By Steve Williams
In a previous article, I wrote as a proud Girl Dad — the father of a daughter who earned a Division 1 track scholarship — sounding the alarm on the unraveling of fairness in girls’ athletics under California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) policies. This past weekend’s CIF State Championships didn’t just underscore my concerns — they put them on full display.
READ MORE: From the Stands to the Front Lines: A Father’s Call for Fairness
AB Hernandez, the male athlete from Jurupa Valley High School, dominated in three girls’ events — and the results were staggering:
- Girls’ Triple Jump: 42' 2¾" — First Place
- Girls’ High Jump: 5' 7" — First Place (tied)
- Girls’ Long Jump: 20' 8¾" — Second Place (tied)
Let that sink in.
Thanks to Hernandez’s performance, Jurupa Valley’s girls’ team placed fourth overall with 27 points — 18 of those points came from him alone. One male athlete single-handedly shifted the entire outcome of the girls’ team competition, overshadowing dozens of female athletes who have trained their entire lives for a fair shot at success.
This isn’t fairness. It’s a travesty.
When we compare Hernandez’s marks to those of the boys’ competitors at the same meet, the unfairness becomes undeniable:
- The 12th-place boy in the triple jump cleared 44' 9¾" — nearly 2.5 feet farther than Hernandez’s girls-winning mark.
- The 12th-place boy in the long jump hit 20' 10¾" — just ahead of Hernandez.
- The last-place boy in the high jump cleared 6' 5" — almost a foot higher than Hernandez’s winning height among girls.
These aren’t minor gaps — they’re massive, reflecting the biological advantages males retain even after transition, including greater muscle mass, bone density, and lung capacity. Puberty transforms the male body — increasing speed, strength, and explosiveness — advantages no social theory can wish away.
Despite these clear physical differences, CIF policies seem to turn a blind eye — pretending these advantages don’t matter, especially for girls who deserve a level playing field. To preempt criticism, CIF decision-makers introduced a last-minute “pilot program” that attempts to address concerns:
- When a male athlete places in a girls’ event, the female competitor also receives that place’s scoring and a medal — effectively awarding two winners.
- And if a male athlete bumps a girl out of qualifying for finals or advancement to the next meet, the girl still advances anyway.
Sounds like a fair fix, right?
But let’s look at what that actually meant in practice. Brooke White from River City High originally failed to qualify for the girls’ long jump finals by a razor-thin margin. But thanks to the pilot program, she was advanced anyway — and ended up tying Hernandez for second place on the podium.
White told the San Francisco Chronicle, “Sharing the podium was nothing but an honor. Although the publicity she’s been receiving has been pretty negative, I believe she deserves publicity because she’s a superstar, she’s a rock star, she’s representing who she is.”
While White embraced the podium moment, it’s important to step back and consider the bigger picture: Did she stop to think that, without the eleventh-hour rule change by CIF officials, she wouldn’t have reached the podium at all? Would she still call it an honor if the rules hadn’t been bent to include her? Let’s not confuse grace with glory — this wasn’t earned; it was gifted. And that’s exactly the problem.
Covering the championships live on Twitter revealed more than just scores — it laid bare the emotional toll on everyone involved, myself included. The outrage from parents, athletes, and fans was overwhelming. But for me, this wasn’t just commentary. It was personal. I remember when my daughter competed at the CIF State meet — the anxiety before each starting gun was immense. I felt that same tension every time Hernandez stepped up to jump — not out of concern for his performance, but because I understood the impact each attempt would have on the girls standing across the pit.
This debate isn’t theoretical anymore. It’s happening in real time, and the damage is real.
Case in point: the controversy and distractions clearly took a toll on competitors such as Kaia Musalborn from El Segundo High School. Just three weeks earlier, Kaia set a personal best of 19' 10" — well ahead of her 12th-place State finish with a jump of 17' 3¾". It was clear that staying focused amid the turmoil was a real challenge. Her hard work and progress were overshadowed by Hernandez’s dominant mark that secured him second place.
And Kaia’s story isn’t unique. Across the country, girls are finding their efforts eclipsed by a system that no longer guarantees them a fair chance. The challenges faced by athletes like Kaia show why preserving fairness in female sports is critical. For decades, girls’ athletics have been a vital source of empowerment — opening doors to scholarships, leadership roles, and lifelong confidence. It’s essential that we maintain a space where girls can compete on equal terms — without being displaced, discouraged, or erased by policies that ignore biology in favor of ideology.
If we fail to act, we risk dismantling the very foundation of opportunities for young women everywhere.
Looking ahead, the stakes couldn’t be higher: college recruiting, athletic awards, and professional pathways all hang in the balance. What happens when girls are pushed out of state finals, off the podium, and out of the spotlight — not because they lack talent, but because the system no longer protects them?
The CIF and lawmakers across the country face a clear choice: Will they protect the integrity of girls’ sports — or bow to political pressure, sacrificing fairness for inclusion?
Parents, athletes, coaches, and fans deserve better. We need clear, science-grounded rules that acknowledge the undeniable physical differences between male and female athletes — rules that protect girls’ opportunities. Anything less betrays everything Title IX was meant to stand for.
Beyond the track, this issue taps into deeper societal debates. What we’re seeing now is more than a disagreement over sports rules — it’s a mirror reflecting a national identity crisis. When fairness itself becomes controversial, when science is cast aside in favor of ideology, it signals a much deeper divide.
This is no longer just a sports issue. It’s a political flashpoint — raising critical questions for the next election cycle: What matters most to voters: safeguarding girls’ rights and opportunities, or advancing a broader ideological agenda? When faced with a pro-life Republican who champions women’s sports versus a pro-choice Democrat who supports males competing in female divisions, how will women vote?
At the end of the day, this is about more than track marks and trophies. It’s about respect, opportunity, and fairness for the next generation of young women. As a father of daughters, a voter, and a community leader, I’ll continue to demand accountability — because fairness in girls’ sports and the integrity of female spaces are worth fighting for.
Steve Williams is a seasoned technology, real estate, and land use professional and Executive Board member of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/SteveAWilliamsX
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