Dec. 1, 2007

In celebration of Girls and Women in Sports Day, goaztecs.com will be catching up with former Aztecs to see where life has taken them after graduation. Ramona Pagel, an NCAA champion in the shot put, has shared her experiences as a collegiate athlete and the successes she has achieved in life.

Ramona definitely left her mark as an Aztec. Ramona was the first woman in SDSU history to earn an NCAA title, winning the shot put in 1984. Later that year, she made her first Olympic team.

After completing her eligibility as an Aztec, she went on to make three more Olympic teams and break the indoor and outdoor American Record in the shot put, which still stands today.

After retiring as a professional athlete, she continued to stay close to track and field. She has worked with USA Track and Field and the United States Olympic Committee, and been on the coaching staff of the World Indoor championships. After coaching all around the country at collegiate and professional levels, Ramona now resides in Fresno, Calif., coaching at Fresno State University.

What made you choose to go to San Diego State?
I was looking for a strong university in women's athletics as well as a good physical education program

What did it mean for you to be a part of the San Diego State athletic community and a be student-athlete?
It was a great opportunity for me to expand my athletics and realize my goals. We had some really good people who were willing to support and mentor athletes - these people influenced my future in athletics as well as my career in coaching.

What is your favorite part about coaching? I like giving back to the sport and helping athletes achieve their athletic goals while obtaining their degrees.

How do you feel that being an SDSU athlete contributed to your success in life? I think being an athlete made me a stronger person. As an athlete I needed to learn to organize my time between school, work and athletics, this is a talent that I still use in my work environment today.

How do you feel about being an SDSU alumni?
While being at San Diego State, I had many valuable mentors in the kinesiology staff who helped me understand how I could use my love of sport to understand the science of the classroom. This enabled me to get a deep understanding of not only the physical aspect of sport, but the mental as well. This understanding carried me through my athletic career and has made me a better coach.

What is your greatest memory from SDSU athletics?
My greatest memory has to be winning the NCAA nationals in track and field. I was proud of the fact that I was the first woman from San Diego State to win an NCAA Title and even more proud of our team which finished 11th that year.

What differences do you see between opportunities for girls and women in sport today versus when you participated?
When I was in athletics at San Diego State, women's athletics was at an early stage of development and many things have changed. The opportunity, however, to develop as a person through athletics is the one consistent aspect that holds value today for both men and women and it is up to the athlete to use this opportunity to its fullest. Thanks to San Diego State and its professors and coaches I was given that opportunity.