Biography
2024: (Junior): Named to the NSU AD’s Honor Roll for the fall semester … ITA Academic Scholar … Produced a 6-8 singles record, going 4-11 in doubles play ... Went 6-5 at the No. 4 singles position ... Defeated Loyola's (Md.) Emi Shivkumar 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 ... Beat Morgan State's Iva Jankovic 6-1, 6-4 ... Defeated Hampton's Sofia Sokolova 6-2, 6-3.
2023: (Junior): Named to the NSU AD’s Honor Roll for both semesters … Finished the season with a 5-11 singles record, across the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 positions … Went 4-4 at No. 3 singles … Defeated Loyola Maryland’s Jessica Bodewes 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) … Beat Longwood’s Karina Rizvanova 7-5, 6-3 … Totaled a 5-9 doubles record, recording two wins at the No. 1 position, two wins at the No. 2 slot, and one win at No. 3.
2022 (Sophomore): Named to the NSU AD Honor Roll for both semesters … Appeared in 14 dual matches, primarily at the No. 4 singles position … Defeated Hampton’s Franzene Tsui 6-0, 6-1 at the No. 4 slot … Took down Howard’s Yemisi Ifederu 6-1, 6-4 … Beat Coppin State’s Mackenzie Jones 6-2, 6-1 … Earned doubles victories alongside Breana Cook against Coppin State, N.C. Central, and Howard.
2021 (Freshman): Named Second-Team All-MEAC … Garnered the MEAC Player of the Week Award on March 3 … Also took home Rookie of the Week honors on March 3 and April 14 … Member of the AD Honor Roll in the spring after joining the team for the spring semester … Also named an ITA Scholar-Athlete … Went 8-5 overall in singles, 2-0 in the MEAC … Played at least one match at every position, going 1-0 at No. 1 singles, 2-2 at No. 2 singles, 1-1 at the third position, 2-2 at the fourth slot, and 1-0 at both No. 5 and 6 singles … Clinched the win over Delaware State and the Northern Division title with a 2-6, 7-6, 6-0 win at No. 3 singles over Daria Julia on April 10 … Won at No. 2 singles, 7-5, 6-3, over Howard’s Hana El Sherif on April 2 in another conference victory … Posted at 0-6, 7-6, 7-6(6) win over Emily Ory of UNCG on Feb. 25 at No. 4 singles … Defeated Lauryn Jacobs of Towson on March 7 in another fourth position win, 7-5, 6-3 … Also posted a 7-5 doubles mark, 2-0 in the league, going 6-5 with Paula Fortuno and 1-0 with Zada McMorris … Went 0-2 at the No. 1 position, 3-3 at the second slot, and 4-0 at No. 3 doubles … Earned a No. 2 win over Howard on April 2, 7-5, followed by a 6-4 victory against Delaware State at No. 3 doubles on April 10 in conference play … Posted a 7-5 victory at third doubles on April 24 against Florida A&M in the MEAC Tournament … Also won 6-1 at No. 2 doubles against UNCG on Feb. 25 in her first collegiate match … Earned a win with McMorris at No. 3 doubles, 6-2, against Virginia Wesleyan on April 8.
High School: Ranked No. 2 in singles and No. 1 in doubles in both the 16-and-under and 14-and-under age groups in Colombia … Had a top 20 ranking in the 18-and-under age group … Stood as high as No. 5 in the South American Tennis Federation (COSAT) rankings for her age group during her career, and as high as No. 1,558 in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) rankings … In 2020, competed in ITF tournaments in Mexico (grade 4) and in the city of Barranquilla (grade 1), advancing to the quarterfinals in doubles at one of the Mexican tournaments … In 2019, was runner-up in singles and doubles at a grade 2 Colombian national tournament … Advanced to the semifinals in singles and doubles at an ITF grade 5 tournament in the city of Bucaramanga, and in singles at an ITF grade 3 tournament in the city of Cali … Competed at an ITF grade 4 tournament in the city of Medellin … Competed in COSAT grade 1 tournaments in Cali and the country of Ecuador … Got through qualifying in a junior grand slam event in the city of Bogotá … Selected to participate in the COSAT youth camp in Brazil for the best players in South America … In 2018, was a singles and doubles champion at a COSAT grade 4 tournament in the city of Antioquia … A COSAT grade 5 champion in singles and doubles that same year in Medellin and Cali … A grade 2 national tournament champion in singles and doubles in the city of Cudinamarca … Finished as doubles champion at COSAT tournaments in Bogotá (grade 3) and Cocora Valley (grade 5), and was runner-up in singles in Bogotá … Was a runner-up in both singles and doubles at a COSAT grade 1 tournament in Peru … Competed in COSAT grade 1 tournaments in Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Uruguay, and in COSAT tournaments in the cities of Bogotá and Guayaquil (Ecuador) … That same year, took part in a South American tournament in Bolivia and the Eddie Herr Tournament in Florida … In 2017, won a pair of grade 2 doubles tournaments … Recognized by the mayor of Ibagué as the best athlete in the city in 2015-16 … Recognized by Colegia Champagnat Ibagué as the best athlete at the school each year … Also received recognition from the Colombian Tennis Federation and COSAT at one of the best players in the country and South America, respectively.
Personal: Full name is Laura Sofia Ruiz Ramirez … Born on Feb. 12, 2004 … Daughter of Isabel Ramirez and John Clark Ruiz … Has two sisters, Isabela and Diana, and two brothers, John Clark and Jefferson … Majoring in health service management … Enjoys watching movies, listening to music and traveling.
