The WSU Athletic Hall of Fame recognizes those who have shown distinctive and exceptional ability as an athlete and in their lives on campus and post-graduation.
Bria Magnuson ’07
Bria Magnuson ’07 set and still owns the school record for pole vault in both the indoor and outdoor seasons. She was a two-time NCAA Division II All-American in pole vault and was a member of the three Warrior NSIC Championship teams – 2005 Indoor, 2005 Outdoor and 2006 Indoor. Magnuson placed eighth individually at the 2006 NCAA DII Outdoor Championships in pole vault. Her third-place finish at the 2007 NCAA DII Indoor Championships helped lead the Warriors to a 10th-place team finish.
Ernest Middleton ’77
Ernest Middleton ’77 owned a 105-21 career record at 190 lbs. as a Winona State wrestler. He was a three-time NAIA All-American, a three-time NIC Conference Champion and the NIC runner-up as a freshman. He placed fourth, third and second (national runner-up), respectively, in each of his final three seasons at the NAIA National Championships. Middleton was a three-time Winona State team MVP and helped lead the Warriors to NIC team runner-up finishes in 1974 and 1976.
Karen Ries ’73
Karen Ries ’73 was a standout three-sport student-athlete in her Winona State Warrior career. She was a two-year captain of the women’s basketball team and named team MVP in 1972 and 1973. Ries also earned team MVP honors in softball (1973) and volleyball (1972).
Deric Sieck
Deric Sieck was a two-time NSIC Defensive Player of the Year for the Warrior football team. He was a 2001 Football Gazette All-American, and a 2002 and 2003 Daktronics First Team All-American. Sieck helped lead Winona State to the postseason all four of his years, including the Mineral Water Bowl in 2000 and 2002. Sieck and the Warriors reached the NCAA Playoffs in 2001 and 2003, the latter marking WSU’s first-ever NCAA postseason win.
Dr. Jo Stejskal
Dr. Jo Stejskal was a professor at Winona State University from 1975-2016. During her tenure, she was heavily involved in Warrior Athletics and remains so to this day. Stejskal served as Winona State’s Faculty Athletic Representative from 2006-16 and has been a member of the Warrior Club Executive Board since 1996. She previously served on the WSU Hall of Fame Committee from 1985-2016 and has been instrumental on a number of hiring search committees within the Athletic Department. Stejskal was named a Winona State University Distinguished Faculty member in 2011. She and her husband founded the Jo & Jerry Stejskal Scholarship, funding athletics as well as the nursing program at WSU.
2006 Men’s Basketball Team
The 2006 Men’s Basketball Team claimed Winona State University’s first NCAA Division II National Championship in school history. The Warriors posted a 32-4 record during the 2005-06 season and laid the groundwork for a stretch of three straight years of dominant basketball.
2007 Men’s Basketball Team
The 2007 Men’s Basketball Team was the NCAA Division II National Runner-Up. The Warriors posted a 35-1 record in 2006-07 and, coupled with the previous year’s team, set an NCAA DII record with 57 consecutive wins from January 13, 2006 – March 22, 2007. The Warrior’s 57-game winning streak still stands today as the longest ever by a men’s NCAA DII team.
2008 Men’s Basketball Team
The 2008 Men’s Basketball Team reached the NCAA Championship for the third consecutive year and won Winona State’s second National Championship in three seasons. The Warriors (38-1) set an NCAA Division II record with 38 wins during the 2007-08 campaign.
