Latest news with #KiraGantHatcher
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Trans athlete wins 2 girls events at California track and field finals
Advertisement Hernandez wrapped up the night with a first place finish in the triple jump, sharing the top spot with Kira Gant Hatcher who trailed by just over a half-meter. Earlier in the afternoon, Hernandez placed second in the long jump. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Olympians Marion Jones and Tara Davis-Woodhall previously set state championship records in the long jump in 1993 and 2017, respectively, both surpassing 22 feet (6.7 meters). This year's winner, Loren Webster, topped 21 feet (6.40 meters), with Hernandez trailing by a few inches. The California Interscholastic Federation announced the new policy earlier this week in response to Hernandez's success heading into the championships. Under the policy, the federation allowed an additional student to compete and medal in the events where Hernandez qualified. Advertisement The two-day championship kicked off Friday in sweltering heat at a high school near Fresno. Temperatures reached the triple digits during Saturday's finals. The atmosphere was relatively quiet despite critics — including parents, conservative activists and President Donald Trump — calling for Hernandez to be barred from competing. Some critics wore pink bracelets and T-shirts that read, 'Save Girls' Sports.' During Friday's qualifying events, an aircraft circled above the stadium for more than an hour with a banner: 'No Boys in Girls' Sports!' Two groups that oppose transgender athletes participating in women's sports — the Independent Council on Women's Sports and Women Are Real — took credit for flying the banner. AB Hernandez, a transgender student at Jurupa Valley High School, competes in the high jump at the California high school track-and-field championships in Clovis, Calif., Saturday, May 31, 2025. Jae C. Hong/Associated Press California at center of national debate The federation's rule change reflected efforts to find a middle ground in the debate over trans girls' participation in youth sports. 'The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law,' the group said in a statement after announcing its rule change. A recent AP-NORC poll found that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults think transgender female athletes should not be allowed to participate in girls and women's sports at the high school, college or professional level. That view was shared by about 9 in 10 Republicans and roughly half of Democrats. The federation announced the change after Trump threatened to pull federal funding from California unless it bars trans female athletes from competing on girls teams. The federation said it decided on the change before then. The U.S. Department of Justice also said it would investigate the federation and the district that includes Hernandez's high school to determine whether they violated federal sex discrimination law. Advertisement California law allows trans students to compete on sex-segregated sports teams consistent with their gender identity. The federation said the rule opens the field to more 'biological female' athletes. One expert said the change may itself be discriminatory because it creates an extra spot for 'biological female' athletes but not for other trans athletes. The federation did not specify how it defines 'biological female' or how it would verify whether a competitor meets that definition. Sophia Lorey, outreach director with California Family Council, was among those at the stadium Saturday. She said the federation's policy is not a fix for the issue and only ends up causing more confusion. 'At the end of the day,' Lorey said, 'it shows the girls that we know this is wrong and we're still letting it happen to you.' Hernandez told the publication Capital & Main this month that she cannot worry about critics. '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. Other students break records California's championship stands out from that of other states because of the sheer number of competitors. The state had the second-largest number of students participating in outdoor track and field in the nation during the 2023-2024 school year, behind Texas, according to a survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations. The boys 100-meter heats also were a highlight, with junior Jaden Jefferson of De La Salle High School in Concord finishing in 10.01 seconds Friday, 0.19 seconds faster than a meet record set in 2023. But he fell just shy of making it count as a meet record with a final time of 10.27 seconds in Saturday's final. Advertisement Athletes set new meet records in several events, including boys and girls relay races, hurdle competitions and the boys pole vault. Associated Press writer Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this report.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Trans athlete AB Hernandez slammed by protestors after beating female peers in California championship finals
