California girls’ high school track athletes are speaking out against the CIF for allowing transgender athletes in girls’ sports, as the state continues to defend its gender eligibility policies.
Reese Hogan, a track athlete from Crean Lutheran High School, received praise on social media over the weekend after she briefly stood on the first-place podium and posed for a photo following her loss to a transgender athlete in the triple jump.
At the Saturday meet, Hogan set both a personal and school record in the triple jump at 37 feet, 2 inches, competing in Division 3 of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section Finals.
The transgender athlete from Jurupa Valley High School defeated Hogan by over 4 feet and also won the long jump competition.
After the ceremony, Hogan, smiling with a medal around her neck, stepped onto the first-place spot. The junior received massive cheers online and was praised as the “real champion.”
The 16-year-old told Fox News Digital last week that CIF officials made her and fellow athletes remove their “Protect Girls Sports” T-shirts before the CIF Southern Section Prelims.
She said officials implied that not removing the shirts could lead to disqualification, though it was never explicitly stated.
“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,” 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.”
Since the prelim controversy, the Trump administration has put California and Gov. Gavin Newsom on notice.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order barring transgender female athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports on February 5, 2025.
California has resisted the executive order, continuing to allow transgender athletes in girls’ sports, and the CIF is currently under a Title IX investigation.
