Porfirio Hernandez Signs National Letter-of-Intent with ENMU Men's Cross Country Team

PORTALES, N.M. — Eastern New Mexico University head cross country coach Joel McMullen has announced the signing of Porfirio Hernandez, from Carlsbad High School, to a National Letter-of-Intent to run for the Greyhounds next season. Hernandez, from Carlsbad, N.M., will be a freshman during the 2005-06 academic year. He is the son of Richard and Grace Hernandez, and is the brother of current ENMU cross country standout Ricardo Hernandez.

McMullen and his assistant coach, Matthew Gordillo, have recruited to rebuild and add depth to both the men’s and women’s cross country teams for the upcoming season, focusing primarily on the tremendous amount of talented runners throughout New Mexico. The ENMU men’s cross country squad finished fifth in the Lone Star Conference and 13th in the NCAA South Central Regional in 2004.

Hernandez is the epitome of an NCAA student-athlete. His list of accomplishments is very impressive: Presidential Academic Award Winner; Ranked 22nd out of 350 in CHS graduating Class of 2005; Elk’s Student of the Month, 2003; Star Scholar for the University of New Mexico for Top Ten Percent of Junior Class; Nominated as a National Scholar; Nominated to attend National Young Leaders Conference; Three-year CHS letterman in cross country and track; Varsity cross country team captain in 2004; MESA member; Key Club International, 2002-04; State Qualifier in Cross Country, 2002-04; National Honor Society, 2003, 2004.

“Porfirio is every college coach’s dream of a student-athlete,” McMullen noted. “Porf is a very intelligent young man who has tremendous athletic ability and motivation. When we first started recruiting last fall, there were two kids who we felt, if we could bring them in, we would have a very good recruiting class. Porf was one of them.

“Porf had many, many opportunities to get his education at a number of schools due to his academic status, but he chose to come to Eastern and we are so very fortunate,” McMullen stated. “He has a great family and we are so blessed to have him become a Greyhound. We are expecting great things from him in and out of the classroom.”

Porfirio Hernandez
Carlsbad, New Mexico
Carlsbad High School