ScheduleScoresPlayersStaff
Number of Visitors:
40181
 
Steven Hernandez, Dan Gable, Rick Hernandez
Steven Hernandez national champion

   Steven Hernandez has wanted to be a national champion for as long as he can remember.
   Bishop Gorman High School’s Hernandez achieved that goal by capturing the National High School Sophomores Wrestling Championship in the 140-pound division March 28 in Virginia Beach, Va.
   Hernandez decisioned Greg Amos of Missouri, 10-8, in the championship match to capture his national title.
      “This is one of the goals set in his mind,” said Rick Hernandez, Steven’s father and co-head coach of the Gaels’ wrestling program. “Him winning this is by far one of the greatest feelings in the world.”
      Hernandez is a two-time Nevada State champion and Gorman head wrestling coach John Field feels he has the ability to become one of Nevada’s greatest high school wrestlers in history.
    “It’s always been Steven’s goal to be a national champion,” Rick Hernandez said. “He put a lot of hard work in.”
    Hernandez won five matches in the national tournament of sophomores from around the country.
He pinned Andrew Scofield of Alabama in the first round in 3:26; pinned Garrett Russell of Pennsylvania at 2:35 in the second round; decisioned Sean McMurray of Indiana, 8-4, in the third round; and decisioned Austin Lindsay, 3-0, of Missouri in the semifinals to advance to the championship match.
     Hernandez said he wrestled the best he has all season in the national sophomores championship.
    “I wrestled a lot better in Virginia Beach than I did in the State tournament,” he said.
     Rick Hernandez said, “I would say he wrestled better in the tournament than he has all year. He was highly motivated. He was focused for a long time. He prepared himself all year for this tournament. When he prepares for a goal, he is unstoppable. He was on another level.”
     Field said, “I have been saying for two years that Steven is one of the top wrestlers in the country in his class. He got to prove himself in this tournament on a national level what we knew all along. He is one of the best sophomores out there.”
      Two other Gorman wrestlers competed in their academic class in Virginia Beach.
     Freshman Napoleon Aniciete, the Nevada 103-pound champion, wrestled at 112 pounds and won three matches and lost two.
     Sophomore Ricky Hernandez went 2-2 in the 119-pound division.


Gaels produce two State champions, place fifth

     Bishop Gorman High School captured two State champions and finished in fifth place in the Class 4A State Wrestling Tournament Feb. 8-9 at Cimarron High School.
   Sophomore Steven Hernandez snared his second straight championship at 140 pounds and freshman Napoleon Aniciete took the 103-pound title.
     In addition, sophomore Johnny Field, 152 pounds, placed fourth in competition against the best wrestlers in the state.
     Hernandez was terrific in recording three first-period pins. He pinned Cody Kapphahn at 1:46 in the first round, pinned Eric Wilcoxson of Galena at 1:11 in the semifinals and pinned Colby Evans of Mojave at 1:24 in the finals.
     “Steven had three first-period pins in dominating the tournament,” Gaels coach John Field said. “Steven wants to be the best and we feel he is on his way to a lot of national exposure in the next two years.”
    Hernandez won State at 130 pounds as a freshman. Hernandez, the son of co-head coach Rick Hernandez, will now prepare for the USA Wrestling National Tournament.
      Aniciete pinned Garrett Manoukian of Damonte Ranch in 1:24 in the first round, pinned Kenny Davis of Cheyenne in 3:09 in the semifinals and pinned De’Armon Hall of Las Vegas in 3:43 in the championship match.
   “Napoleon had a fantastic tournament,” Field said. “He was focused in all of his matches. The coaching staff felt that his strength and conditioning could not be matched in this tournament. We are looking forward to coach Rick Hernandez working with Napoleon in the off-season to take him up a level.”
     Johnny Field took a 10-7 decision over James Nava of Wooster in the first round, lost by one point in triple overtime to Frank Brock of Damonte Ranch in the semifinals, then dropped into the consolation bracket to pin Justin Snow of Silverado before losing to Tyler Reibsamen of Fallon in the third-place match.
       “Johnny had a tough tournament,” coach Field said. “He lost at the end of the third overtime in the semifinals. Johnny learned a lesson about controlling his emotions. We know he will come back strong next year.”
     Sophomore Henry Bradley also qualified for the tournament.
    “Henry wrestled well in his two matches,” coach Field said. “ He showed a lot of improvement throughout the year and now understands how to prepare for next year.”