Reese Hogan is once again preparing to compete against transgender athlete AB Hernandez, and the California high school track rivalry is already drawing major attention before this weekend's events. Hogan, a student-athlete from Crean Lutheran High School, said she could protest again after previously going viral for standing on the first-place podium position following a loss to Hernandez last year. The two athletes are now set to meet again in the long jump, high jump, and triple jump competitions after facing each other throughout the postseason in Southern California.
The debate around transgender athletes in girls' sports has continued to grow across the United States, and this latest meeting between Hogan and Hernandez has again pushed the issue into the national spotlight. Speaking to Fox News Digital before this weekend's event, Hogan did not rule out another public protest.
"If the opportunity presents itself, we'll see, yeah," Hogan told Fox News Digital.
Last weekend, Hernandez won the triple jump and long jump events during the CIF Southern Section Division 3 preliminaries. Hernandez recorded 42 feet 4 inches in triple jump and 20 feet 4 1/4 inches in long jump. Hernandez also tied with Hogan in the high jump at 5 feet 2 inches.
Background of the Controversy
The latest competition comes nearly a year after Hogan's protest photo spread across social media. After finishing behind Hernandez in 2025, Hogan stepped onto the top spot of the podium after the medal ceremony ended. The image quickly became part of the growing national conversation surrounding transgender participation in girls' sports.
Hogan later told Fox News Digital she felt frustrated after competing against Hernandez for multiple years.
"This is my third year competing against a transgender athlete, and last year I was stripped away of a CIF Title. I basically worked my whole career to get to that point," Hogan said.
"It's just really disappointing to go into a competition knowing you already lost."
Before last week's event, Hogan also spoke during a protest organized by "Save Girls Sports." During her speech, she criticized California officials and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF).
"I'm here to stand up for girls in girls sports and to call out CIF and the state of California for their poor leadership and lack of support for female athletes," Hogan said.
"The Governor himself has admitted that males competing in women's sports is unfair yet nothing is being done to protect girls who train everyday to compete on a level playing field."
Support from Teammate
Crean Lutheran teammate Olivia Viola also supported Hogan while speaking to Fox News Digital.
"I haven't heard nearly enough adults come out and say anything," Viola said. "A lot of them like to say that they agree with you, that they're proud of you for speaking up now, but they won't do it themselves."
Official Responses
California Governor Gavin Newsom's office previously defended the state's current policy in a statement to Fox News Digital. Officials pointed to California's 2013 law allowing students to participate in sports based on gender identity. The statement also said discussions should be guided by "fairness, dignity, and respect."
The issue has also reached the federal level. Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a lawsuit connected to alleged Title IX violations involving the same athlete. The U.S. Department of Education later expanded the investigation to include 17 institutions across California.
