Alejandro Hernandez is fast. Really fast.

On Dec. 2, the CMU swimmer flew back to his home country of Venezuela, hoping to qualify for the 2012 summer Olympics in London in swimming. The soon-to-be 23-year old Hernandez found he belonged in the water early in life.

Hernandez said he got in to swimming as a young child in Venezuela as part of being involved in multiple extracurricular activities.

“Beside swimming, I played soccer and was an equestrian,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez came to the United States from Caracas, Venezuela his senior year of high school to attend Pomona High School in Aurora, where he was the team’s MVP. Hernandez continued his success in the water, competing for three years at Metro State College. Most would think that a swimmer with the speed and skill of Hernandez would be highly sought after by college recruiters, but that wasn’t the case.

“I am not swimming on a scholarship,” Hernandez said. “I walked on. Coach Pearson convinced me to swim at CMU.”

He has good reason to feel confident in the 400 IM. Back on Nov. 19 at the Colorado Mesa Invitational, Alejandro set a pool record in the 400 IM, completing the race in a time of 4:09.95. Hernandez also won the 200 IM final that day, finished third in the 200 yard backstroke, and helped lead the men’s team to win at home in the CMU Invite. Alejandro was also ranked first in the 400 IM as well as third in the 200 FL, and fourth in the 200 backstroke by the NCAA in mid-October.

“I’ll be trying to qualify in the 400 IM, the 200 free, and the 200 backstroke, but I think my best chance to qualify is in the 400 IM,” he said.

As a student athlete here at CMU, Alejandro attends class in plans to get his degree in business administration, with a concentration in marketing. Alejandro plans to stay in the U.S and find work after he graduates in the spring.

tlaporta@mavs.coloradomesa.edu