May. 2, 2005

Chicago, Ill. - University of Illinois at Chicago Head Men's Track and Field Coach Jim Knoedel announced on Monday afternoon, that he has signed weight specialist Erik Hernandez (West Chicago, Ill./West Chicago) to a National Letter of Intent to compete for the Flames, beginning in 2006.

Hernandez, who was an All-DuPage Valley Conference football selection at offensive guard, stands 5-9, 195 pounds. The West Chicago, Ill., native has turned in a heave of 55'9" in the indoor shot put and also expects to compete in the hammer throw upon his arrival at UIC.

"I am real excited about Erik's addition to the team because he is a tremendous competitor," Knoedel said. "I expect him to finish in the top three in the Shot Put at the IHSA Track and Field Championships.

"I think he'll make a smooth transition from the high school shot (12 lbs) to the college shot (16 lbs) and wouldn't be surprised if he won the Horizon League Championships and qualified for the NCAA Regionals as a freshman."

UIC will be back in action on Saturday afternoon, as the Flames will travel to Indianapolis, Ind., to participate in the Butler Open at 1:00 p.m. (CST).