CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa --- The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that former Wartburg College volleyball player Ramey Sieck (Fayette, Iowa / North Fayette) has been named the Johanna Olson IIAC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the 2013-2014 academic year.
 
"It is truly inspiring to follow this process through to the announcement,” said Iowa Conference Commissioner Chuck Yrigoyen. “Our Scholar-Athlete vote, conducted among our Faculty Athletics Representatives, was as close as ever this year. I was particularly struck by the student's statements that accompanied their nominations. It's clear from their own words that Ramey and men’s recipient Kyle Freischlag of Central had the kind of well-rounded experience that is the foundation of the Iowa Conference and Division III."
 
Sieck graduated Magna Cum Laude in May 2014 with a 3.75 grade point average as a biology major with a Spanish minor. She was named to the Dean’s List in six of eight semesters, earning selection to the 2012 CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-District Team. Additionally, Sieck was a three-time member of the Iowa Conference All-Academic Team. Sieck is currently enrolled in the Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions where she is pursuing a doctorate in occupational therapy.
 
“She works very well in groups and individually, and her research abilities, intellectual engagement, and ability to communicate effectively in Spanish in advanced courses are among the best in our program,” noted Wartburg College Assistant Professor of Spanish Zak Montgomery.
 
I find Ramey to be an easy conversationalist, a leader who cares about others, and a young woman with many interests and talents,” added Wartburg College Professor of Biology Ann Henninger. “I think she has chosen a career field – occupational therapy – which will allow her to combine many of those interests and strengths. I truly expect her to make a positive difference in her community and her profession.
 
Sieck was also a member of the Beta Beta Beta (biology) and Sigma Delta Pi (Spanish) honor societies, the Wartburg College Spanish Club and the Wartburg College Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She also served on Wartburg’s Homecoming Committee and served as a club volleyball coach and summer volleyball camp instructor. Sieck also spent time volunteering at Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community and in the emergency department at Waverly Health Care Center. She also participated in Wartburg’s Unified Sports Day and the Wartburg volleyball team’s Elementary Reading Program.
 
“The success that our team experienced over the last four years – three IIAC tournament championships, two IIAC regular season championships, and three trips to the NCAA tournament among other things—happened in larg part due to the leadership and example of Ramey,” added Wartburg Co-Head Volleyball Coach Doug Frazell. “There is the obvious way that Ramey led by her daily work in practice and play in matches. She invited her teammates to join her in the pursuit of excellence both by showing through actions how to commit, work, and expect a lot of herself first, then by using her words to encourage, direct and challenge her teammates to give more…our players now are invested in the program and each other, and this is a direct result of Ramey’s leadership and example.”
 
“There is a commitment, a humility and desire to be and give her best to others that makes her special,” added Frazell. “People trust her, respect her, and follow her...She listened to others, respected their opinion, and had the ability to bring people together towards a common goal. She did this both by her daily actions and with her words."
 
Sieck was a four-time all-Iowa Conference selection who earned Iowa Conference MVP honors as a junior and senior. Also a two-time AVCA all-region honoree, she was named a Second Team AVCA All-America in 2012 and an honorable mention all-America in 2013. Sieck also earned AVCA all-region honorable mention as a sophomore in 2011. She finished her career as Wartburg’s all-time leader in assists (4,304), sets played (539), matches played (150), and ranked third in service aces (160) and 10th in digs (1,344). She also amassed 880 kills and 253 blocks while hitting .269 in her career. Sieck was also named the recipient of the 2014 Chellevold Award as Wartburg’s Outstanding Senior Female Student-Athlete.
 
Sieck and this year’s male honoree – former Central College tennis player Kyle Freischlag – will be honored in May at the Conference’s annual awards banquet.
 
Also nominated for the 2013-2014 Johanna Olson IIAC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year were former Loras College basketball player and track & field athlete Katie Langmeier (Cuba City, Wis. / Cuba City) and former Luther College softball player Becca Girvan (Maple Grove, Minn. / Osseo).
 
About the IIAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards
The IIAC Female Scholar Athlete of the Year Award was first presented in December 2001 for the 2000-01 academic year. To be eligible for nomination, a student-athlete shall have graduated or exhausted their athletic eligibility during the academic year for which the award is given. She must have demonstrated a high level of accomplishment and achievement in a varsity sport, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale), and show evidence of scholarly achievements, community service involvement and leadership. Originally named for longtime Wartburg sports information director and Iowa Conference secretary-treasurer Duane Schroeder, the women’s award was renamed in December 2013 in honor and memory of inaugural winner Johanna Olson (see below).
 
Previous recipients of the IIAC Female Scholar Athlete of the Year include Johanna Olson (2000-01, Luther College track and cross country), Brianne Schoonover (2001-02, Wartburg College basketball and track), Jessica Jensen (2002-03, Buena Vista University basketball and track), Raegan (Schultz) Wagner (2003-04, Central College volleyball and track), Amy Ernst (2004-05, Coe College softball), Katie Pederson (2005-06, Central College volleyball and track),  Abby Erion (2006-07, Loras College track & field), Kristy Upah (2007-08, Coe College volleyball), Kelsey Steffens (2008-09, Wartburg College volleyball and track & field), Hannah Baker (2009-10, Wartburg College track & field), Jill (Ziskovsky) Halcomb (2010-11, Central College track & field), Kelsey (Kittleson) Millonig (2011-12, Luther College softball) and Shari Huber (2012-13, Luther College softball).
 
About Johanna Olson
The IIAC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award is named in honor of the late Johanna Olson, a former cross country and track & field student-athlete at Luther College who was the inaugural recipient of the award. Olson battled brain cancer for over 15 years before her fight ended on January 3, 2013 at age 33. She was originally diagnosed with a brain tumor as a college freshman in 1997 but went on to win the 2000 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship three years to the day after her initial brain surgery. In addition to the national title in cross country, she won three Iowa Conference Individual Championships and three IIAC Most Valuable Runner awards (1999, 2000, 2001). In track and field, she was the 2001 IIAC Most Valuable Performer, earning All-America honors in the 3,000 and 5,000 meter runs. Olson was also a member of the 2001 distance medley relay team that captured the indoor national title. She was named the United States Track Coaches Association (USTCA) regional and national Athlete of the Year in both cross country and track and field in 2000-01. In 1999, Olson was presented the Honda Awards Inspirational Athlete of the Year after returning from radiation treatments to compete at the national level.