Rafael Hernandez knew all along where he wanted to go to college, but rules prohibited the Memorial High School cross country and track star from saying anything until he was officially accepted by the school and his scholarship papers were reviewed and approved.
So last week, when Lehigh University sent word to Hernandez that he was indeed accepted, it cleared the way for Hernandez to sign his national letter of intent to attend Lehigh, which he did last Friday in the school library.
“After four years of high school, I wanted to show off that I made it and where I was going,” Hernandez said. “Everything has its time. I was glad to wait.”
Hernandez learned of Lehigh through Oscar Guerrero, the former Memorial head football coach who went to Lehigh.
“Mr. Guerrero was a big influence on me picking Lehigh,” Hernandez said. “I didn’t want to say anything about Lehigh because I didn’t want to jinx anything. But I knew I wanted to go there. I just had to wait for my official acceptance. It’s now almost a surreal moment. I worked so hard for this day and now I have this accomplishment.”
Hernandez signed the letter with his mother, Landia Chia, present. His father, Rafael, Sr., died under mysterious circumstances in the Dominican Republic five years ago.
“I know my Dad would have been really proud of his son getting a college scholarship,” Hernandez said. “It’s really one of the best days of my life.”
Hernandez went from not knowing a single word of English 6 years ago to earning a scholarship to a prestigious academic institution such as Lehigh.
“I had to start from not knowing English at all to make it here,” Hernandez said. “I have to thank my Mom for showing me the way.”
Memorial head track and field coach Julio Lopez knows that it’s not every day that one of his athletes gets a chance to go to a school like Lehigh.
“It’s amazing,” Lopez said. “I have others who want to join the program now because of what Raf has achieved. They want to be like him. He has recruited others to come out for the team. He walks around the halls of the school and asks if anyone would like to run. He’s one of the greatest athletes to ever come out of Memorial. He deserves this day.”
Hernandez is ranked 24th in his senior class. He has maintained a 3.3 grade point average over his four years.
Hernandez said that he can now concentrate on his final season running for the Tigers. He has a chance to earn county titles in the 800-meter run, the 1,600-meter run and the 3,200-meter run. If he does, it would be an outstanding trifecta.
“He has a tremendous amount of speed, but he also has a tremendous amount of intelligence,” Lopez said. “It’s rare to find someone who has both. But Raf has it academically and athletically. He also has the mental toughness you need to succeed in track. That’s the difference that separates him from the rest.”…
The New Jersey Golden Gloves amateur boxing tournament will be held for the third straight year at the Pershing Field Ice Rink on Saturday, April 30.
Proceeds of the night will go to the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson and Union Counties.
The Jersey City Recreation Boxing Program has four individuals fighting on the card to win a state championship.
Ethan Montenegro is only 9 years old, but he’s fighting for the 90-pound championship. Gabriel Rivera is 12 years old and he will be competing for the 75-pound title.
Omar Abouzeig is an up-and-coming 18-year-old who will be fighting for the 132-pound title. And 20-year-old Shion Chance, one of the most promising amateur fighters in the entire state, will battle for the 201-pound state crown.
Tickets for the Golden Gloves finale can be purchased online at
https://2016njgoldengloveschampionship.eventbrite.com or at the door on the day of the event. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and tickets range from general admission at $20 to a dinner/fight card combination ticket for $50. In any case, it’s a great night of boxing for a worthy cause. Come out and see tomorrow’s stars fighting for a state title in their own backyard. It doesn’t happen often…
The Snyder baseball program is off to its finest start in recent years, posting a 6-2 record. One of the biggest reasons for the Tigers’ success has been Swensean Chu, who has been hitting with authority.
Chu had four hits and stole four bases in a recent win over University Charter. Alfred Tavares has also been a clutch performer for the Tigers, collecting a total of nine RBI in the last week…
Hudson Catholic’s Mikel Trice has been brilliant for the Hawks. Trice has eight hits in his last 10 at-bats…
Marist replaced head coach Mike Tallarida last week after coaching just five games. The school and Tallarida differed on the reasons for his departure, but they worked very hard to find a suitable replacement.
Mark DeMenna, who guided Don Bosco Prep to a 29-1 record a few years ago, has agreed to take over the Marist program. It should be interesting to see how the rest of the season turns out for the Royal Knights…
St. Peter’s Prep now has an opponent lined up for the American Showcase in Dublin, Ireland Sept. 2.
The Marauders will now face Blessed Trinity of Atlanta, Georgia in the game. Prep is one of six American schools participating in the classic.
“We plan to embrace the Irish culture and enjoy the magnificent setting and educational opportunities made available to us,” St. Peter’s Prep head coach and athletic director Rich Hansen said. “Of course the main objective is to compete hard and be successful on the field in our game against an outstanding Blessed Trinity School. We are acutely aware of the success of their program. They are talented, well coached and present a huge challenge for us on all fronts. It’s really an honor to be able to compete against a great program in a beautiful country at a majestic site.”…
Hudson Reporter High School Baseball Top Five: 1. Bayonne (9-3). 2. St. Peter’s Prep (8-3). 3. Union City (7-3). 4. North Bergen (7-3). 5. Hudson Catholic (5-4)…
Hudson Reporter High School Softball Top Five: 1. North Bergen (7-1). 2. Hoboken (6-2). 3. Hudson Catholic (5-4). 4. Bayonne (4-2). 5. St. Dominic Academy (7-2)…-Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.