When Anna Ruiz first joined the Presbyterian College Acrobatics and Tumbling team, she didn't really know what to expect. "I grew up doing a very individual sport, gymnastics, so, for me, learning to grow as a team and communicating within [acro], not only on the mat, but also living life [with teammates] was really important." Anna adjusted to spending more than twenty hours every week with her peers and to leaning on her teammates for support.
 
A highlight of the PC Acro season for Ruiz has been the strong support network that the Presbyterian Acro and Tumbling team provides. "Some of the characteristics that made PC Acro good this year have been resilience, determination, and communication," stated Anna. The use of a sports psychologist to promote these values has been vital to the Blue Hose's success. Learning how to be resilient in the face of adversity had been a central theme, as the team faced tough opponents throughout their schedule. "We worked a lot [with the sports psychologist] on building confidence and being proud of the things that we are putting out on the mat," explained Ruiz. Finding joy in competing and persevering through adversity has certainly helped the PC Acro team succeed in the NCATA and grow as a community.
 
The Blue Hose's team camaraderie has definitely contributed to Anna Ruiz's strong senior season. The base and tumbler from Helena, Alabama, was recently named thevAdidas/Game One PC Student-Athlete of the Week, following a win against Bluefield State. During the match vs. the Big Blue, Ruiz competed in ten different events, contributing to an overall score of 237.94 for the Blue Hose. This season, she contributed to PC program records in the 7-Element Heat and the Toss Event Synchronized Heat.
 
Ruiz was a notable contributor to the PC Acro squad from 2023 to 2026, as well. Last year, she was a member of the Pyramid Open Heat team that recorded the Blue Hose's first "Perfect 10" and earned 10s in the last three meets of the season. Anna has also been on the National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling (NCATA) Honor Roll every year of her college career, showing her commitment to excellence on and off the mat.
 
Daily, Anna Ruiz is strengthened by her Christian faith. Anna is an active leader in Presbyterian College's Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter, which provides her with an opportunity to mentor and encourage fellow college students in their faith journey. "As I was getting recruited, PC was such an answered prayer," claimed Ruiz, "opportunities like FCA and ODK (Omicron Delta Kappa, an honors society) has allowed me to pour into people on this campus. My faith is what helps me live out [PC's motto] "Dum Vivimus Servimus" or "While We Live, We Serve."
 
Anna's faith has also comforted her during the adversity faced as a student-athlete. "It's a lot to put in the hard work and not necessarily see the result you wanted," Anna pointed out, but her faith has comforted her through difficult times. Whether she is cheering on her teammates during a meet, absorbing knowledge in class, growing in faith, or serving the student body, Anna Ruiz truly embodies what it means to be "True Blue."