A trans athlete’s qualification for the California girls’ track and field finals has intensified a national controversy over competitive fairness and civil rights.

State Championship Qualifier Draws Scrutiny

A biologically male trans athlete secured first place in both the long jump and triple jump at the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Masters Qualifiers, earning a spot in the state championship set to take place next week in Clovis, California. The performances included a triple jump distance of 40-04.75 and a long jump of 19-03.50, both narrowly surpassing female competitors.

The athlete’s advancement has drawn backlash from athletes and parents, many of whom argue that allowing biological males to compete in female categories undermines fairness. At the medal ceremony, the third-place finisher in the long jump declined to stand on the podium beside the trans athlete, while the second-place athlete received more vocal applause from the audience.

Tracy Howton, a parent of a female jumper, expressed frustration with the recurring pattern. “Today we watched incredible female athletes lose their opportunities to go to states to a biological male,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking.” Howton criticized state officials and CIF for failing to uphold what she called science-based and fair athletic policies.

Federal Investigation and Policy Clash

The CIF is now under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for allegedly violating President Donald Trump’s executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.” The order mandates the exclusion of biological males from female athletic competitions in federally funded institutions.

Department spokesperson Julie Hartman condemned the federation’s actions, stating, “We will not allow institutions to trample upon women’s civil rights.” The Office of Civil Rights has opened a formal investigation into CIF and Jurupa Valley High School, the athlete’s school.

The controversy escalated further when athletes were reportedly told to remove shirts reading “Protect Girls Sports” at a prior event. Allegations of retaliation against female students who protested the trans athlete’s inclusion are also under review.

The Jurupa Unified School District defended its position, stating it follows California state law and CIF guidelines, which require that students be allowed to compete in accordance with their gender identity. “JUSD remains committed to protecting the rights and safety of the students we serve,” the district said in a statement.

The issue will come to a head at the upcoming state championship, where the trans athlete will compete again—this time in a rematch against Katie McGuiness, who placed second in the long jump at the previous meet. McGuiness, a high school senior, has voiced concern over what she perceives as an uneven playing field.

“There are just certain genetic advantages that biological males have,” McGuiness said in an interview. “I wasn’t able to compete with someone who was genetically different than me.”

The championship, hosted at Veterans Memorial Stadium, will mark the culmination of a postseason defined as much by athletic performance as by legal and political confrontation over the future of women’s sports.