Year: Freshman

Parents: Nicole and John Ruggirello

Sport: Mountian Biking

Ruggirello is brand new this season and has hit the ground with tremendous speed, making her a pleasant surprise for the coaches.

“Like I said, this is her first year,” head coach Nick Shaskos said. “She’s never been on a mountain bike before, and she’s just taken to it, she truly is a natural, truly a natural. I’ve never seen anything like her, first-year kid coming out and just rocking.

“Out of the four races, she’s finished on the podium in three of those races and the second race was really hot, so a lot of kids didn’t do well that day. To see her fall into this sport, fall in love with it and just embrace it is an amazing thing and why I think she’s deserving of being a Student-Athlete of the Week.”

“I had a lot of friends who were in it, and they were telling me it was a lot of fun, and I really thought I’d give it a shot,” Ruggirello said.

Ruggirello said she does not have one specific moment from the season that has stood out to her, but the adrenaline that comes with the beginning of each race.

“When you first start, right when they say ‘go,’” she began. “I really get excited to start going and riding because it sounds really fun and to try my hardest. I get really pumped about that.”— T. R.