Ruby sweeps the board at track and field

After six weeks off jumps training over summer, Golden Bay athlete Ruby Darwin has leapt into the Tasman Secondary School record books.

Ruby spent that time out of the air, working on sprint work.

After finishing third in the triple jump at last year’s national secondary school champs in Timaru, her coach Tony Aikenhead decided to change up her training.

“I identified Ruby was lacking a bit of speed on the runway, so we concentrated on that and she then comes out and her extra pace takes her to two U16 jumps titles,” says Tony of one of the stars of his select training squad.

She proved a first jump wonder, with her opening attempt in the long jump being her best.

That was just three centimetres short of the Tasman record and then her first triple jump of 11.25 metres obliterated the former mark by 0.21m.

And what’s more, Ruby launched herself from behind the final board.

“I had been working really hard and was pretty confident as I had jumped further in training,” revealed Ruby, who has battled calf and quad problems since taking up track and field seriously in 2023.

But after claiming the record last Thursday, she struggled with her footing and stepping.

Given her recent sprint work, Ruby lined up in the 200m as well but not really expecting too much.

She promptly went out and won the race to grab her third title of the meet.

“That sprint distance is ideal for a jumps preparation as it is more relaxed than 100m,” explains Tony.

If you suggest to Ruby that she might be one of the best track and field athletes to come out of Golden Bay since the 1996 and 2000 Olympic middle distance runner, Toni Hodgkinson, she will confirms they are indeed related.

Given Ruby’s height and aerial skills, it is little surprise she plays basketball to a high level as well with Nayland College, who is keen to get the age grade representative into its ranks.

But her immediate goal is soaring to more success at the South Island Secondary School Track and Field Champs which is happening back at the Saxton complex on 5-6 April.