McKena Ramos Joins Madison After Big Ten Rosters Fill D-III Slots

McKena Ramos has officially joined the University of Wisconsin-Madison track and cross-country teams, completing a roster shift across the Big Ten Conference. Every one of the 18 schools in the league now lists at least one transfer from a Division III program on one of its sports rosters. Ramos’s arrival marks the final step in a multi-year migration of high-performing athletes from the lower division to the major conference.

The transfer was triggered by a specific performance metric. Ramos, a senior from Sheboygan, had made a personal agreement with himself to consider a move to Division I if he won a national title as a freshman. He secured the indoor 800-meter championship and the outdoor 1500-meter championship during his time at UW-Oshkosh. Eamon McKenna, the track and cross-country coach at UW-Oshkosh, noted that the team had recruited Ramos with limited expectations. McKenna said, “When we were recruiting him, I didn't think he would be able to come in and win a national championship as a freshman. We knew he was good and we knew he was a little bit under the radar.”

Ramos is not the only athlete to make the jump this year. Two Badger football players have moved from Division III schools to Madison. Ricky Finco, a junior wide receiver who primarily plays on the scout team, transferred from UW-Whitewater after one season. Ryan Ramczyk, an offensive lineman, moved from UW-Stevens Point to Madison. Ramczyk’s move to the Big Ten resulted in an All-American season that improved his standing on NFL Draft boards.

The financial and facility differences between the two divisions remain distinct. Division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships, and their training facilities are generally smaller than those at Division I institutions. Ramos acknowledged that the core running workouts are similar, but he credited Madison’s athletic training facilities, such as ice baths, for his improvement. He also cited the tutoring services at the Fetzer Center and the ability to take exams while traveling as key academic supports. The higher competition level was the primary athletic draw. Ramos stated, “The biggest difference athletically is the competition level; everyone is on your level and up.”

The move is not universally successful for every athlete. Emma Paulson, a swimmer, initially moved from a Division III school to UW-Madison but returned to the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota during her freshman season. Paulson found that the intensity of Division I swimming did not suit her lifestyle. She finished her career at St. Thomas with three individual national championships and nine individual All-American designations. Paulson explained that her times met Division I standards, but the culture was a better fit for Division III. She said, “Swimming DI, it kind of takes over your life in a sense, but DIII [is] just a part of your life.”

Ramos and Paulson both said they would make their respective choices again. Ramos described competing for Madison as a dream he had held since middle school. McKenna offered a cautionary perspective to other athletes considering the leap. He advised that if a student-athlete stands out in Division III, opportunities for a move will appear. The decisive factor, he said, is whether the athlete can maintain their dominance at the higher level. McKenna said, “If you stand out in DIII, you're going to have opportunities.”