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Biography Information
Silvia (Ponce) Sawyer: Hall of Fame Inductee
Silvia (Ponce) Sawyer’s athletic career at Winona State University was apart of one of the most nationally successful programs in the athletic history of WSU. The gymnastics program at WSU was leaving its infancy at the time Sawyer came to Winona State as a freshman, and it was during Sawyer’s four years that the first ever team national championship was brought to Winona State. The gymnastics program was a dominant force in the early sisterhood of AIAW and NAIA levels. Besides a national championship, WSU brought home a second-place trophy along with a pair of fourth-place finishes. The Warrior gymnasts also faced 102 opponents during that period and came away with a .863 success ratio, defeating 88 teams and only losing to 14. Victories were scored against Auburn, Iowa, Iowa State and Wisconsin.
Sawyer was one of Winona State’s most successful international athletes. Originally from Cali, Colombia, she had a very successful individual career, capturing All-American honors in 1981-82 and 1984-85. In addition to the team’s national championship in 1985, Sawyer also captured individual national honors, winning both the uneven bars and balance beam competitions.
Induction Date
1995
Class
1985
Sport(s)
Women's Gymnastics
Awards
National NAIA champion uneven bars 1984-1985
National NAIA champion balance beam 1984-1985
Earned 5 All-American honors
Item Type
Still Image
Master File Format
JPG
Date Digital
2004-09-15
Technology used to capture photograph
Nikon D2H
Unique Identifier
WSUATHHOF_Sawyer1995
Keywords
Warrior Athletics, WSU Athletics, WSU Hall of Fame, Sports, Sport, Gymnastics
