Tribe of Vikings Hall of Fame
Perseverance and resiliency are terms that could be synonymous with Ramsey Vens. You would also have to add talented, dedicated and tough to this young lady who may have cemented her place in the Tribe of Vikings Hall of Fame after a stellar freshman season in 2005-06. What came after that, however, molded her into the person who today has taken over what she calls “my dream job” as the head coach of the Augustana swimming & diving programs for both men and women.
“My time at Augie was nothing short of wonderful,” she commented. “It was a time of growth, challenge and discovery. It provided me with the opportunity to push beyond my comfort zone and build lifelong friendships.”
After an outstanding high school career at Pleasant Valley High School in nearby Bettendorf, Iowa, Vens chose Augustana. Her mother Cindy was an administrative assistant in the school’s business department. She opened plenty of eyes that first year as she won both the 100 and 200 backstroke at the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin championships. She was the Vikings first conference champion since 1999 and was named the league’s “Most Outstanding Performer”.
Not only did she win two individual titles in the CCIW that year, she set individual school records in both backstroke events and was also a member of the 200 medley, 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relays teams which also set new school marks. She qualified for the NCAA Division III national meet and won a combined (individual and relay) 17 events during that freshman campaign. Not surprisingly she was named the team’s Most Valuable Performer.
After that early success, Vens got a test of both her physical and mental strength when she suffered a broken neck during the summer before her sophomore season. She spent seven days in the hospital and the rehabilitation was daunting.
“I probably didn’t think this at the time, but having that injury happen made me tough,” she remarked. “I had to overcome lots of obstacles and I was able to do that.”
She recovered enough to win another CCIW individual title, this time in the 100 backstroke in 2006-07. She won three individual events in invitationals that year and repeated as the team’s MVP. As a junior she placed second in her specialty, the 100 backstroke, at the 2008 CCIW championships.
It was at this point where Vens decided she needed a break from school. “My mother got sick and things started to fade a bit for me,” she recalled painfully. “It was a tough time in my life, and I decided to take a gap year in 2008-09.”
After her mother passed away from cancer, she made a commitment to get back and finish her career and graduate. “My mother had been my biggest cheerleader, and I was determined to graduate,” she said. “Also, I was going to finish my swimming career. It was part of my identity, a big presence of me came from what I did in the water.”
She was also in the process of having her third head coach of her collegiate career, but she feels she got lucky to fall under the tutelage of Scott Johannsen. She also recalled a conversation with him on the pool deck that helped provide an impetus for her eventual career path.
“Scott made it fun again to get in the pool,” a grateful Vens commented. “He also told me, ‘You would be good coaching little kids’ and that sort of put the bug in my ear that would eventually lead me to where I am at today.”
Vens fought her way through her senior season with memory of her mother fueling her as well as the fun being back in the sport. She won seven invitational races combined in 2009-10 and earned all-conference honors in both backstroke events. She credited Augustana with helping her through the tough times that allowed her to finish her career on a positive note.
“Augie really has a special place in my heart,” she said. “I also have to thank Dr. Sharon Varallo, professor of communication studies, because she was there for me when I felt like my world was falling apart. I went through a lot during my career but my time at Augustana was a very special experience.”
Vens started swimming when she was five years old with the Bettendorf Swim Club and she laughed when she recounted “I have no idea how I liked it but we were a close-knit group of girls who traveled all the time and it created a bond that still exists for some of us to this day.”
A communication major, Vens has had a plethora of jobs in the sport where she accomplished so much. She coached swimming at her alma mater Pleasant Valley as well as Davenport North and Davenport Central. She was the head coach at junior high schools as well as various swimming clubs in the area. Vens and her wife Connie Droessler-Vens own and operate Fins Up Swim School, and this past summer was the 12 th year that she fulfilled her former coach’s prophesy about “being good coaching little kids”.
“Being named the head coach of swimming & diving at Augie this past summer is a dream come true,” said Vens. “It truly feels like coming home. I feel blessed to be able to use my knowledge, passion and past experiences to continue to drive the success for current and future Augustana athletes.”
Ramsey and her wife Connie are the parents of three children: Cormack, Hazel and Gannon.
