Trans athlete laughs off backlash after winning California girls' track and field titles

Fox News' Christina Coleman reports on the state competition that sparked protests and saw competitors share a podium.

Transgender track and field athlete AB Hernandez won two first-place medals at the California state championships earlier this month and, on Saturday, laughed off the backlash.

The Jurupa Valley High School athlete was at the center of the controversy surrounding transgender athletes’ participation in California high school athletics. It drew condemnation from President Donald Trump and dueling lawsuits between the Justice Department and the state.

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First-place winners AB Hernandez, left, and Jillene Wetteland share a light moment before the medal ceremony for the high jump at the California high school track-and-field championships in Clovis, California, on Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

The California Interscholastic Federation even made a change to allow biological females to receive first place medals if their standing was displaced by a transgender athlete. 

"It’s definitely crazy. I get a lot of hate comments, but I don’t care," Hernandez told KCRA-TV with a laugh. "I’m a 16-year-old girl with a mad attitude – you think I’m gonna care?"

According to the station, Hernandez tried to avoid the limelight before it was revealed that the athlete identified as transgender. Hernandez was third in the girls’ triple jump state finals in 2024 before winning the event as a junior in 2025. Hernandez also won in the girls’ high jump this year.

AB Hernandez, center, flashes a sign as she shares the first-place spot on the podium with Jillene Wetteland, left, and Lelani Laruelle during a medal ceremony for the high jump at the California high