Transgender woman AB Hernandez sparked outrage as she leapt to victory against her female peers at the California high school championships Saturday. Hernandez, 17, claimed gold in the high jump and triple jump at the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) state finals, facing criticism from protestors and parents as she stormed to victory under a new rule change. The CIF had announced a new policy earlier this week in response to backlash surrounding Hernandez's success heading into the championships. Under the change, the federation allowed an additional student to compete and medal in the events where Hernandez qualified, meaning she shared her finish with at least one other competitor in all three events. Hernandez claimed tied-first place in the varsity high jump final, sharing the spot atop the podium with female competitors Lelani Laruelle and Jillene Wetteland. The trio cleared the 5' 7" mark to split the gold medal three ways, while Julia Teven to settle for third. She later wrapped up the night with another first-place finish, this time in the triple jump. She again shared the top spot with Kira Gant Hatcher, who trailed by just over a half-meter. Earlier in the afternoon, she could only manage a second-place finish in the long jump event after her jump of 20' 8¾" fell just short of the winning 21' 0¼" mark set by Loren Webster. Hernandez beamed as she posed alongside co-second Brooke White. The dramatic row surrounding Hernandez's participation had sparked fury across the U.S., with President Donald Trump even threatening to hold back 'large scale Federal Funding' and blasting the state governor who he claims has continued to 'ILLEGALLY allow "MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN'S SPORTS"'. In February, Trump signed an executive order banning trans athletes from women's sports called 'Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports'. Both Hernandez and her mother Nereyda refused to comment on the president's furious response when asked by following the finals. In previous meets, Hernandez has faced controversy from her own competitors - with a teenage girl she beat to first place waiting for her rival to get down from the top of the podium before posing up there herself. Meanwhile, her mom has been confronted by angry parents whose daughters are losing out on gold medals as a result. Ahead of Saturday's championships, Hernandez and her escort traipsed past protestors who had once again voiced their outrage against the athlete's participation. The demonstrators, who were forced to carry out their protest outside the stadium due to the CIF's rules, carried signs sayings 'NO DUDES IN GIRLS SPACES' and 'NO CHILD IS BORN IN THE WRONG BODY.' Despite the CIF's ban on banners and signs inside the ground, the message of the protestors could be heard over the fence. 'No guys in girls sports,' one man's shout was blasted through a megaphone as Hernandez made her first jump, which she shockingly scratched. Yet, Hernandez wasn't to be deterred. Brushing off the interruption, she bounced back to form, going on to cruise to her two golds and silver medal. However, protestor Beth Bourne, 55, from Davis, California, insisted that her outrage wasn't directed at Hernandez, but rather her mother. 'I feel huge compassion for this young man, this boy, he's 17 years old,' Bourne, a member of the 'Moms for Liberty Yolo County' group, told 'He has a mother who's been duped to believe that her child could be born in the wrong body. 'Many of these feminine boys could grow up to be gay, healthy men. AB Hernandez enjoys wearing makeup, long hair, dresses. His mother believes that rather than letting her son grow up to be a gay boy, that he could be a trans woman, right? So if you have a mother who is affirming a young boy to believe that he could grow up to be a woman.' 'We want to protect his body,' Bourne added. 'We do not want him to be a medical experiment. We don't want him to lose his healthy sexual organs. We don't want him to put on estrogen or puberty blockers that will sterilize him. 'It's an unfolding medical scandal and it's okay to say that every child is perfect in their body. It is not transphobic. It is not hateful. It is not bigoted.' Hernandez sealed her place in three finals after coming out on top in all of her preliminary heats on Friday - despite the shocking scenes outside the stadium. Meanwhile, Hernandez's mom has been branded 'evil' by conservative women's advocate Riley Gaines, in an interview with Gaines pulled no punches when she slammed 'progressives' including Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom - who she dubbed a 'slimy car salesman' and 'spineless coward' - for enabling biologically born boys to participate in sports alongside girls. She also called out 'crazy unhinged trans activists' for creating chaos. 'His mom is a pretty evil person,' Gaines said. 'I believe she is using her son to live out some fantasy or dream that maybe she had. 'She has lied to AB in affirming his identity - the total façade - and in the process has harmed real women. I have empathy for AB. He's a victim as well. But that doesn't give him the right to trample on women in the process to fulfill his happiness. 'AB Hernandez is of course not the first boy to compete in the state of California - whether it's track and field, whatever sport it may be. He is following the rules. So I don't have any animosity or hatred or wish any sort of ill will on the boy. Ultimately, it's the rules that are the problem. 'Harm [is] being done because of his acceptance into women's sports and women's spaces. That's what has been relayed to me by many of the girls who have competed against AB. 'Sports are not about inclusion at the level he's competing. It's not about your feelings. It's about winning, to put it as bluntly as possible. Women aren't just a tool used to fulfill men's happiness. That's not what we are. Unfortunately, that's what women are being used for again. But we say enough. 'I'm not trying to rid anyone of opportunities. I believe every single person should play sports. But play in the categories that are safe and fair to everyone. 'We cannot prioritize inclusion over safety and fairness. That undermines the foundation of what sports were created to do.'
