43, won three Gold medals, two Silvers and two Bronzes at the Grand National AAU Wrestling Championships. He participated in Sambo, Greco-Roman and Freestyle wrestling contested at the 3 day event in 1997, held at Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield, California. In 1999, he won the 1999 Fédération Internationale Amateur de Sambo Pan-American Gold and Bronze medals in the 180 lbs weight class. Hernandez competed as a member of the USMC National Sambo Team which won the US National Sambo Team Championships held at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Quantico, Virginia, in 1999. In April 2000, Hernandez won the XXV National AAU Sambo Championships held at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. He won the Fédération Internationale Amateur de Sambo Pan-American Silver medal. In July 2000, the 46-year-old Hernandez won the middleweight (163 pounds), Gold medal in the 45-49 age group at the Federation International Association Sambo World Championships held at the Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio. He also earned the Silver medal in the Masters of the Sport category, which combines champions from all masters’ age groups. He won a Bronze medal in the open division. He was selected to represent the US at the World Cup of Sombo in Nice, France. In November 2000, Hernandez led the United States to a second-place finish at the FIAS World Cup of Sambo Wrestling held in Nice, France, himself winning a Silver medal. In November 2001, Hernandez was selected again to represent the United States at the FIAS World Cup of Sambo held in Nice, France. He took 5th place. In November 2002, Hernandez was selected to the USA National Sambo Team to compete at the FIAS World Cup of Sambo but he could not participate due to military obligations. In May 2003, he won 2 Gold medals at the 6th World AAU Iron Man Wrestling Championships in Open and Masters division held in Knoxville, Tennessee. Hernandez from 1987 to 2003 has achieved AAU All American status as a wrestler 31 times. In 2004, 2005, and 2007, he represented the United States National Sambo Team at the FIAS British Sambo Championships held at the Swallows Leisure Centre, Sittingbourne, Kent, England winning each time 3 Silver medals. In June 2006, representing Team Irish, he won Gold and Silver medals at the North American Grappling Association New England Championships held at Bryant University. In November later that year; he won Silver