institutions, forcing universities to curb antisemitism on campus, or stopping transgender athletes from competing in sports. The president argued the transgender athlete 'is practically unbeatable' in girl's track, before calling it 'unfair' and 'demeaning' to women. Trump then threatened to withhold 'large scale federal funding' from California, 'maybe permanently, if the Executive Order on this subject matter is not adhered to.' On Feb. 5, he signed an order that allowed the federal government to 'rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities,' according to the White House. He said he will speak to the California governor and direct local authorities to disallow any transgender athlete from competing in the California Interscholastic Federation State Track and Field finals. In a statement to Politico, Izzy Gardon, a spokesperson for Newsom, said CIF's latest pilot program 'is a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness.' 'The Governor is encouraged by this thoughtful approach,' Gardon added. Trump recalled Newsom's recently revealed stance on transgender athletes in sports competitions. Back in March, the California governor, who is speculated to run for president in 2028, shocked liberal circles by calling it 'deeply unfair' for transgender athletes to participate in girls sports. 'It is an issue of fairness. It's deeply unfair,' Newsom said on his podcast, 'This is Gavin Newsom.' He was talking to Turning Point USA's Charlie Kirk, a Trump loyalist and a conservative activist. Following Trump's post, the CIF State Track and Field changed its eligibility requirements on Tuesday and extended access to 'biological females.' 'Under this pilot entry process, any biological female student-athlete who would have earned the next qualifying mark for one of their Section's automatic qualifying entries in the CIF State meet, and did not achieve the CIF State at-large mark in the finals at their Section meet, was extended an opportunity to participate in the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships,' the federation said in a statement. Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat who represents Silicon Valley, pushed back against Trump's threats over education funding. 'We should not bend the knee to Donald Trump,' Khanna said to CNN's Manu Raju Tuesday. 'The real issue here is less about transgender athletes and more about Donald Trump acting like he can threaten any state, any institution in this country that he disagrees with — and it is a total violation of federalism and the Constitution.'
San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
California changed rules for a track-and-field meet after a trans athlete's success. What to know
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California is opening up its track-and-field championship to more girls after a transgender athlete drew controversy for qualifying for the meet. The California Interscholastic Federation announced the temporary rule change Tuesday after high school junior AB Hernandez's success drew backlash, including from President Donald Trump. He criticized the athlete's participation in a social media post Tuesday, though the group said it decided on the rule change before that. State law lets trans athletes compete Former California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law in 2013 allowing students to participate in sex-segregated school programs, including on sports teams, and use bathrooms and other facilities that align with their gender identity. A Republican-led effort to block that law failed recently in the Democratic-dominated Legislature. Another proposal that also failed would have required the federation to ban students whose sex was assigned male at birth from participating on a girls school sports team. The federation said it was launching a 'pilot entry process' to allow more girls participate in the championship track-and-field meet. Under the change, 'any biological female student-athlete who would have earned the next qualifying mark for one of their Section's automatic qualifying entries in the CIF State meet, and did not achieve the CIF State at-large mark in the finals at their Section meet' could compete, the group said. If a transgender athlete medals, their ranking would not displace a 'biological female' student from medaling, the federation confirmed. In high jump, triple jump and long jump — all of the state championship events Hernandez qualified to compete in — a 'biological female' who would have earned podium placement will get the medal for that place and will be reflected in the records, the federal said. The federation did not specify how they define 'biological female" or how they would verify whether a competitor meets that definition. Experts from organizations including the American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association and American Psychological Association say gender is a spectrum, not a binary structure consisting of only males and females. Backlash centers on one student Hernandez, a trans athlete in Southern California, is at the center of the debate. She won the long jump and triple jump during the division finals and is expected to perform well this weekend. She also set a triple jump meet record at the Ontario Relays earlier this year. Critics have accused her of having an unfair advantage over other athletes. Hernandez told the publication Capital & Main earlier this month that she couldn't worry about the actions of critics, who have called out her participation and heckled her at postseason meets. 