High school trans athlete in California competes in state track championship amid national controversy

CLOVIS, Calif. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - After national controversy, a transgender student-athlete carried on, competing in the California State Track and Field Championships Friday.

16-year-old AB Hernandez, a junior from Jurupa Valley High School, jumped through the noise Friday afternoon, participating in three events, including triple jump, long jump, and high jump, at the CIF State Track and Field Championship at Buchanan High School.

"When I saw this injustice going on and the egregious Title IX violations, I had to take a stand," said Mary Davis, a protester.

Even with protestors on the ground, and in the sky, Hernandez carried on.

But, the road to get to the championship paved with a now national controversy, with pressure from Valley lawmakers at a press conference Thursday, and even President Donald Trump threatened to pull funding from the state this week unless it stops allowing transgender athletes to participate in girls sports.

LGBTQ+ advocates came out to show support and speak out against those words.

"I got told today by someone close to me that says it's important to witness what's happening as an LGBTQ person. You know, when people are speaking against, you know, your community, to just bear witness to that. And I think that's kind of why I decided to raise my voice," said Stetler Brown, a Clovis resident and LGBTQ+ advocate.

Chris Pedrin, head coach at Woodside High School in the Bay area, says he understands the issue, saying biological boys will always have some advantage to biological girls, but he believes it's been blown out of proportion.

Pedrin says to fix it, there's an 'easy' solution: "All they have to do is make another division. They've done it with the handicapped. It's okay to make another division...they're trying to make a bigger thing than it is."

The California State Track and Field Championship continues Saturday.