Nunez Does Double Time at the ‘Cal

I’ve seen Lehyn Nunez on and off at Gold’s Gym, Venice and at local contests, for years. Would be training much of the time with Chris Cormier, in fact. Kept telling me he was going to compete, that I’d be writing about him in the magazine someday. Well, it took a lot longer than anticipated, but Nunez finally did get on stage on Saturday at the NPC California State Championships. And, it was certainly worth the wait.

The aesthetic 5’8″, 192-pounder, who has residences in both Venice, CA, and Washington Heights, NY., reminded some of a young, albeit smaller, Kevin Levrone during the Maryland Muscle Machines’s early years. Nunez, 29, had only competed one time before, and that was way back in 2000, when he won the overall in the Teenage division at a show in New York.

Now, this rapidly emerging star, of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent, has suddenly found himself as one of the names people are talking about in discussing title contenders in the LHW class at next month’s USA. Yesiree, add Nunez to the list that up ’til now has focused on Tamer El Guindy and Pete Ciccone. Oh, and I think Eli Blahut, last year’s winner of the West Coast Classic, might surprise a folks in Las Vegas at the end of July as well.

Anyway, Nunez was deluged with photo shoots after his major wins, including one with Michael Neveux on Tuesday. Can’t wait to see those…but, until then, the picture I snapped of him after the contest will have to do.

I’m out.