A California high school female athlete didn’t let coming in second to a male-born transgender competitor prevent her from standing in the top spot on the podium during placement at a state track and field meet.
Reese Hogan, 16, was crowned second place in the triple jump at the CIF Southern Section Finals on Saturday — despite setting a new personal record for herself and the Crean Lutheran High School at 37 feet, 2 inches.
Standing in first place, junior trans athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley, who won titles in the girls’ long jump and triple jump, posed with competitors to take pictures on the podium.
When the boy got off the podium, she assumed her rightful spot as champion. The crowd erupts with applause. THIS is the way. Congrats to Reese Hogan, the REAL champ!!! https://t.co/KiEm2yV2YY pic.twitter.com/hqGdikES29
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) May 18, 2025
However, as the athletes cleared off, Hogan seized the moment, walked on top of the first-place spot, smiled, and proudly posed for a picture.
Her actions received praise from former NCAA swimmer and conservative influencer Riley Gaines, who dubbed Hogan the “real” champion of the triple jump.
“When the boy got off the podium, she assumed her rightful spot as champion. The crowd erupts with applause,” Gaines posted on X.
“THIS is the way. Congrats to Reese Hogan, the REAL champ!!!”
In another post, Gaines — who rose to fame after publicly criticizing her competitor, trans athlete Lia Thomas — also called out Hernandez for being a “fraud.”
“The boy standing atop the podium holding up a ‘number 1’ is a fraud enabled by @CIFSS, @CA_Dem, & @CAgovernor,” she wrote on X.
Hernandez defeated Hogan in the triple jump, beating her by over four feet, Sports Illustrated reported.
Hogan was one of a number of high school girls’ athletes in California who protested at the CIF Southern Section Division 3 Prelims at Yorba Linda High School on May 10 by wearing “Protect Girls Sports” shirts, according to Fox News.
The shirts were opposed by officials, who allegedly made Hogan and others remove them to compete in the postseason track meet.
Female competitors told the outlet that officials at the meet told them to remove their shirts immediately and not allow them to take them off elsewhere.
The high school female athletes alleged that the officials made them remove their shirts immediately, under their supervision, and didn’t give them any additional time or opportunities to do it elsewhere.
Hogan alleged that officials made her and others feel that if they did not remove the shirts, they would be disqualified.
“It wasn’t said but it was implied that if I didn’t take my shirt off then and there, then something could potentially happen to my spot, it wasn’t said but it was implied,” Hogan said.
“Throughout the day it was kind of getting a little bit more stricter… getting a little bit more hostile with their voices… they never said anything about getting disqualified, but it was kind of implied by the tone of their voice and the way that they said things.”
The CIF confirmed that the incidents occurred and said that the girls were wearing their school uniforms beneath their shirts.
“Per the CIF Southern Section Playoff Bulletin, all athletes must be dressed in proper, school issued, track uniforms,” the CIF told Fox News in a statement.
“The student-athletes were asked to comply with this while in the on-field event area, as they were wearing said shirts over their school-issued uniform.”
However, witnesses at the event alleged that the officials did not give the same orders to athletes wearing other non-school-uniform shirts without the “Protect Girls Sports” message.
There were no reports that Hogan or other athletes wore the shirts at the CIF Southern Section Finals on Saturday.
Hernandez, who currently holds the top marks in the state’s long jump and triple jump, now qualifies for the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet held on May 24.
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