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A junior varsity cross country meet was the scene of a burgeoning dispute between two California high schools over the validity of trans athletes’ records in women’s sports.
During a league final last week, a presumed trans athlete from Claremont High School finished in fourth place in the girls’ JV competition. Meanwhile, a female athlete from Ayala High School had to settle for 11th place, missing the podium by one place.
Ayala women’s cross country coach Caroline Cobo told PK Press Club Digital that she pushed for recognition for her athlete.
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“At the awards ceremony, we asked if when they called the top 10, for each category, they could call the top 11 for the girls JV race,” Cobo said. “But they said no, they couldn’t.”
So Cobo and his team took matters into their own hands.
“So we decided to stand up at that awards ceremony and say, ‘Oh, and in 10th place,’ which on paper she was 11th, but in reality she was the 10th biological female to cross the finish line. We stood up and said that, and she went up,” Cobo said.
Ayala girls assistant coach Matthew Ullman said he was confronted afterward.
“As we stood up, a lot of eyes were on us, obviously. Then we got thank yous from some parents, from some athletes saying ‘thank you.’ But I was approached by about five or six girls from the team the transgender athlete is competing on, and [it was] quite confrontational,” Ullman told PK Press Club Digital.
Ullman alleged that Claremont High School athletes told him, “‘Why did you have to say that?…You didn’t have to say biological female,'” and he claimed he responded, “‘Well, I had to give credit where credit was due.’
“I feel like the Claremont team is a little fragmented, with some people being more for it and some people being against it.”
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Claremont High School provided a statement to PK Press Club Digital defending recognition of only the top 10, which would include the school’s alleged trans athlete. The school cited California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) rules.
“Claremont High School is a member of the Palomares League, which is comprised of six high schools that collectively follow the CIF rules and regulations for athletic competition. The Palomares League rules only recognize the top 10,” the release said.
“Claremont High School adheres to the rules and regulations of the CIF and Palomares League. We remain committed to ensuring that all student-athletes are treated with respect and in accordance with agreed upon procedures.”
However, Ayala High School responded to PK Press Club Digital, recognizing its 11th place finish as rightfully deserving of recognition in the top 10, citing a CIF rules amendment that was instituted for girls’ athletics last spring. Ayala said she was asking for her female athlete to be recognized.
“The Ayala administration is committed to recognizing the extraordinary hard work of its athletes and celebrating the dedication and commitment they invest in their athletic programs. Mr. John Kunishima, Assistant Director of Athletics and Facilities at Ayala High School, has asked the Palomares League to recognize the 11 top-performing athletes who competed in the League’s lower-level women’s championship last weekend after one of its female athletes was moved up the rankings by a transgender peer,” can we read in a press release from Ayala high school.
“Recognition of 11 athletes would be consistent with the California Interscholastic Federation – Southern Section (CIFSS) 2025 decision for female track and field competitors, in which management concluded that a doubles medal would also be awarded to the female athlete closest to the competition when a transgender student’s performance displaces a female athlete in the standings.
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“The Palomares League athletic directors will meet on November 18 to discuss recognizing the 11 highest-performing athletes from this weekend’s event and we hope an equitable solution can be found. By recognizing 11 outstanding athletes, the Palomares League will highlight not only its commitment to fairness and impartiality, but also its dedication to the students who represent its schools in competition.”
PK Press Club Digital has contacted CIF for comment.
The rule change referred to in Ayala’s statement was instituted during the girls’ track and field state finals last spring. The presence of Jurupa Valley trans athlete AB Hernandez drew national scrutiny in the days leading up to the event, after President Donald Trump apparently called attention to the situation in a Truth Social article, threatening to deny federal funding to California if a trans athlete was allowed to compete in the girls’ state finals.
The CIF changed its rule to include biologically female athletes who failed to qualify for the competition and who might have placed higher without the participation of a trans athlete and that any female athlete finishing behind a biological male would be moved up one place on the podium.
After Hernandez won first place in the girls’ high jump and triple jump, as well as second place in the girls’ long jump, the trans athlete had to share podium spots with female athletes who finished one place lower.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said at the time that the rule change was “reasonable and respectful.”
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“The CIF proposed pilot is a reasonable and respectful way to resolve a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness – a model worth pursuing.” The governor is encouraged by this thoughtful approach,” he said in a previous statement provided to PK Press Club Digital.
But now Ayala High School finds itself in the middle of a dispute for simply trying to get the same treatment for the JV runner who finished one spot out of the top 10 last week.
