At the King City Invitational April 5, Hollister High’s Naomi
Ruiz unleashed a more-than-worthy toss in the discus.
Ruiz, a senior, knew it was her personal record. But she and
Baler head girls coach Jennifer Logue weren’t positive that the
throw had broken the school record mark of 126-5 set by Susan
Westphal.
At the King City Invitational April 5, Hollister High’s Naomi Ruiz unleashed a more-than-worthy toss in the discus.
Ruiz, a senior, knew it was her personal record. But she and Baler head girls coach Jennifer Logue weren’t positive that the throw had broken the school record mark of 126-5 set by Susan Westphal.
“I told her to just throw it over 130-0, just to make sure,” said Logue. “She threw it way past it. I was so excited for her.”
Ruiz accomodated, with a toss of 133-feet, besting her previous mark of 126-7. Not only did Ruiz break the school record, her mark of 133-0 stands tops in the Central Coast Section by nearly 14-0 ahead of Erin Becker of Independence at 119-4.
Ruiz is the odds on favorite to win the discus at this Saturday’s Top 8 Meet at Los Gatos High when the event takes place at 4:15 p.m.
“Top 8 is like a pre-CCS meet,” said the well-dispositioned Ruiz. “I just have to go in there and see what’s out there and just do the best I can. If things don’t go well, that happens. I have to go on, come to practice the next day and work hard. I should be consistent in the 120’s because I hit 133-0. I just have to keep going. This will be a good measuring stick.”
And unless other throwers improve dramatically, Ruiz could be the Balers’ first ever CCS winner in the girls discus. The CCS finals are May 30 at San Jose City College.
“That would be awesome to win CCS,” said Ruiz, who placed sixth in CCS a year ago. “It would be indescribable. I would be at a loss for words if that happened.”
As far as league goes, which takes place on May 17, Ruiz should easily repeat as discus champ and could very well repeat in the shot put, but there should be more competition in the shot. Her PR in the shot this year is 34-11 1/2. That would put her in a four-way tie for the tenth best shot put mark in CCS right now. She’ll also have a go at the shot in the Top 8. That starts at 7 p.m.
Disc over shot
The Santa Maria-born Ruiz, who didn’t seriously begin throwing either the shot or the disc until her sophomore year, compared the two events:
“I prefer the discus over the shot, only because I excel more in the discus,” said Ruiz. “I get more medals in disc. I’m just overall better at it. Shot is harder to learn than the discus. You need to have patience, but at the same time you have to have explosiveness and energy. Disc is mostly technique and you have to get your rhythm down. You know, getting across the ring, releasing it at the right angle, making sure your hand isn’t too far down and things like that.”
Though there are many assistant coaches in the Baler track and field program, Logue coaches the weights.
“Jennifer’s the only coach I’ve ever really known as a shot putter and discus thrower,” said Ruiz. “I’m glad to have her as my coach. I’m very fortunate. She calms me down when I’m too excited or when I’m worried about what my mark is.”
“Naomi always had a good attitude,” said Logue. “She has gained so much more confidence since her sophomore year. When she goes to big meets she can cope with the pressure. She has always been serious and hard-working.”
Brush with Olympians
During the past summer, Ruiz attended a discus and shot put camp in Granville, Ohio, home base for Denison University. There she met former Olympic weightmen John Powell and Brian Oldfield.
“It was very humid but cool that I could meet those guys,” said Ruiz. “I did a lot of working with weights, running around and working out for eight hours a day for five days. The camp helped, especially the relays where we carried the 25-pound granite ball across 30-feet or however far it was. It really helped my posture in the discus and make sure I get my chest at the right angle.”
Quite a fan club
Ruiz’ biggest fan could very well be her mother, Joy Ruiz. Joy rarely misses Ruiz, a two-year starter on the Baler basketball team, compete in either hoop or track and field.
“She’s my biggest supporter,” said Naomi of her mom. “Her and my Uncle Shannon. They’re always there and I love them for that. It’s awesome. You see a lot of the kids out here and their parents work or have other things to do, but it’s like my mom’s always here. She finds time. It’s heartwarming.”
Joy and Shannon were at King City to see the record throw.
“I’m extremely proud of Naomi,” said Joy. “It was exciting when she threw 126-0, but when she threw 133-0, it was ‘Oh, my God!'”
Ruiz has another fan in Baler head football coach Chris Cameron. Ruiz made Cameron’s ‘1,000 pound club’ by lifting a combined 1,000 pounds in the bench, squat, power clean and deadlift max lifts. Girls are required to lift 600 pounds. Ruiz had 800 last year.
“Coach Cameron told me that Naomi would be the only girl he would let go out for the football team,” said Baler boys track and field coach Randy Logue. “That’s the best compliment I’ve heard about Naomi.”
Injury factor
Ruiz’ accomplishments are even more amazing due to the fact she partially hyperextended the elbow in her throwing arm in the Balers’ first dual meet back on March 27 while she competed in the shot put against Live Oak.
“It was my first throw of the meet,” Ruiz said. “Discus was done at the time. I stepped in the ring and I don’t know what happened. My elbow dropped and I didn’t have very much form at all. Coach told me she had never seen me throw before like that. It was weird, strange. The elbow hurt that entire day.”
Ruiz ices and wraps it constantly, trying to keep the tenderness down.
“It only hurts when I throw the shot,” said Ruiz. “It hurts just for a split second on my release. I’m not going to be able to rest it the rest of the season. I’ll just go on. I PR’d with the injury in disc and in shot. It works.”
The best chance for a Baler track athlete to win at Top 8 and at CCS needs to keep on throwin.’ As long as the elbow “works.”
