He was a self-proclaimed chunky kid.<\/p>\n
And as a 5-foot-4, 182-pound sophomore last winter, Jose Hernandez appeared displaced on the high school wrestling mat, where he typically got wiped clean by taller, stronger and more conditioned upperclassmen.<\/p>\n
In a sport such as wrestling, it\u2019s not uncommon for heavier underclassmen to take multiple beatings by their older peers. Most wrestlers simply wait it out and, eventually, their day comes.<\/p>\n
But for Kentwood High\u2019s Hernandez, it was more than that. It was about the image staring back at him in the mirror.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was a little chunky kid at a higher weight,\u201d admitted the 17-year-old Hernandez, who competed at 171 pounds last year. \u201cI wanted to wrestle at a lower weight, so that way, I could be good. I would be better and stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n
Better and stronger is one thing. What Hernandez accomplished in less than a year\u2019s time, however, is quite another. The Kentwood wrestler didn\u2019t just shed a few pounds \u2014 he shed entire weight classes.<\/p>\n
Seven weight classes, to be precise.<\/p>\n
Instead of dropping from the 171-pound category to 160 or 152 \u2013 something that would be fathomable, but still difficult \u2013 the Conqueror standout plummeted to 125. Yes, seven weight classes in a single year \u2013 and a total of 57 pounds.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe now call him The Incredible Shrinking Man,\u201d joked Kentwood coach Ken Sroka. \u201cI knew that he was trying to lose some weight in the offseason, but holy cow!\u201d<\/p>\n
In a sport where participants are known for cutting unhealthy amounts, Hernandez\u2019s weight loss proved more healthy than otherwise.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t try and get anybody to lose weight. If they want to, they have to self-motivate,\u201d Sroka said. \u201cHe did that all on his own. He just decided one day he wanted to lose weight and he\u2019s been doing it ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n
To no surprise, Hernandez\u2019s tremendous weight loss has come hand-in-hand with a new level of mat success. He enters the South Puget Sound League tournament on Saturday (Feb. 6) at Kent-Meridian High among the top-seeded wrestlers at 125 pounds. The top four wrestlers advance to next weekend\u2019s regional tournament, which will take place at Auburn High.<\/p>\n
Hernandez hopes to be one of those top four and steadfastly believes he has put in the time and effort that would enable him to advance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year, I am not going to say I am going to take state, but my main goal is to get there,\u201d he said with a smile. \u201c(Eventually), I see myself No. 1 on the podium for state. That\u2019s all I see right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Which is a far cry from what Hernandez and his teammates saw last year at the same time.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we were younger, I was a lot skinnier than he was and I used to make fun of him a little bit,\u201d said teammate Raymond Paz, Hernandez\u2019s half brother. \u201cHe was weak and chubby when he was younger and I did pick on him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paz, 15, doesn\u2019t pick on his older brother any longer. Instead all he has for Hernandez is praise.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe just doesn\u2019t give up. He has that mindset that he\u2019s never going to give up,\u201d Paz said. \u201cHe went on a rampage with working out and running a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
That rampage began on the first day of summer. Hernandez would wake up and hit the local streets for a daily jog of three to four miles. He sprinkled in weight training two to three times a week, but continued to eat just as much as he did before.<\/p>\n
By the time wrestling season rolled around, Hernandez was all the way down to the 130-pound weight class.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe put his mind to it and committed,\u201d said Sroka, who added that he has never seen a wrestler go through such a drastic life transformation. \u201c(When wrestling practice began in November) he looked like a totally different person.\u201d<\/p>\n
Indeed. Gone was the baby fat that weighed down Hernandez a year ago. Instead, it was replaced by a lean physique that looked at home on the wrestling mat.<\/p>\n
As Hernandez lost pounds, he added victories. The Kentwood junior reached a new level three weeks ago, when he brought home the 125-pound title from the Jaguar Invitational at Emerald Ridge High in Puyallup.<\/p>\n
That tournament marked the lowest weight of Hernandez\u2019s season, and the highest point of his success thus far. He pulled off three narrow wins, including a 7-4 decision over Decatur\u2019s Tyler Phelps for the crown.<\/p>\n
Hernandez said the title validated all of the hard work.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt felt great. I felt like I had achieved my goal and that I can go even further,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
On an average day, Hernandez now tips the scale at 128 pounds, a number he estimates he last weighed as a 9-year-old.<\/p>\n
That self-proclaimed chunky kid is now gone, having been replaced with a confident and athletic 125-pounder ready to ascend to a new level.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost people on the wrestling team and teachers couldn\u2019t believe how much weight I lost,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I told them (last year) that I would come back smaller, stronger and better. Most people didn\u2019t think I could do it.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I dedicated myself. I did it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
SPSL SUB-DISTRICT: AT A GLANCE<\/p>\n
\u2022 WHAT: South Puget Sound League North Division sub-district wrestling tournament.<\/p>\n
\u2022 WHERE: Kent-Meridian High School (10020 SE 256th St.)<\/p>\n
\u2022 WHEN: Friday (Feb. 5) and Saturday (Feb. 6).<\/p>\n
\u2022 TIMES: Matches begin Friday at 4 p.m. and Saturday at 10 a.m.<\/p>\n
\u2022 CHAMPIONSHIPS: Slated to run from 4:30-8 p.m.<\/p>\n
\u2022 AT STAKE: Berths to the regional tournament, which is slated for next weekend at Auburn High. The top four wrestlers in each of the 14 weight brackets advance.<\/p>\n
\u2022 ADMISSION: Half-day pass – Adults, $7; Students with an ASB, $4; Elementary School Students; $2; Senior Citizens, $2. Full-day pass – Adults, $11; Students with an ASB, $6; Elementary School Students, $3; Senior Citizens, $2; Two-day pass – Adults, $14; Students with an ASB, $8; Elementary School Students, $4; Senior Citizens, $4.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
He was a self-proclaimed chunky kid.
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