California Interscholastic Federation Championship and male athlete policy changes

[Helleofabore]

It looks like going forward the California Interscholastic Federation Championship is going to offer any female athlete the same opportunity / award as a male athlete that is competing in that event.

For instance, if they missed out due to a male athlete on getting to a final, they will add the female athlete to ensure she gets a chance. If a male athlete wins a podium place, the next female athlete will receive the same podium place.

I am doing a further check on this.

https://x.com/SophiaSLorey/status/1927824612559315450

The announcement:

As a follow-up to the May 27 announcement regarding the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championship pilot entry process, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) addresses the following steps taken this past weekend and
what will occur moving forward:

At the conclusion of the high jump, triple jump and long jump events at the CIF/Southern Section Masters Meet on Saturday, May 24, biological female student-athletes 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. These additional entries were included in the track and field state meet performance lists posted on www.cifstate.org on Sunday, May 25.

On Friday, May, 30, if necessary, in the high jump, triple jump and long jump qualifying events at the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships, a biological female student-athlete who would have earned the next qualifying mark will also be advanced to the finals. Additionally, if necessary, in the high jump, triple jump and long jump events at the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships, a biological female student-athlete who would have earned a specific placement on the podium will also be awarded the medal for that place and the results will be reflected in the recording of the event.

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. We now turn our attention to the 1,533 student-athletes participating in the
2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships.

Here is the link to the announcement

https://www.cifstate.org/news/2025_TF_follow-up_5.28.25

How is this workable? Surely any male athlete, Ab Hernandez seems to have triggered this policy, must be starting to understand that their inclusion in the female events is now just effectively virtue signalling.

At least, the female athletes will now be recognised to a degree.

Also this solution really is a mish mash.

So, a male athlete is only female enough to participate in the event and will get rewarded, but as a 'male athlete entered under special conditions', not as a recognised female athlete.

This is yet another crumbling down of the instances that 'TW AW' is considered true. And if these male people are not considered women for everything, why are they considered women at all? No female person is ever considered to not be female for sport. They might be excluded based on the drugs and chemicals they use, but they are not excluded from sport for being 'not female enough'.

I'm confused, so when a male student wins first place they will have both him and the real winner (second place) on the 1st podium too or the woman gets a second ceremony afterwards in first place?

Surely all three best women should move up a place? Shouldn't they have a woman's podium to reflect the real placings and then seperate 'honerary' podium for the 'winner'? Or is that too othering...so there'll be 4 people on the podium?

It's weirdly.... patronising? For the tw. Like 'yes OF COURSE you get a present too, why don't we relight the candles so YOU can blow them out too....OK OK IM DOING IT PLEASE DON'T CRY!!

We shouldn't be doing this for children, let alone adults!!

Please correct me if I'm wrong here (as that is a confusingly written statement) but are they basically saying that the girls who were prevented from coming in 1st, 2nd and 3rd due to a cheating male will now be given the medals that they should have got along with any qualifying points and a place in the competition that they were denied (what about the girl from his school who didn't get to compete). Also that any wins, medals and points he gets tomorrow will be irrelevant as the girls who place below him will get the points, medals and placement that they would have got if he didn't compete against him.
If so what is the point in him being there as this new system makes it perfectly clear that everyone knows he's a male cheat and he is basically being excluded from the results, positioning and completely othered. He should be in the males competition if he's good enough otherwise he gets to watch from the sidelines like the rest of us who aren't good enough to compete at that level.

Oh for God's sake. How ridiculous. WHY can't they just tell the boys they cannot compete in the girls competition Just put an end to this nonsense.

That is the way I read it too. And I rechecked it on the web site. And it seems that it how others on twitter have read it.

It seems to be a virtue signalling exercise meant to appeal perhaps to those who kept saying ‘there must be a different way to do this’. Well this looks like it. Trying to keep everyone happy.

I think all female athletes will move up to where they should have been.

Right but where is the man when that happens? With the women on the podium? Standing to one side? On a special separate golden podium that is slightly taller then 1st place? Awkward!!

I'm all for it, it will look ridiculous regardless of which they choose. They are sooooo close to getting it but...can't...quite....take ...that
...last....logical....step....

What a tangled web we weave...

I think, although am not sure.

It means that instead of 7 girls/women and one man, there will be 8 girls/women and 1 man.

At the end of the race if the man wins he shares the top position of the podium with the first place girl/woman and gets a gold medal.

If he comes second the girl/woman that comes in second gets silver and so does the man.
As technically the male is not running in the race but is a guest.

It makes sense in my head.

Obviously it is too late to make it up for all the girls / young women who missed out along the way.

I agree, to think they use to have a way of doing it simply and then they went and let men complete in women sports, so now they have to come up with this convoluted insanity. If it ain't broke don't fix it, no men in women sport.

Just to clear up any doubt.

What I posted makes sense in my head.
Not that men should be allowed in women's sports.

For instance, if they missed out due to a male athlete on getting to a final, they will add the female athlete to ensure she gets a chance. If a male athlete wins a podium place, the next female athlete will receive the same podium place.

Like others, I'm a bit confused about the details (do the other women move up a place as well?) But primarily, it shows that they know full well that the male athlete got his position unfairly, so they should just go the whole hog and stop males competing in women's competitions.

I suppose competing when you are ineligible does happen sometimes in sports; you might be "hor concours" in a dressage competition, say, if you are overqualified but need the practice for some reason. But then you wouldn't get any kind of placing in the results.

