Versatile Ruffing leads Lehigh into Patriot League Championships

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By Rebecca Factor '14, Lehigh Sports Media Relations

As a freshman, student athlete, Kaitlyn Ruffing, is a true Renaissance woman.

Not only is she a member of both the swimming and outdoor track and field teams, but Ruffing is a musician, and dual biology-music major with hopes of attending medical school. Although this may seem like an impossible workload for the average Lehigh student, for Ruffing this is the only way she knows how to function.

"If there's one individual that could do this in my career here, it's Kaitlyn," said Lehigh head swimming and diving coach Rob Heb.

Ruffing's daily and weekly routine is not typical for most students, but being busy is what keeps her driven. She has swim practice six days a week, which sometimes includes two-a-days, plus music rehearsals two days a week for several hours, all on top of her rigorous studies. By partaking in two sports, Ruffing will not even have an off-season to relax. She says she'll take "a break" after track season in May, but clarifies that this will only be for about a month. With so much on her plate, she does admit her social life takes a hit.

"My social life is compromised, but it's something you just have to deal with," Ruffing said. "My social life is centered on swimming and orchestra."

Partying may not be one of her top priorities, but she sure does find her release through her several passions.

Before her college career even started, Ruffing was looking for a school where she could exercise all of her talents as well as receive a rigorous education with dreams of being an emergency room doctor. Both the swimming and track coaches saw Ruffing's potential and unique intensity and knew she would be able to handle and succeed in each sport.

When Ruffing realized she could play her beloved flute in both the orchestra and wind ensemble, this was the icing on the cake for her college experience.

"That's the great thing about Lehigh is that it allows me to do everything I want to do," she said. "I couldn't live without my music, it's my release."

Ruffing is so passionate about music she has decided to major in it along with being pre-med, because in her opinion it isn't even work.

Although Ruffing claims that playing her flute is her favorite thing at Lehigh, she explains she couldn't go through college without both swimming and running.

"I didn't want to give up either talent," said Ruffing, who added that if she were to only have chosen one sport she'd get bored too easily or her body would change in some way. "I like both and don't want to lose either one."

So far, Ruffing has only competed in the swim season, as outdoor track and field has yet to begin. As her freshman swim season nears completion, Ruffing has managed to exceed her coach and teammates' expectations. She has managed to be a consistent performer in the sprint freestyle events for the Mountain Hawks and was named Patriot League Female Swimmer of the Week earlier this month after sweeping the 50 and 100 yard freestyle events in a meet at Drexel. He personal best times include 23:59 for the 50 free and 51:24 for the 100 free. Ruffing's consistently fast times and drive to succeed adds a new determination to the team.

"She raises the level of competitiveness within our program," Herb said.

Ruffing's teammates feel the same way as their coach. Sophomore sprinter Carolyn Koch acts as a teammate, a competitor and a mentor to Ruffing. She agrees that Ruffing's success definitely keeps things competitive and brings the team to a new level. Koch and Ruffing regularly finished first and second together in the same race. When this happens Koch recalls that Ruffing, both her competitor and friend, always exclaims, "We did it!" Her motivating and thoughtful characteristics are among the more important qualities she brings to the team.

Up next for Ruffing is her debut on the outdoor track and field team as a sprinter. Unlike the usual college athlete who has weeks to train for an upcoming season, Ruffing finishes her swim season and is immediately thrust into running less than a week later. She is forced to use completely different muscles in what will be a true testament to the type of athlete Ruffing is.

"I'm going to work really hard, because I really want to do it," Ruffing said.

Not only is she incredibly determined, she also has an extreme sense of humility. Ruffing is adamant that does not want to waste anyone's time or effort. If she is not performing to the best of her ability and able to help the team in anyway, she does not want to take anyone's place.

Whether or not Ruffing can take on and succeed at everything is yet to be determined, but if her coaches and peers have any say, they are completely confident that she can handle it. Her swim team does not only see incredible potential for Ruffing in the pool, but in everything that she does.

Herb said, "She'll exceed our expectations even though they are sky rocket high already."

The Lehigh swimming and diving teams will look to build on strong dual meet seasons as the Mountain Hawks head to Annapolis, Md., for the Patriot League Swimming and Diving Championships, beginning Wednesday at Navy's Lejeune Hall.