'I'm still a child, you're an adult, and for you to act like a child shows how you are as a person,' she said. She noted that she has lost some of her events, saying that disproved arguments that she can't be beat. Rule change prompts criticism The rule change may discriminate against transgender athletes, said Elana Redfield, a policy director at the UCLA School of Law Williams Institute, which researches sexual orientation and gender identity policies. 'The CIF policy creates two sets of rules — one for transgender girls, who must earn a place through traditional measures of competition, and another for 'biological females,' some of whom are allowed an extra chance to earn a spot,' Redfield said in an email. The change seems to 'thread a fine needle' by trying to ensure cisgender girls aren't denied a competition slot while still allowing trans athletes to participate, Redfield said. Doriane Lambelet Coleman, a professor at Duke Law School, said the change would help ensure that 'no female athlete loses a place on a team or in a competition when a trans girl is included.' 'Unlike inclusion policies that ignore sex differences, doing it this way doesn't gaslight the other girls about their biology,' said Coleman, who has researches subjects including children, sports and law and wrote recently on the evolving definition of sex. Izzy Gardon, a spokesperson for California Gov. Gavin Newsom, called the rule change 'a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness' and said the governor thought it was a thoughtful approach. Newsom angered some liberal allies earlier this year when he questioned the fairness of transgender girls participation in girls sports. ___ Associated Press writer Janie Har in San Francisco contributed. ___
4 days ago
- Politics
California changed rules for a track-and-field meet after a trans athlete's success. What to know
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- California is opening up its track-and-field championship to more girls after a transgender athlete drew controversy for qualifying for the meet. The California Interscholastic Federation announced the temporary rule change Tuesday after high school junior AB Hernandez's success drew backlash, including from President Donald Trump. He criticized the athlete's participation in a social media post Tuesday, though the group said it decided on the rule change before that. Here's what to know: Former California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law in 2013 allowing students to participate in sex-segregated school programs, including on sports teams, and use bathrooms and other facilities that align with their gender identity. A Republican-led effort to block that law failed recently in the Democratic-dominated Legislature. Another proposal that also failed would have required the federation to ban students whose sex was assigned male at birth from participating on a girls school sports team. The federation said it was launching a 'pilot entry process' to allow more girls participate in the championship track-and-field meet. Under the change, 'any biological female student-athlete who would have earned the next qualifying mark for one of their Section's automatic qualifying entries in the CIF State meet, and did not achieve the CIF State at-large mark in the finals at their Section meet' could compete, the group said. If a transgender athlete medals, their ranking would not displace a 'biological female' student from medaling, the federation confirmed. In high jump, triple jump and long jump — all of the state championship events Hernandez qualified to compete in — a 'biological female' who would have earned podium placement will get the medal for that place and will be reflected in the records, the federal said. The federation did not specify how they define 'biological female" or how they would verify whether a competitor meets that definition. Experts from organizations including the American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association and American Psychological Association say gender is a spectrum, not a binary structure consisting of only males and females. Hernandez, a trans athlete in Southern California, is at the center of the debate. She won the long jump and triple jump during the division finals and is expected to perform well this weekend. She also set a triple jump meet record at the Ontario Relays earlier this year. Critics have accused her of having an unfair advantage over other athletes. Hernandez told the publication Capital & Main earlier this month that she couldn't worry about the actions of critics, who have called out her participation and heckled her at postseason meets. 'I'm still a child, you're an adult, and for you to act like a child shows how you are as a person,' she said. She noted that she has lost some of her events, saying that disproved arguments that she can't be beat. The rule change may discriminate against transgender athletes, said Elana Redfield, a policy director at the UCLA School of Law Williams Institute, which researches sexual orientation and gender identity policies. 'The CIF policy creates two sets of rules — one for transgender girls, who must earn a place through traditional measures of competition, and another for 'biological females,' some of whom are allowed an extra chance to earn a spot,' Redfield said in an email. The change seems to 'thread a fine needle' by trying to ensure cisgender girls aren't denied a competition slot while still allowing trans athletes to participate, Redfield said. Doriane Lambelet Coleman, a professor at Duke Law School, said the change would help ensure that 'no female athlete loses a place on a team or in a competition when a trans girl is included.' 'Unlike inclusion policies that ignore sex differences, doing it this way doesn't gaslight the other girls about their biology,' said Coleman, who has researches subjects including children, sports and law and wrote recently on the evolving definition of sex. Izzy Gardon, a spokesperson for California Gov. Gavin Newsom, called the rule change 'a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness' and said the governor thought it was a thoughtful approach. Newsom angered some liberal allies earlier this year when he questioned the fairness of transgender girls participation in girls sports.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
