Ericka Hernandez sets goal of adding 2 more titles

GONZALES — There have been numerous articles about the state of athletics in Gonzales ISD that talked about change and the improvements being made on the program from top to bottom. In the past four years there have been many ups and downs, more down than ups from 2013-2015. But if there has been one athlete that has shined through regardless of the situation, it is Ericka Hernandez who will be heading to the state track meet next weekend to grab two gold medals.

Last week during the Region IV-4A track and field meet, Hernandez took second in both the discus and shot put toss to advance to state, becoming Gonzales’ lone representative at the meet this year.

“I was going in pretty comfortable, knowing that I was first and second going in,” Hernandez explained. “I knew most of the girls because I competed with them at the Texas Relays. I came out and showed what I can do, it was not my best and I’m glad I qualified but hoping to go to state I think I’m going to win. That’s my expectation, to go to state and show everybody else that I can win. Not get second, get first.”

Her throwing coach, who also is the head girls’ basketball coach for the Lady Apaches, Valerie Akpan believes Hernandez can get the win, especially because there’s room for improvement from her regional meet.

“We had an off day at regionals and got second,” Akpan said. “I’m expecting her to become a three-time state champ before she graduates high school.”

Her first state title came earlier this year when she competed at the powerlifting state meet in late March, taking first in the 220-plus weight class with her total lift of 1065 pounds. She became the first Lady Apache to win a state title in the sport.

Next week in Austin will be Hernandez’s final time competing with Gonzales orange and black on. But coaches believe the mark that she’s left on the athletic program will last for a very long time.

Hernandez’s top sports are individual events like the throws in track and field and powerlifting. Yet somehow, the senior athlete has been known as one of the best teammate the Apaches have ever seen.

“She is the best cheerleader at Gonzales High School,” Akpan noted.

And that’s without having to hold a pair of pom-poms.

“I think she definitely sets a good example for kids to do exactly what she did because she was supportive of every boys’ sport and every girls’ sport and every athlete,” Akpan continued. “Ericka didn’t just stick to what she did best which was shot put and disc, she did a little bit of everything and she never played volleyball once and she traveled with them and was the line judge. She was their biggest cheerleader in the stand. She loved football and made it to every game. It didn’t really matter what it was, Erica was in support of that and I hope that the kids will pay attention to that and pick up where she left off. That’s what we need program wide to be successful is to bring that sort of school spirit.”

The importance of showing that support isn’t lost on Hernandez. She understands that it takes more than just on-court athleticism for success. Support from the sidelines is vital.

“The support I give to them they’ll show it back to me,” Hernandez said. “In basketball they’ll be in the stands, in track they’ll be in the stands cheering me on or they’ll watch me throw shot. Everywhere I go I have to show support and show what it means to be a Gonzales Lady Apache.”

Hernandez is committed to not only her craft but the athletic program as well. Seeing her on the sidelines yelling out support despite what the scoreboard may read is one thing. But another side of her commitment comes when nobody is watching.

“A lot of [her success] is contributed to her spending time over the summer, late in the afternoons with me one-on-one, a lot of people don’t know she’s there,” Gonzales girls’ athletic director and head girls’ track coach Cully Doyle explained. “When we do summer track she comes at 7 or 8 p.m. over the summer and then my wife and I travel with her to meets over the summer where she was able to win the state TAAF meet. She’s come a long way.”

Doyle came to Gonzales almost four years ago and has seen the evolution of Hernandez’s athleticism and personality both on the field and off.

Starting out as a freshman, Hernandez threw 85 feet in the discus toss and 32 feet in shot put. She now holds the school record for shot put at 43-7 and her personal best in discus is 142-11 ¾. That huge leap is just one of many ways Doyle will be able to use Hernandez as motivation for younger athletes.

“Our young ones can be as good because of Ericka, because they have someone to say ‘if she did it I can do it,’” Doyle said.

Doyle has eighth graders right now who are tossing a discus at 96-97 feet while Hernandez was at 85 her freshman year. If they are as dedicated as she was throughout her four years, the young ones now can not only match Hernandez’s success, they can maybe leap over it.

“I want the girls’ track team to continue to keep getting better,” Doyle said. “I think we’ve had some successful years but I want to continue being better and Ericka is a big part of that.”

But where exactly did the motivation come from for Hernandez to put in this extra work? Simply put, she wanted to prove to everybody that girls’ athletics is just as important as boys’.

“When I was younger, I used to see the boys play football and it used to inspire me because boys, they act tough and they always talk about girls can’t do this, so I decided to be the girl to show the boys that girls do have power and girls can play football, they can do powerlifting and go to state,” Hernandez explained. “Going to state in individual events like powerlifting not being that popular, you want to make Gonzales known for a popular sport. Basketball popular is Gonzales, football is also popular, but let’s make powerlifting popular just like soccer. Soccer just made it to regionals and that was fantastic. Going to state and winning in powerlifting is something to show younger girls that are coming up that they can do powerlifting and be a state champion also.”

Hernandez’s attitude is something the Apaches definitely want to see in their program through all levels. It’s already been written on how athletic director Kodi Crane wants to see his athletes in multiple sports. Doyle recalled that being the reason why he moved his family down here to a smaller school.

“I want the kids to have an opportunity to do multiple things,” he said. “Ericka has taken advantage of that, I mean she played football her freshman year and she was good at that. She’s committed to doing what she can and she loves basketball and she’s good at it. She’s had fun doing that. Obviously she’s as great thrower, she’s committed.”

Despite what happens next week, whether Hernandez brings home two more state titles to the trophy case, the question has been asked whether she can be considered Gonzales’ best girls’ athlete ever. Doyle, who has looked at years past and has read names like Lakendra Greathouse who won state champions in throwing events believes that Hernandez is the best thrower that has come through Gonzales.

“No disrespect to [Greathouse], however Ericka is throwing better than her,” Doyle said. “I think she’s the best thrower, shot put or discus, that’s gone through Gonzales High. She’s a very special athlete.”

Hernandez’s impact in girls’ basketball, in powerlifting and in track and field will be felt in Gonzales history. But will it be felt next weekend in Austin at the UIL state meet? The confidence is there. Now all it takes is a technically-sound throw so she can stand right in the middle of the winners’ podium with her gold medal.