Mona Plummer
Ramona Miller Farish, known by her married name Mona Miller Farish Plummer after 1955, was an American swim coach for Arizona State University from 1957–1979, where she led the team to eight national championships. At Arizona, Plummer mentored over forty All-Americans and nine Olympians including 1972 Munich Olympic triple gold medalist Melissa Belote Ripley and 1968 Mexico City Olympian Jan Henne Hawkins, who won two golds, a silver and a bronze. Plummer served as Arizona State's Associate Athletic Director from 1977–1985.
Early life and education
Ramona M. Farish was born September 5, 1928, to Annie Mae Reynolds Farish and Edward Preston Farish in Gadsden, Alabama, and later lived in Birmingham. She graduated George Washington High School, and Averett College, a women's junior college in Danville, Virginia. She graduated Birmingham's University of Alabama with a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Physical Education, where she was a member of Phi Mu Sorority.Arizona State University
Plummer taught physical education at the University of Arizona, Tucson in 1954-5, and then at Arizona State beginning in 1957. Coaching Arizona State's swim team from 1957–1979, Plummer created one of American's outstanding swim squads, with several world-class athletes and from 1969–1978 won eight AIAW team titles.While swimming for Plummer, 45 ASU women won individual or shared titles in AIAW events, which included relay events. Plummer coached nine Olympians including 1972 Munich triple Olympic gold medalist Melissa Belote Ripley, and 1968 Mexico City Olympic freestyler Jan Henne Hawkins, who won two golds, a silver and a bronze. Belote would serve as Head Coach of Virginia's Solotar Swim Team. Plummer coached 1972 Olympic backstroker Maryanne Graham who would later coach in Scottsdale. One of her more outstanding swimmers was Kendis Moore Drake. Drake placed fourth in the 100-meter backstroke at the Olympics in 1968, and became the first college swimmer to capture three national event titles with a first place in the 100 back, 50 back, and 100 fly. Plummer coached 1976 Montreal Olympian Cheryl Gibson of Canada who won a silver medal in the 400 IM, 1976 bronze medalist in the 4x100-meter freestyle Gail Amundrud, and 1976 Canadian Olympian Sue Sloan who won a bronze in the 400 medley relay.
She was named Arizona State's assistant athletic director in 1975, and later became ASU's Associate Athletic Director in 1977, a position she held through her death in 1985.
She worked as a member of the United States Olympic Committee from 1977–1980, and coached the U.S. Women's swimming team at both the World University Games in 1973, and the 1979 Pan American Games. In ties to the U.S. Olympic team, she coached Elite Training Camp for the Olympics in 1978 in Colorado Springs. She was part of the AIAW Region 8 Executive Board, and served as a President of the Intermountain Conference.