California changed rules for a track-and-field meet after a trans athlete's success. What to know
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California is opening up its track-and-field championship to more girls after a transgender athlete drew controversy for qualifying for the meet. The California Interscholastic Federation announced the temporary rule change Tuesday after high school junior AB Hernandez's success drew backlash, including from President Donald Trump. He criticized the athlete's participation in a social media post Tuesday, though the group said it decided on the rule change before that. Here's what to know: State law lets trans athletes compete Former California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law in 2013 allowing students to participate in sex-segregated school programs, including on sports teams, and use bathrooms and other facilities that align with their gender identity. A Republican-led effort to block that law failed recently in the Democratic-dominated Legislature. Another proposal that also failed would have required the federation to ban students whose sex was assigned male at birth from participating on a girls school sports team. Federation announces rule change The federation said it was launching a 'pilot entry process' to allow more girls participate in the championship track-and-field meet. Under the change, 'any biological female student-athlete who would have earned the next qualifying mark for one of their Section's automatic qualifying entries in the CIF State meet, and did not achieve the CIF State at-large mark in the finals at their Section meet' could compete, the group said. If a transgender athlete medals, their ranking would not displace a 'biological female' student from medaling, the federation confirmed. In high jump, triple jump and long jump — all of the state championship events Hernandez qualified to compete in — a 'biological female' who would have earned podium placement will get the medal for that place and will be reflected in the records, the federal said. The federation did not specify how they define 'biological female" or how they would verify whether a competitor meets that definition. Experts from organizations including the American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association and American Psychological Association say gender is a spectrum, not a binary structure consisting of only males and females. Backlash centers on one student Hernandez, a trans athlete in Southern California, is at the center of the debate. She won the long jump and triple jump during the division finals and is expected to perform well this weekend. She also set a triple jump meet record at the Ontario Relays earlier this year. Critics have accused her of having an unfair advantage over other athletes. Hernandez told the publication Capital & Main earlier this month that she couldn't worry about the actions of critics, who have called out her participation and heckled her at postseason meets. 'I'm still a child, you're an adult, and for you to act like a child shows how you are as a person,' she said. She noted that she has lost some of her events, saying that disproved arguments that she can't be beat. Rule change prompts criticism The rule change may discriminate against transgender athletes, said Elana Redfield, a policy director at the UCLA School of Law Williams Institute, which researches sexual orientation and gender identity policies. 'The CIF policy creates two sets of rules — one for transgender girls, who must earn a place through traditional measures of competition, and another for 'biological females,' some of whom are allowed an extra chance to earn a spot,' Redfield said in an email. The change seems to 'thread a fine needle' by trying to ensure cisgender girls aren't denied a competition slot while still allowing trans athletes to participate, Redfield said. Doriane Lambelet Coleman, a professor at Duke Law School, said the change would help ensure that 'no female athlete loses a place on a team or in a competition when a trans girl is included.' 'Unlike inclusion policies that ignore sex differences, doing it this way doesn't gaslight the other girls about their biology,' said Coleman, who has researches subjects including children, sports and law and wrote recently on the evolving definition of sex. Izzy Gardon, a spokesperson for California Gov. Gavin Newsom, called the rule change 'a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness' and said the governor thought it was a thoughtful approach. Newsom angered some liberal allies earlier this year when he questioned the fairness of transgender girls participation in girls sports. ___ Associated Press writer Janie Har in San Francisco contributed. ___ Austin is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on X: @sophieadanna