The Lehigh men had another strong dual meet season, going 6-4 overall and 3-2 in duals against league opponents, while the women enjoyed their best season in the last decade going 7-2 overall and 3-2 in the league. Both Mountain Hawk squads defeated Colgate, Lafayette and Loyola and lost to Army and Bucknell within the league.

Lehigh has won a total of five Patriot League team titles in swimming and diving, with either the men or women winning one in each year from 1998-2002. The Mountain Hawk women won Patriot League titles in 1998, 2000 and 2001, while the men were victorious in 1999 and 2002.

Both Lehigh squads will be led by their sprinters. Senior Chris Hoke leads the charge for the Lehigh men after finishing second in the 50 free a year ago. Hoke also anchored the 200 free relay team that last year won Lehigh's first Patriot League title since 2008. Primed to repeat in the 200 free relay, Hoke will team with a talented group of sprinters that also includes junior Martin Kendig and freshmen Justin White and Jamal Willis.

Sophomore Carolyn Koch and freshman Kaitlyn Ruffing will lead the Lehigh women in the sprints. Koch was a first team All-League performer who set three school records at last year's championship meet, while Ruffing has pushed her teammate with several strong swims in the last month.

Another sophomore that Lehigh will rely on is Courtney Patterson, a second team All-League performer who owns the school record in the 500 free and could also score points in the 200 fly and the 200 IM. Freshman Cora Summerfield set a school record in the 1000 free earlier this year and will look to contribute in the distance events.

Also returning for the Lehigh women is junior Alissa Leung, who owns the school record in the 100 and 200 yard backstroke events and earned All-League honors as a freshman in 2012.

Other ones to watch for the Lehigh men include junior Danny Bennett, who is a two-time second team All-League performer and will compete in the distance freestyle and individual medley events and freshman Jacob Moyar, who had a strong all-around season swimming distance free, butterfly and individual medley. Moyar won a Patriot League Male Swimmer of the Week award as well.

There are a number of Mountain Hawk men expected to compete that have ties to school or Jacobs Pool records. Kendig and Hoke were on the record setting 200 medley relay team along with sophomore Jacob Hassel, who swam the breaststroke leg on that team and also competes in butterfly. Hoke and Willis were members of a pool record-setting 400 medley relay team that included sophomore Matt Carducci on backstroke and freshman Kevin Huntley on breaststroke. Lehigh also set a pool record in the 800 free relay with Bennett and White joined by juniors Owen Dunbar and Eric Sherwood.

Junior Dan Bateman will represent the Mountain Hawks on the diving boards.

Lehigh's men enter the Patriot League Championships having finished fourth in each of the last eight seasons. The Lehigh women finished fifth in 2012 and 2013. The league will be deeper this year with the additions of Boston University and Loyola.

Individually, Lehigh won the 200 free relay title last year. The Mountain Hawks' last individual Patriot League champion was Dan Johnson, who won the 200 free in 2008. Lehigh's last women's Patriot League titlist was Linda Hendrixson, who won the 200 IM in 2003. Navy has swept the men's and women's titles in each of the last two years, while the men have captured ten straight league crowns overall.

Action at the Patriot League Championships begins Wednesday with diving preliminaries at 2 p.m. from Lejeune Hall. The first finals session is set for 6 p.m. Wednesday night. The final three days of competition: Thursday, Friday and Saturday, feature preliminary competition beginning at 10:30 a.m. and finals action beginning at 6 p.m. Streaming video of the entire championship meet will be available online via the Patriot League Network.

Lehigh University Athletics

Completed Event: Swimming and Diving versus Patriot League Championships on February 20, 2010 , , Men: 4th, 427 pts.<br>Women: 4th, 317.5

Completed Event: Swimming and Diving versus Patriot League Championships on February 19, 2010 , , Men: 4th, 275 pts.<br>Women: 5th, 208 pts.

Completed Event: Swimming and Diving versus Patriot League Championships on February 18, 2010 , , Men: 3rd, 98 pts.<br>Women: 6th, 96 pts.

Cancelled Event: Swimming and Diving at Penn State

Completed Event: Swimming and Diving versus Bucknell on January 23, 2010 , , Men: Won 166.5-131.5<br>Women: Lost 182-115

Completed Event: Swimming and Diving at Army on January 15, 2010 , , Men: Lost 176-123<br>Women: Won 167-133

Completed Event: Swimming and Diving versus Marist on January 9, 2010 , , Men: Won 156-87<br>Women: Lost 141-102

Versatile Ruffing leads Lehigh into Patriot League Championships

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