Transgender Athlete Wins 3 Girls' Jumps Amid Protests

A transgender student athlete from Jurupa Valley High School won or tied for first place in three girls' jumping events at a California track and field meet on Saturday, drawing protests from groups concerned about competitive fairness.

The CIF Southern Section Division 3 preliminaries took place at Yorba Linda High School in Orange County. AB Hernandez, a senior, recorded 42 feet, 4 inches in the triple jump to finish well ahead of the runner-up's mark of 39 feet, 7.5 inches. In the long jump, Hernandez jumped 20 feet, 4 1/4 inches, more than a foot beyond second place at 19 feet, 1 1/2 inches. Hernandez tied for first in the high jump at 5 feet, 2 inches with Reese Hogan of Crean Lutheran High School.

Before the meet began, demonstrators from groups including Save Girls Sports and the California Family Council gathered outside the venue. They urged the California Interscholastic Federation to bar transgender athletes from girls' events, citing CIF bylaws that allow participation consistent with a student's gender identity, a policy rooted in a 2013 state law. Sophia Lorey, outreach director for Save Girls Sports and a former NCAA soccer player, addressed the crowd. "The...