2016-17: Big Ten Distinguished Scholar... Academic All-Big Ten... Hernandez competed primarily in the 100 and 200 freestyle... posted season-best times in the 50 (23.32, 3rd), 100 (50.32, 4th) and 200 free (1:48.62, 2nd) at the Big Ten Championships, ranking among the top five on the team in 2016-17 in all three events... co-recipient of the Cathy Wright-Eger Continuing Women of Educational Excellence award... one of just eight Purdue student-athletes to have a perfect 4.0 GPA during the 2016-17 school year... swam on all three freestyle relays at the Big Ten Championships, helping all three teams post top-10 times in program history... contributed to six relay winners over the course of the season... scored in the 200 free at Big Tens by qualifying for the C final... won the 100 free in dual meet victories vs. Michigan State and Miami (Ohio)... helped Purdue win the 200 and 800 free relays at the Big Ten Triple Duals... accounted for 27 team points at Virginia Tech's H2Okie Fall Invitational by qualifying for the A final of the 100 and 200 free... raced in the 500 free (5:02.40) in three fall-semester meets... finished her career ninth all-time at Purdue in the 200 free (1:47.56).
2015-16: NCAA Championships Qualifier (800 Free Relay)... Big Ten Distinguished Scholar... CSCAA Scholar All-America... Academic All-Big Ten... Hernandez competed primarily in the freestyle events... posted season-best times in the 50 (23.19), 100 (49.83), 200 (1:47.56) and 500 free (4:52.29) at the Purdue Invitational... in program history, moved into ninth place in the 200 free and 10th in the 100 free... had Purdue's top 50 free time of the season... qualified for the NCAA Championships for the second time as part of the 800 free relay team... swam on all three freestyle relays at the Big Ten Championships, helping the 400 and 800 teams post top-10 times in program history... finished third in the C final of the 200 free at Big Tens to account for six team points individually... won the A final of the 100 free, finished third in the 200 and fifth in the 50 to account for 50 team points at the Purdue Invitational, good for third most on the team... also swam on three relay winners at the Purdue Invite, anchoring the 200 medley quartet to the seventh-fastest time in program history... was part of seven relay winners total, helping Purdue sweep the relays in the triple dual with Notre Dame and Ohio State... swept the freestyle sprints in the dual meet victory vs. Iowa... finished among the top five of the 50, 100 and 200 free at the FIU Sprint Invite... victorious in the 100 free in the dual meet win vs. Miami (Ohio)... won her heat of the 200 free at the Purdue Invitational and the 100 fly at the Indiana Intercollegiates.
2014-15: Distinguished Big Ten Scholar... Academic All-Big Ten... Hernandez competed primarily in the freestyle sprints... posted season-best times in the 50 (23.43), 100 (50.80) and 200 free (1:49.99) at the Big Ten Championships... her 100 free time ranked third fastest on the team in 2014-15... was part of Purdue's season-best time in the 400 free relay at the Ohio State Invitational, ranking fifth in program history... along with swimming on the victorious 400 free relay, accounted for 21 team points at the Ohio State Invitational to help Purdue win the meet... qualified for the A final of the 100 and 200 free as well as the B final of the 50 free at Ohio State... won the 100 free and swam on the victorious 400 free relay team in the dual meet win vs. Michigan State.
2013-14: NCAA Championships Qualifier (Relays)... CSCAA Scholar All-America... Hernandez competed primarily in the freestyle sprints... was a member of Purdue's top relay teams of the season in the 200 and 400 free as well as the 400 medley relays... competed in the 400 free relay at NCAAs, joining teammates Emily Fogle, Rhiannon Sheets, Allie Davis and Nika Karlina Petric as recent Purdue swimmers to qualify as freshmen... season-best times in the 100 (50.34, 4th) and 200 free (1:48.78, 5th) both ranked among the top five on the team in 2013-14... recorded her top times in the 50 (23.24) and 200 free at the Big Ten Championships, where she also raced with the 400 free and 400 medley relays... contributed to eight relay winners throughout the season to rank second on the team... won the 100 free in the dual meet victories vs. Miami (Ohio) and Hawaii... touched first in the 50 free at the Indiana Intercollegiates... won the 500 free in the dual meet victory vs. Michigan State in the only time she raced in the event all season... swam on both relay winners at the November Quad meet, anchoring the 200 medley team to victory... runner-up in the B final of the 100 free at the Ohio State Invitational to account for five team points... also qualified for the B finals of the 50 and 200 free at Ohio State... season-best time in the 100 free was at the Boiler-Make-It NCAA Last Chance Meet, the same day in which the 200 free relay team posted its best mark of the year.
Before Purdue: Hernandez was a four-year varsity letter-winner for coach Christine Lockhart... four-time NSCIF Swimmer of the Year and PVHS most valuable swimmer... selected as the top senior athlete of her graduating class after also being a standout performer in soccer and track... helped lead her team to the 2012 EAL and NSCIF titles... also part of EAL championship teams with soccer and track... four-year NSCIF individual scholastic achievement award winner in swimming and soccer... Junior Nationals qualifier with her Chico Aqua-Jets club team, highlighted by being a finalist in the 50 free... Chico Mayor's Award... AP Scholar and National Hispanic Scholar... PVHS math department award.
Personal: Full name is Grace Elizabeth Hernandez... born in Chico, Calif.... parents are Mike and Jill Hernandez... family also includes older siblings Sarah, Nick, David and Henry... part of an athletic family: both of her parents and all four siblings competed in college sports... father wrestled and played water polo at Fresno State; mother was a swimmer and cross country runner at Cal... sister Sarah swam at Wisconsin; brothers David and Henry swam at Pacific and Stevens, respectively... brother David wrestled at Cal Poly... majoring in health and disease biology.
Purdue Personal Preferences
Favorite Pro Team: Sacramento Kings
Favorite Athlete: Isaiah Thomas
Favorite Aquatic Center (Other Than Purdue): Stanford
Favorite Marquee Event: Olympics
Would Like to Have Dinner With: Beyonce
In Her MP3 Player: Beach Boys
Unique Skill/Hidden Talent: Excessive Caffeine Consumption
Last Concert She Attended: Rihanna
Favorite Social Media Platform: Instagram
Favorite Author: Gillian Flynn
Last Book She Read: Sharp Objects
Favorite Actors & Actress: Ryan Reynolds & Amy Poehler
Favorite TV Show: Quantico
Favorite Month: May
Favorite Holiday: Easter
Favorite Cuisine/Meal: Mexican/Ribs
Favorite Dessert: Ice Cream
Favorite Purdue Building: Boilermaker Aquatic Center
Favorite Big City: Portland
Unique Travel Locale: Honduras
Country She'd Like to Visit: Singapore
Favorite Outdoor Activity: Backpacking
Another Sport She Enjoys: Soccer
Favorite Thing About the Boilermaker Aquatic Center: Hot Tub
Most Memorable Moment at Purdue: Fran Marr's clutch swim in the 200 Breast at the 2015 Last Chance Meet to clinch an NCAA bid
Enjoyed this Professor's Class: Henry Chang, Genetics
Furry Friends: Turtle & Ellie May, Yorkie Poos