Harriton’s Milan Ramey is Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week
The sophomore finished first at the Central League Track & Field Championships in the girls’ 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, long jump and 4×100 relay (as anchor leg) – that day also happened to be her birthday. She holds the school record for girls’ 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, 400 meter dash, long jump and 4×100 relay. At Districts, she placed second in the girls’ 100 meter dash (12.41) and fifth in the 200 meter dash (25.70) and has qualified for States in both events. Last winter, she finished ninth at States in the girls indoor 200 meter dash.
Q: What was the key to your performance at the Central League Championships?
A: I think that the key to my performance that day was just to stay calm and trust myself. I knew all of the girls that I was running against so I figured if I kept a calm mind and let myself run the way I know how to, things would play out in my favor.
Q: What is your favorite memory of the Central League championships?
A: My favorite memory of Centrals was probably cheering my teammates and watching them run. One friend in particular has worked very hard this season so watching her PR in the mile was very exciting and I was very happy for her. The day of Centrals was also my birthday so it was pretty cool to perform so well, and this will definitely be a day that won’t be forgotten.
Q: Tell us a little about your performances in the girls’ 100 meter run at Districts, where you finished second.
A: My favorite memory of districts was my performance in the 100. On Friday during trials I PR’ed and was seeded second going into finals. I really surprised myself considering that I wasn’t ranked very high in the event, and did not expect to PR by that much. On Saturday I ended up placing second and I’m very happy with that.
Q: What aspect of your running are you working on most recently?
A: Recently I’ve been working on getting a full range of motion in my arms when I run. I have also been working on relaxing my face and shoulders, since I tend to tense up at the end of a race.
Q: What attracted you to the long jump?
A: Nothing in particular attracted me to the long jump. I kind of just wanted to try something new and I figured that with my background in gymnastics long jump would play to my strengths.
Q: Tell us about your experience at Penn Relays earlier this season.
A: It was a very cool experience overall. Running in such a historic track stadium was awesome, and my favorite memory was probably walking around the venue and the bus ride back with my friends. The atmosphere on and off the track was so fun and getting all of the free food, drinks, and clothes was a bonus. Along with that, watching the college, professional, and international runners was very memorable.
Q: What attracted you to the Harriton indoor track program?
A: I chose to do indoor track this year mainly because I wanted to improve on my times from the last outdoor season. I figured indoor would be good for me to get into shape and run against new competition. My brother Nigel ran indoor track during his years at Harriton so that made the decision to do it a bit easier.
Q: What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of competing on an indoor track, as compared to an outdoor track?
A: I think that the most challenging part about competing on an indoor track is navigating the tight curves. Running on the curves is not my strongest suit so transitioning to a smaller track with tighter curves was definitely a challenge.
Q: Tell us a little about your running shoes, the type of shoe you favor and why.
A: Currently I am running in Brooks Glycerin 19. They are cushiony and give my feet support while not being too tight or constricting.
Q: Tell us a little about your pre-race preparation on the day of a race.
A: I do not have a specific pre-race preparation routine, but throughout the day of a meet I try my best to not overthink or get too much in my head about my races and how I will perform. In regards to right before a race, I usually touch my toes and stay in that position for a while to stretch out and calm my head and heart rate.
Q: What is your favorite academic course at Harriton? What do you think you would like to major in at college? Is there a particular career field that interests you at the present time?
A: My favorite class at Harriton is definitely chemistry. When I go to college I’d like to major in a science, I’m not sure which one in particular yet. As of right now, I am interested in the medical field and different works within sports medicine and orthopedics.
Fun facts – Milan Ramey
Favorite book: When Breath Becomes Air.
Favorite TV show: Stranger Things.
Favorite movie: Hunger Games.
Favorite athlete: Sydney McLaughlin.
Favorite pre-race pump-up song: Black Skinhead by Kanye.
Favorite place to visit: Los Angeles, Calif.
Favorite pre-race meal: Fruit smoothies.
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.)
