Heritage's Ortiz takes lofty goals into CIF Masters track meet

Heritage High's Andreese Ortiz qualified for the CIF Masters meet in two events.

By Paige Mendez, Correspondent

Heritage High School’s Andreese Ortiz will compete in the CIF Masters track meet this Saturday in shot put and discus and is currently ranked among the top 25 throwers in the nation. Her personal best in the discus was an impressive 146-4 in the prestigious Arcadia Invitational last month and she recently qualified for the Masters with a mark of 129 in the CIF-SS Division 1 finals.

In the shot put, Ortiz finished with a mark of 42-3 in the CIF prelims and followed that up with a 36-5 in the finals. She is one of only three Menifee area athletes to qualify for the Masters meet, which is the qualifying meet for the CIF State meet.

Ortiz’s journey with discus began just three years ago when a track and field coach asked her if she was interested in throwing.

“‘Throwing what?’ I said,” the senior recalled. I had no clue what that was,” Ortiz said. “But I went home and thought about it after we talked and the next day decided to give it a try.”

As a younger student, she was focused on her 4H competitions and all things animals – a passion she still holds as she plans to work in veterinary science and pathology someday. But her physical build and love for hard work made her an ideal candidate for her sport.

Since starting as a sophomore, Ortiz said her time in the weight room has become one of her top priorities.

“I’m a lot stronger than I’ve ever been and a lot more confident in my abilities than when I started out,” she said. “My same uniform that I wore my sophomore year is the same one I wear now, but it’s not as baggy anymore and it’s so cool.”

Ortiz noted that she is often one of the only females surrounded by mostly boys in the weight room, but with a 6-foot stature of her own to boast, that scenario doesn’t faze her. And now that she has a few more female athletes joining her in the weight room, she’s been able to mentor them in new workouts and training.

Another scenario she was easygoing about was her CIF meet last Saturday, in which she placed third and qualified for this next round. Before the last meet, she said she already had her eyes set on what would come next – Masters, then State.

But that’s not a mental fortitude she has always had.

As a pre-teen, Ortiz said she started feeling negative about her body and abilities. She now wishes she could tell her younger self an important message.

“I would say ‘Be confident, you’re worth something and you’re going to do good,’” she said. “If I would have gotten that in my head sooner, I think I would be even higher than I am right now.”

But where she is right now is one of Heritage’s top athletes and, more importantly, someone who has fought a mental battle to be who she is today. She feels like she owes that, partly, to this sport she didn’t even know about three years ago.

“This sport has helped me grow mentally,” she said. “I sometimes break down too easily, and I have been able to learn that I have to calm down and remind myself of the support I have and that I know what I’m doing.”

It’s the same mentality she is taking to Masters this weekend, and beyond that, as she heads into college. Currently, she is undeclared with two options for her future university that will allow her to continue to thrive in her sport and pursue a higher education.

Her goals remain focused on the bigger picture.

“I want the best for myself and I want to go be something,” she said. “I want to stay strong and set myself up for a proper future.”