Photo by: SFA Athletics
Place-Kicker Ruiz Named to October Fred Mitchell Award Watch List
11/7/2018 5:05:00 PM | Football
Junior Storm Ruiz is lone representative from the Southland Conference and only place-kicker from a Lone Star State school to appear on the 26-man list
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Junior Storm Ruiz, SFA football's starting place-kicker, was recently named to the 2018 Fred Mitchell Award Watch List for the month of October. The lone representative from the Southland Conference and only place-kicker from a Texas school, Ruiz is one of just seven FCS players to appear on the 26-man list.
The annual Fred Mitchell Outstanding Place-Kicker Award (also known as the Fred Mitchell Award) is provided to the nation's top collegiate place-kicker among more than 750 FCS, NCAA Division II, III, NAIA and NJCAA football teams. The Award is named for Fred Mitchell, a record-setting place-kicker, All-American, Wittenberg University Athletic Hall of Famer, author, philanthropist and former Chicago Tribune sports columnist. The recipient of the Fred Mitchell Award is chosen based on both excellence on the football field and in the community.
A 2017 Fred Mitchell Award finalist, Ruiz has knocked through six of his eight field goal attempts this season to rank fifth in the Southland Conference and tied for 37th nationally in field goal percentage (.750). While an unblemished 18-for-18 on extra-point attempts, Ruiz has made each of his three field goal tries from beyond 40 yards and is a perfect 5-for-5 from 30 yards out or farther. Against league adversary Central Arkansas on Oct. 13, Ruiz nailed a career-long 48-yarder and on Oct. 27 versus Lamar, he kicked a 46-yarder through the uprights for his second-longest field goal of his career. Averaging .75 field goals made per game, Ruiz leads all 'Jacks with 35 points scored this fall as his 4.5 points per game are tied for seventh-most among all kickers in the conference.
Off the field, Ruiz is involved with several community outreach projects in Nacogdoches, including SFA's "Read to Succeed" program where Lumberjack football players devote part of their Friday mornings to reading to elementary school children at the SFA Charter School. Additionally, he volunteers his time with other Lumberjack football players on Thursday mornings in helping greet and walk Raguet Elementary School students to class. During the spring, Ruiz participates in SFA's The Big Event, which is a campus-wide community service initiative where students go out into the local community to make an impact by helping those in need with various projects.
The recipient of the Fred Mitchell Award will be announced in mid-December based on performance on the football field and in the community. Complete details are provided at FredMitchellAward.com. The season's watch lists and updates may also be found on Facebook (Fred Mitchell Award), and on Twitter at @kickeruww.
Stay tuned to SFAJacks.com, as well as SFA's social media platforms, for complete coverage of Lumberjack football throughout the 2018 season.
-SFA-
The annual Fred Mitchell Outstanding Place-Kicker Award (also known as the Fred Mitchell Award) is provided to the nation's top collegiate place-kicker among more than 750 FCS, NCAA Division II, III, NAIA and NJCAA football teams. The Award is named for Fred Mitchell, a record-setting place-kicker, All-American, Wittenberg University Athletic Hall of Famer, author, philanthropist and former Chicago Tribune sports columnist. The recipient of the Fred Mitchell Award is chosen based on both excellence on the football field and in the community.
A 2017 Fred Mitchell Award finalist, Ruiz has knocked through six of his eight field goal attempts this season to rank fifth in the Southland Conference and tied for 37th nationally in field goal percentage (.750). While an unblemished 18-for-18 on extra-point attempts, Ruiz has made each of his three field goal tries from beyond 40 yards and is a perfect 5-for-5 from 30 yards out or farther. Against league adversary Central Arkansas on Oct. 13, Ruiz nailed a career-long 48-yarder and on Oct. 27 versus Lamar, he kicked a 46-yarder through the uprights for his second-longest field goal of his career. Averaging .75 field goals made per game, Ruiz leads all 'Jacks with 35 points scored this fall as his 4.5 points per game are tied for seventh-most among all kickers in the conference.
Off the field, Ruiz is involved with several community outreach projects in Nacogdoches, including SFA's "Read to Succeed" program where Lumberjack football players devote part of their Friday mornings to reading to elementary school children at the SFA Charter School. Additionally, he volunteers his time with other Lumberjack football players on Thursday mornings in helping greet and walk Raguet Elementary School students to class. During the spring, Ruiz participates in SFA's The Big Event, which is a campus-wide community service initiative where students go out into the local community to make an impact by helping those in need with various projects.
The recipient of the Fred Mitchell Award will be announced in mid-December based on performance on the football field and in the community. Complete details are provided at FredMitchellAward.com. The season's watch lists and updates may also be found on Facebook (Fred Mitchell Award), and on Twitter at @kickeruww.
Stay tuned to SFAJacks.com, as well as SFA's social media platforms, for complete coverage of Lumberjack football throughout the 2018 season.
-SFA-
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