By Lou Ponsi
Ben and Eden Hernandez have the distinction of being a brother-sister tandem on the San Clemente High School wrestling teams.
The siblings are exceptional on the mat and are among an elite group of San Clemente wrestlers who will compete in the CIF SS Masters Tournament this Friday and Saturday at Sonora High School in La Habra.
Eden, a sophomore, qualified for the Masters after finishing first in the 116-pound weight class at the CIF SS Girls Easter Division Wrestling Championships on Saturday at Corona High School.
Ben, a junior, heads to the Masters after finishing third at 132 pounds at the CIF SS Boys Eastern Division Wrestling Championships on Saturday at Temecula Valley High School.
Photo by Steven Georges/CUSD Insider
The brother-sister duo also won individual championships at the Coast View Athletic Association Finals on Jan. 22, 2022, at Capistrano Valley High School. Ben also pinned all three opponents to help the Tritons win their third consecutive CIF SS team championship on Feb. 2 at Capistrano Valley High School.
Eden won her three matches, including two by pin on the girls’ side of the tournament; however, the Tritons were eliminated in the quarterfinal round by Northview, the eventual champions.
Eden and Ben were practically born into the sport.
Their father, a U.S. Marine, wrestled in high school and then in Greco Roman style tournaments in the Marine Corps. The family moved multiple times before finding stability at Camp Pendleton, where they live currently.
Photo by Steven Georges/CUSD Insider
Ben was seven when he joined a wrestling club in Poway; however, he didn’t have much success at first.
“My first practice I got slammed,” Ben said. “And I cried after every practice. I think there was a one- or two-year period where I lost every match and it was a big learning experience.”
He didn’t give up.
Ben started working harder in practice, learning new moves and working on technique. He even changed his diet.
“It was a big combination of everything,” Ben said. “I wasn’t used to winning so I started expecting to lose but then I started improving and that is when it keeps going up from there.”
By seventh grade, Ben was winning more matches than he was losing.
Eden, who is fiercely competitive, recalls watching her brother practice and cheering him on at matches.
“They would be doing moves and I was like, I could do it better,” Eden said. “So, the coach was like, ‘OK, come and show it.’ I got really competitive. I started going more, and more, and more.”
In some instances, Ben and Eden faced off against each other in the championship rounds of tournaments.
“I got a lot of second place medals because of him,” she said.
They family relocated to the northern end of Camp Pendleton, which is within commuting distance to San Clemente. Ben joined the Titans wrestling team and went on to place eighth at 113 pounds at the CIF SS tournament as a freshman.
“We knew we had somebody who was accomplished and young and great for the program,” Triton Wrestling Coach Mark Calentino said.
Photo by Steven Georges/CUSD Insider
Eden, meanwhile, wrestled almost exclusively against boys during her first few years in the sport.
“I think it got me a lot better because boys are naturally stronger than girls,” Eden said. “It built my strength up wrestling them and practicing with them constantly.”
By seventh grade, Eden found more opportunities to compete against other girls.
“There were definitely opportunities to win and I did,” she said.
About the same time Ben was winning matches for the Tritons, Calentino discovered videos of Eden’s matches.
“She looked like a seasoned varsity level wrestler,” Calentino said. “The way she moved, the quickness she had, the power she used.”
As a freshman, Eden was undefeated up until her very last match in the CIF SS duals.
The siblings’ father was considering discharging from the Marines, which meant the family could move out of the area and Ben and Eden would no longer wrestle at San Clemente.
“When their dad decided to reenlist for three more years, there was a big sigh of relief amongst the boys’ and girls’ coaches,” Calentino said. “That would be a huge loss to both programs.”