Julia Quinn Ferguson played three sports for Miramonte over the past two seasons, but says she was more “ultra” when it came to basketball.
Top girl: Julia Quinn Ferguson does it all
In a time when focusing on one sport is the norm, Julia Quinn Ferguson took the athletic road less traveled – and it resulted in her being named the Miramonte High School Female Athlete of the Year.
Quinn Ferguson is a modern anomaly, a three-sport athlete who doesn’t play a club sport in the summer, focusing instead on enjoying different games and different teammates in different seasons.
“Sometimes I wish I had played just one sport,” she said, “but if I would have done that, I wouldn’t have met all these other friends in other sports.”
Take flag football, for example, a program that’s just two years old. The Matadors managed just one win in their first season, and improved to five in year two, so Quinn Ferguson was focused more on helping young players than winning a league title.
“I wanted to be friends with everyone,” she said, “and it was exciting to see the freshmen catch a pass or pull a flag and realize they could succeed.”
In basketball, though, Quinn Ferguson was the point guard for a highly successful team and she carried herself differently.
“My ultra personality comes out,” she said – but she almost never does.
“It was really hard to take her off the floor,” said Vince Wirthman, her basketball coach for four seasons. “She does a little bit of everything – she can play the point and guard the other team’s post.”
“It’s a mind sport,” said Quinn Ferguson about basketball. “You have to see the defenses and run the plays.”
That same athletic intelligence made her a key player on the flag team.
“Her speed and intelligence allowed her to be a ballhawk,” said coach Kevin Newby. “If the ball was in the air, she was going to come down with it.”
Her versatility, though, was even on greater display in softball. She played right field, center field, shortstop, catcher and first base for the Mats this year, who are headed for the North Coast Section playoffs for the first time in the MaxPreps’ era.
And her strength comes into play at the plate – “She hits it as hard as anyone when she squares it up,” said O.C. Schott, her coach for three years.
But Quinn Ferguson admits she’s not at the level in softball that she is in other sports. When it comes to hitting, maybe the most difficult skill in sports, her plan at the plate isn’t exactly what hitting coaches preach.
“Don’t look like an idiot” is her mantra in the batter’s box. “If I try to be too serious, I get nowhere.”
She also is more comfortable in the outfield, and her time at shortstop made her appreciate her infielders even more. “It’s very humbling,” she said. “Shortstop is a lot different than standing in the outfield waiting for a ball to come to you.”
But Schott, like all her coaches, knows that Quinn Ferguson can be trusted to make plays no matter what is asked of her. In turn, she values her coaches.
“Sports are a lot easier when you can trust and rely on your coaches,” she said, and she valued her relationship with all of them.
Of course they valued her in return, and Quinn Ferguson was a key piece of the puzzle on all three teams – which is a testament to her athleticism and intelligence.
“She can play any sport she wants,” said Wirthman. “She seamlessly goes from flag football to basketball to softball. She’s one of those natural athletes.”
Preston Rguem’s play at point guard was just part of the reason he was named the Miramonte High School Boys’ Athlete of the Year.
Top boy: Preston Rguem’s focus on athletics paid off
Even after 11 optical operations, Preston Rguem has kept his eye on the ball – and in fact, did that so well that he’s the Miramonte High School Boys’ Athlete of the Year.
Rguem (pronounced “arr-gwem”) had numerous operations for strabismus before he was five, with surgeries continuing until age 11, but even though his depth perception and night vision aren’t quite 100%, he’s still excelled at multiple sports. As a senior, he played basketball and baseball, and added football through his junior year – three sports that all require the ability to track a ball in flight.
Baseball, of course, is especially demanding in that regard, with even a high school pitch arriving at home plate from the mound in less than a second. And Rguem, as a point guard, was required, if not expected, to shoot three-pointers, and during his football career, he was a wide receiver and defensive back.
“Night games for football were a problem,” Rguem conceded, but he made no excuses. Depth perception also came into play, but a solid work ethic, a competitive spirit and a high athletic IQ made it possible for him to play all three sports at a high level.
For example, Rguem is one of the top hitters for the Matador baseball team this spring, and led Miramonte in scoring during basketball.
But Rguem’s contributions go beyond statistics.
“Preston’s a competitor,” said Mike Shaughnessy, his basketball coach. “He wants to win, and plays with grit and toughness.”
Skip Tague, the baseball coach, echoes Shaughnessy. “He’s one of the most competitive athletes I’ve ever seen – he wills things to happen.”
One example of that came during his junior season when Miramonte was battling league power Alhambra for the baseball title. The season came down to the last game, and Alhambra had elite prospect Cameron Millar on the mound.
The game was tied 0-0 in the seventh inning when the Mats pushed Joe Shallat to third base. Rguem got the sign for the suicide squeeze, meaning Shallat was committed to sprinting for home and it was up to Rguem to make contact.
“They pitched out,” said Rguem, putting the ball far away from his bat. “If I didn’t make contact, Joe was out for sure.” But as Tague referenced, Rguem found a way, reaching across the plate to somehow foul the ball off, keeping Shallat from getting tagged out.
And when J.D. Pearce followed with a hit, Miramonte went on to claim the 1-0 win and the league championship.
Rguem also applies his athletic intellect in the middle infield, which he’s played his whole life.
“I love the mental part of the game,” he said. “I’m able to leverage that in the middle infield.”
And as a point guard, a high basketball IQ is a necessity. Rguem was more of a wing growing up, but settled into the point guard role when he got to Miramonte. “My ballhandling got better,” he said, but he also rose to the occasion as a player and leader.
“We told him we needed more out of him at both ends of the floor,” said Shaughnessy, “and he stepped up.”
“He has incredible drive,” said Tague. “His fire is unique, and he’s fearless. He’s max effort all the time – for many that’s the exception, but for him it’s the rule.”
But don’t expect him to ever mention any issues with his vision.
“I don’t even wear glasses anymore,” he said. “I don’t see it as a problem.”