The senior finished first in both the 100 meter dash and 200 meter run at the Central League Championships for the fourth year in a row, and broke the league record for the 200 with a time of 24.23. At the PIAA District 1 3A Championships, she finished in the top six in both the 100 and 200 meter races. Off the track at Harriton, Ramey is co-president of the school’s Black Student Union, an officer in the school’s Medical Club, a freshman mentor, and a tutor of physics and English for the school’s National Honors Society. Ramey will be attending the University of Pennsylvania in the fall, and will run track for the Quakers. Harriton track head coach Nick Cimino said, “What truly makes Milan special is her leadership and hard work both on and off the track. She’s always there for her teammates, pushing them to be their best while also creating a fun and enjoyable environment with her silly and lighthearted personality. She’s not just a star athlete, she’s a role model and an outstanding young adult. She is the type of athlete every coach hopes to have on their team.”
Q: What was the key to your performance in the 200 meter run at the Central League Championships?
A: The key to my performance in the 200 at Centrals was to be aggressive out of the blocks. I wanted to have a good start so that as the race progressed I would be able to focus more on my form and running relaxed, as opposed to focusing on gaining the lead.
Q: What is your favorite memory of the Central League Championships?
A: My favorite memory was when my teammate (Scotty Coffi) got a PR in the 100 and I ran over to tell him that we both PR’ed. We were both very excited for each other, and so were our teammates.
Q: Do you think your background in gymnastics has helped you in the long jump, or in running?
A: I think that my background in gymnastics has definitely helped me with track. In gymnastics, like track, you compete as an individual, so it helped me deal with handling nerves and performing under pressure. Vault in gymnastics has some similarities to long jump, so having that background helped learn techniques faster.
Q: What aspect of your running are you working on most currently?
A: I am currently working most on my form towards the end of my races. My coaches and I have been focusing on making sure I maintain good form even when my body starts to fatigue, so that I finish my races strong.
Q: Tell us a little about your fondest memory of the Penn Relays.
A: My fondest memory at Penn Relays is running the 4×4. Since we run it in the Central League division, we are racing against familiar teams and it is very cool to have friendly competition with people you know, while racing at such a distinguished meet. Watching the Penn track team competing was also very exciting.
Q: Tell us a little about your pre-race preparation on the day of a race.
A: My pre-race preparation is to stretch and stay relaxed. If I think too much about my races I usually don’t perform as well, so just staying loose and remembering what I practiced prepares me the most. I also wear my lucky pearl earrings to every meet.
Q: What was your favorite memory of the indoor track season last winter?
A: My favorite memory from the indoor season last winter was at states. The prior two years I did not perform how I wanted to, and missed the podium at this meet. This year I executed my races well and placed in two events. It was rewarding to finally perform how I wanted to at this meet.
Q: What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of running an indoor track, as compared to running an outdoor track?
A: The most challenging part about running on an indoor track is definitely the tighter curves. To deal with this I try to lean into the curve and allow the curve to help me.
Q: What is your favorite academic course at Harriton? What do you plan to major in at the University of Pennsylvania? Is there a particular career field that interests you at the present time?
A: My favorite course at Harriton is human anatomy and physiology. I will be studying biology at Penn and hope to work in orthopedics or sports medicine in the future, so this course is very fun and interesting.
Fun facts – Milan Ramey
Favorite book: When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi.
Favorite TV show: How to Get Away with Murder.
Favorite movie: Let It Shine.
Favorite athlete: Anna Hall.
Favorite pre-meet pump-up song: Black Skinhead by Kanye.
Favorite pre-meet meal: Smoothies and bagels.
Family members: parents Felicia and David, brother Nigel.
(To be selected as Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by her coach.)