San Francisco Chronicle
23-04-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Top Bay Area track and field athletes expected to contend at the CIF State meet
The CIF State Track and Field Championships are just more than a month away — May 30-31 at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis. Here are 10 Bay Area athletes to keep close tabs on as they move through league and section qualifying meets (all marks and rankings are according to Kira Gant Hatcher (St. Mary's-Berkeley): The junior jumper should be a contender in both the long jump (19-5½) and the triple jump (39-6 ¾). She currently ranks fifth in the state in both events. As a sophomore she finished 10th at the state meet in the long jump (18-1). Jaden Jefferson (De La Salle-Concord): The junior sprinter placed fourth last season at state in the 100 and this season has the sixth fastest (all conditions) mark (10.41 seconds). Jefferson, a running back and cornerback, has already committed to North Carolina to play football. Cameron P. Jones (Bishop O'Dowd-Oakland) and Anthony Dean (De La Salle): Both have legitimate shots at winning the triple jump, a highly technical event that often goes to slight underdogs. Jones has the state's fifth-best mark (48-7) and Dean is just behind him (48-3½). The state leader is Camren Smith (49-11¼) of Quartz Hill (Los Angeles County). Ellie McCuskey-Hay (St. Ignatius): The junior sprinter and jumper was the state-runnerup in the 100 as a freshman and has a legitimate shot to bring home three state medals. She has the fifth-best 100 mark (11.54), No. 7 in the 200 (23.90) and fourth-best long jump (19-7). It's a demanding triple, but McDuskey-Hay did just that at Saturday's Central Coast Section Top 8 Meet, winning the 100 (11.55), 200 (23.96) and long jump (18-9½), before pulling the Wildcats from well behind to place second in the 4x100 relay to Los Gatos. Both teams finished in 48.39. Khaliq Muhammad (Pittsburg): The senior pole vaulter is tied for the top mark in California this season at 17-1. He finished second last season at 16-4 after recording a then-best of 16-9 at the 2024 Sacramento Meet of Champions. Chronicle baseball, softball rankings BASEBALL Rk. School W-L Pre. 1. Granada 15-3 2 2. De La Salle 12-3 3 3. Serra 17-4 1 4. Valley Christian 15-4-1 4 5. St. Francis 15-4 5 6. Casa Grande 15-3 8 7. Petaluma 14-2 12 8. Clayton Valley 14-3 9 9. Pittsburg 15-2 10 10. Foothill 14-4 11 11. St. Ignatius 10-7-2 6 12. Los Gatos 13-3 13 13. Dublin 16-3 NR 14. Heritage 13-4 14 15. Cardinal Newman 9-8 7 SOFTBALL Rk. School W-L Pre. 1. St. Francis 18-2 1 2. Mitty 10-5-1 2 3. Casa Grande 13-5-1 6 4. Petaluma 12-5 5 5. Valley Christian 15-4 4 6. Livermore 12-6 3 7. Notre Dame-Belmont 13-3-1 7 8. Capuchino 10-4 NR 9. Liberty 10-4 9 10. Mills 12-3-1 NR 11. California 11-5 10 12. Castro Valley 12-3 11 13. Logan 12-2-1 13 14. Bishop O'Dowd 14-5 14 15. San Marin 12-5 NR Landon Pretre (Menlo School-Atherton): The senior was part of a record-breaking 3,000 at the Arcadia Invitational, finishing 12th in 8:18.52. Converted to a 3,200 that would have been 8:49.30, the top mark in the state this season. He was seventh last year at state in the 3,200. Hannah Rutherford (Mountain View): The versatile senior speedstar has the state's No. 9 200 time (24.00) and seventh-best 400 (54.34). Last season, the Stanford commit was second at state in the 400 (53.70) and seventh in the 200 (24.06). Aydon Stefanopoulos (Los Gatos): The senior has the state's No. 3 1,600 mark (4:06.62) and No. 6 3,200 (8:57.33). Hanne Thomsen (Montgomery-Santa Rosa): Another Stanford commit, Thomsen is one of the state's most versatile and accomplished runners, with the state's No. 2 time this season in the 3,200 (9:58.17) — just behind La Jolla junior Chiara Dailey (9:58.02) — and No. 6 in the 800 (2:09.04). She won the state's eight-lap event as a freshman and was the state runner-up last year in 9:59.81, after finishing fourth at state in the 1,600 as a sophomore (4:43.63). Chad Works-Wright (El Cerrito): Only a sophomore, the sprinter has run 10.44 in the 100 and 21.34 in the 200. He also ran the second leg of the Gauchos' fourth-ranked 4x100 relay team that has gone a smoldering 40.87. Works-Wright, Michael Boyer, Jayln Smallwood and Gavin Thompson also have the state's No. 3 4x200 relay (1:24.88). Others to watch: Dougherty Valley senior Arrin Sagiraju has the state's seventh-best 1,600 mark (4:08.70). … Fremont-Sunnyvalle senior Juan Gonzalez was also part of that crazy fast 3,000 at Arcadia, which converted to a 8:51.83 3,200, the second fastest in the state. … St. Ignatius senior hurdler Prince Babalola Buchango won the Stanford Invitational 110 hurdles in 14.10 and showed exceptional speed with bests of 10.70 and 21.37 in the sprints. … Serra senior Luke Lewis, a two-time CCS champion and Stanford commit, has the state's No. 2 shot put (60-9). … Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa sophomore Ashlin Mallon is the latest long-distance phenom from the Redwood Empire. She has the state's No. 5 1,500 (4:34.70) and the seventh-best mile (4:53.83). ... Soleil Warner, of tiny Bay School, has the state's No. 7 girls 300 hurdles time (42.29). … Mitty senior discus thrower Maya Ifo Desai is No. 4 at 154-4. … All-Metro girls basketball standout Dulcinea Vail, of Acalanes-Lafayette, could win the always wide-open high jump title. She currently has the state's seventh-best mark of 5-7¼.
