California Changes Rule For High School Track Meet As Trump Threatens Funding Over Boy Beating Girls

The federation that oversees high school sports in California is changing a rule for girls’ track and field eligibility as President Donald Trump rages against the state allowing a boy to compete against female athletes.

The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) announced on Tuesday that any female student who lost out on qualifying for the state track and field championships because she was forced to compete against a male athlete will be invited to the upcoming event. The CIF said it decided “last weekend” to test out a new “pilot entry process.” While giving some female athletes a spot in the state finals, the rule change does not bar male athletes from competing against them at the championships this weekend.

“The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law and Education Code. With this in mind, the CIF will be implementing a pilot entry process for the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships,” the governing body said. “Under this pilot entry process, any biological female student-athlete who would have earned the next qualifying mark for one of their Section’s automatic qualifying entries in the CIF State meet, and did not achieve the CIF State at-large mark in the finals at their Section meet, was extended an opportunity to participate in the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships.”

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump ripped California, along with its Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, for allowing a high school boy to compete against females in athletics. Trump said that boys competing against girls is “TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS” and threatened to yank federal funding from the state.

“California, under the leadership of Radical Left Democrat Gavin Newscum, continues to ILLEGALLY allow ‘MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS,’” Trump wrote. “This week a transitioned Male athlete, at a major event, won ‘everything,’ and is now qualified to compete in the ‘State Finals’ next weekend. As a Male, he was a less than average competitor. As a Female, this transitioned person is practically unbeatable.”

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On Wednesday, the office of Assistant U.S. Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon announced that it is investigating the CIF over potential Title IX violations.

“My office has found reasonable cause to believe that CIF, too, is engaging in a pattern or practice of discrimination against female athletes,” Dhillon wrote.

The controversy over boys in girls’ sports in California centers on high school junior AB Hernandez, a boy who advanced to the state championships in the girls’ long jump and triple jump. Hernandez beat out high school senior Katie McGuinness at the Southern Section finals on May 17, posting a jump of 19 feet, 2.75 inches to McGuinness’ 18 feet, 9.5 inches.

The CIF’s “pilot entry process” likely won’t quiet the outrage over boys competing against girls, as the female athletes who are now invited to the state championships could still be forced to compete against Hernandez.

“CIF is scrambling, damage control mode activated. Girls who were unfairly eliminated are suddenly back in for State this weekend. This is a step in the right direction, but let’s be real: this never should’ve happened. Boys don’t belong in girls’ sports. CIF blames state law, but Title IX protects fairness,” said Sophia Lorey, the outreach director for the conservative Christian group, California Family Council.