I like the 'guest' analogy. Like Australia being invited to Eurovision without being, you know, in Europe and not technically being able to win fully as they don't have a vagina...I mean can't host. It's an honorary position. (Sorry for the comparison Aussies)

I'm imagining a wonderful scenario where three males run the race and 'win' the top three places and then all three have to share with all three of the real winners, maybe they should have their own race that they could run just between them...but no that sounds ridiculous now I've written it down.

What I'm hoping is that not being fully validated will put tw off running in the female category at all.

Do they still get the same prize money/scholarship/sponsorship? I wonder? That's gonna get expensive...and will the collage giving the scholarship prioritise the women or the men? They won't give an additional 'honorary' scholarship as that costs actual money and has actual consequences. Do who do they pick? The woman or the womb-haver?

I am pleased about this, despite its flaws.

It is unnecessarily confusing, or only necessarily if we can’t bear to tell the cheats to bog off and stop cheating.

But at least it’s making a real effort to give women back their medals. There’s a real danger of girls turning their backs on sport because of the odds have been loaded against them.

I worry that all the growth in women’s sport over the past couple of decades is being undermined by the grotesque behaviour of sports bodies in allowing and rewarding male grifters. I certainly wouldn’t bother training for a competition when I was likely to be shoved out of the way by a male cheat.

The California Interscholastic Federation Championship is at least admitting the truth, and making an effort. So it gets some applause from me. 👏

I suspect it might be limited to finals positions and podium places and records.

But yes, as I said it is virtue signaling. They know it is unfair for a male to compete so they have made it competing without female people losing top positions and records. From what I gather.

I need to check scholarships.

I wonder if any male athlete will bother in the future. It might only appeal to those who declare it is just about playing sport not about winning. It might force them to also admit that it is not just about participating. I can’t see the benefit of competing with these conditions as a male athlete except for validation.

You should be sorry about the comparison. I believe Australia can win Eurovision but not hold it. And… our biggest chance was stolen because nobody recognised Kate’s talent of singing opera pop while circling on bendy sticks! It was perfect !

But I am hoping the Californian solution doesn’t include giving the male athlete scholarship or sponsorship or funding. Because it seems to be discriminatory against any male transgender athlete who chooses to do the right thing and compete in the male category. So why then would any male transgender athlete compete as male?

@Cerialkiller @Helleofabore

I think these are the only scholarships that the CIF awards:

https://www.cifstate.org/parents-students/awardsandscholarships/sa/2025SAwinners

• Eamon Gordon of Dos Pueblos HS and Aquilin Hsiao of Edgewood HS Named 2025 CIF Scholar-Athletes of the Year

each got a 10,000 USD scholarship for Scholar-Athletes of the Year

the scholarship award identifies student-athletes who excel in the classroom, athletics, and are strong contributors to their schools and communities.

• 2024-25 CIF Scholar-Athlete Award Section Winners

(Each winner receives a Scholar-Athlete of the Year certificate, award, and a $1,500 scholarship)

It looks there is a boy and a girl from each CIF region. However there is no boy from Oakland. I am not sure why there is no boy from Oakland. So 19 in total. Hernandez did not get a scholar-athlete award.

Unis give their own scholarships and those would be the most desirable ones. It could cover tuition plus room, board, and other expenses for all four years. (So, for private unis, up to around 400,000 USD for four years.) But the NCAA doesn't allow trans women to compete in female sports so there would be no reason for a uni to give a scholarship to a trans woman.

I know I’m only a middle aged SAHM who doesn’t know much about sports, but I have this amazing solution- no males in female competitions. Simplistic I know, but I reckon it might work.

Sounds like they are too cowardly to say no and are hoping this will deter the cheating men from competing.

The CIF can't say "no" bc

California law prohibits discrimination based on gender identity, including at schools. State law also allows trans student athletes to compete on sports teams that align with their gender identity.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/high-school/2025/05/28/california-state-track-and-field-meet-trump-transgender-athlete/83901095007/

The California legislature would have to change the state law. There is a bill before the California Senate (SB622) that would change the law to require that

participation in those programs and activities be consistent with the pupil’s sex at birth

but it's very unlikely to pass.The Democrats control both the Assembly and the Senate by large margins.

"Trump is now targeting California just like he targeted Maine: Threatening to withhold federal funds if California doesn’t follow his illegal edicts targeting transgender people," said State Sen. Scott Wiener, the leader of the Senate's Budget Committee and long-time LGBTQ rights advocate.
"California law protects trans people. That won’t change. Maine won in court. So will California. There’s only one answer to a bully: No. As Maine Governor Janet Mills said, ‘See you in court,'" he said.

https://www.kcra.com/article/california-high-school-track-field-championship-transgender-trump-threats/64894427

Thanks for looking at those scholarships.

I did note that the NCAA seemed to be trying to not let male athletes compete despite the loophole regarding birth certificates. Apart from the rower, it would seem that they may have succeeded.

California is in a very interesting position though with Gavin Newsome, a Democrat, supporting protecting female sport.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz03ye4j8rzo.amp

It will be interesting to watch what happens.

But yes this is a work around because the championship is California jurisdiction.

Although. Speaking of NCAA.

There does seem to be another loophole that the NCAA may have to fix. That allowing athletes to compete in the unattached athlete category.

https://x.com/hecheateddotorg/status/1926126759965028481?s=46

Schreiner is still running.

Depends what other rewards they are getting? Prizes, attention, being allowed to attend occasions at others’expense? If any of those things apply, it means that men will have twice as many chances for every woman who receives them. After all, we all know FtM transitioners are not going to be invading and winning in men’s sports.

Every supposedly “fair” solution proposed invariably ends up with women getting less than men.