Featured Athlete: Kaylen Ruiz

Grade: 11 | Sport: Cross Country

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Provided by Kaylen Ruiz

Second from the right, Ruiz smiles for a picture with the cross country team at a meet.

Inspiration: Jennifer Simpson

Favorite song: “‘Till I Collapse” – Eminem

Future Job: Criminal Psychiatric

Wingspan: How long have you been doing cross country and what got you started?

Ruiz: “I have been running cross country since I was twelve. I started running when I was in fourth grade. That’s really when my dad discovered I could run because he was a former runner. So I’ve been running for seven to eight years.”

Wingspan: Do you have any expectations for this season?

Ruiz: “I really want to go under nineteen minutes again and probably hit eighteen thirty for the 5k. I want to place at regionals this year because I was so close to making it last year. I also want to go to state as an individual. I really just want to better my team and make sure we all work hard this year. I want to promote a good environment for running and make sure everyone feels comfortable.”

Wingspan: What does your training look like?

Ruiz: “Training is very rigorous and tough, because we went to state last year and we obviously want to go again. Coach is definitely making it harder so we can endure any conditions on the road to state. Workouts are pretty tough, tuesdays and thursday’s are our hard days. We have to put in a lot of mileage before and after school some days.”

Wingspan: How do you prepare before a meet?

Ruiz: “I tend to go to bed at around nine o’clock before meet days, so I can wake up feeling refreshed. On Thursdays I’ll have my carb days and I think it’s crucial for every runner to load up on carbs so by Saturday they’ll have enough fuel. Just making sure to get enough sleep, drink water, and stretch.”

Wingspan: What do you think is the hardest part about cross country?

Ruiz: “It is a very tough sport and mentally bruising sport. The hardest thing is getting in my head and maintaining a good weight so I’ll be able to run faster.”

Wingspan: Do you have a favorite memory?

Ruiz: “Last year with going to state and the road to state. It was amazing to stop by and have breakfast with the team. Also all of the amazing runners and knowing that they’ve worked just as hard as you and you’ve come together in that same moment.”

Wingspan: What has been your biggest accomplishment?

Ruiz: “My biggest accomplishment was going sub nineteen and being part of the state team. I feel like that really marked as a turning point for me in highschool because I had never been to state before. It was my first year being in Texas, and Texas is such a competitive state so I felt very accomplished.”