Winona, Minn. -  The Winona State Athletic Department is proud to present the "Warrior Stories" series, which offers fans and followers of Winona State Athletics a view into the success that Winona State student-athletes have had as they transition from their Warrior careers and into the professional world. 
 
This edition of Warrior Stories features a former Winona State All-American gymnast who translated her interest in physical therapy and empathy for student-athletes into a passion to pursue a doctorate degree and professional career dedicated to helping athletes recover and rehabilitate. 

Read on for the Warrior Story of Stephanie (Wojton) Geislinger, who hails from Long Grove, Ill. and enrolled in Winona State University in the fall of 2009. 

Serving as the Warrior captain during both her junior and senior seasons, Geislinger is one of the most accomplished gymnasts in the history of the Winona State program.   She concluded her career in 2013 as a 1st Team All-America selection, one of nine Warriors to advance to the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Championships, where she earned a 9.650 score in Floor Exercise. 

Academically, earned a bachelor's degree in Movement Science with a minor in Nutrition at Winona State.  Her academic accomplishments more than matched her All-America athletic performance, as she graduated from WSU Summa Cum Laude with a 4.0 GPA.   Geislinger earned the opportunity to enroll in Northwestern University: Feinberg School of Medicine where she graduated with a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.  The 2013 Winona State Female Student-Athlete of the Year then furthered her post-graduate education, adding a specialization in Orthopaedics to her resume. 

Geislinger and her husband - former Winona State baseball standout Andrew Geislinger -  recently returned to the Winona area with newborn daughter Avery.  

Recently, we caught up with Stephanie to learn more about her Warrior Story. 

1) So, an important question; Sox or Cubs? 
"Go Cubs Go!"
 
2) When you came to Winona State from Long Grove, Ill. were you set on your academic path in health care and going back to Northwestern University? 
"I always knew that I wanted to be a physical therapist. Throughout my career as a gymnast, I found myself in need of a lot of physical therapy to rehab from injuries. Thankfully, Winona State has a great Movement Science program, which contains all of the prerequisites for applying to physical therapy school. I applied to a few PT schools but I chose Northwestern because of its reputation and it was close to home."
 
3) How did your academic training at WSU help you at Northwestern?  
"The movement science department prepared me very well for the rigors of physical therapy school and set all the building blocks necessary to succeed at Northwestern. The professors at Winona took great pride in ensuring each student understood the material and were advocates for continuing education post graduation."
                  
4) How did being a student-athlete at Winona State as an undergrad help you as you progressed through graduate school?  
"Being a student-athlete at WSU instilled the value of time management and persistence, which helped me progress through graduate school. Splitting my time between early weight lifting, class, practice, studying, and meets, gave me the foundation to balance the busy day-to-day schedule of physical therapy school."
                  
5) What do you miss most about being a college gymnast? 
"I miss the feeling of competition, the friendships I created with my teammates, and having a delegated time during the day to work at something that I was so passionate about."
 
6) Earning All-America honors your senior year had to be a great way to conclude your career; could you tell us about that experience?
"Nationals were held at UW-Whitewater my senior year where we had nine individuals qualify from WSU. I qualified on both the beam and floor. It was such an amazing way to end my career as a gymnast. I had never imagined becoming an All-American. I remember landing the last pass of my floor routine and realizing that this was it; it was the last time I would be competing in the sport that I love. I will remember those last 10 seconds for the rest of my life. I will never forget that rush of emotions that I felt as I finished up; looking first at my coach Beckie (Rolbiecki) with a huge smile on her face and then back at my teammates as they cheered in the corner." 
 
7)  Your advanced degree is as a Doctor of Physical Therapy, and you are board-certified in Orthopaedics. What type(s) of patients do you typically work with? 
"Over the last four years, I practiced at a sports medicine clinic in Omaha, Neb. We typically worked with athletes of all ages. I especially enjoy working with gymnasts and dancers because of my ability to connect with them on a more personal level."  
 
8) How is it going settling in to Winona?  It must have been a hectic last few months in your household? 
"Andrew and I welcomed our first-born daughter, Avery Brooke, in March 2020. Andrew graduated from Creighton School of Dentistry in Omaha, Neb this spring and we are just getting settled in Winona. Andrew started at the River Hills Dental Clinic in early July. We are very excited for the opportunity to raise Avery in the Winona community. I look forward to continuing my career as a physical therapist at a local clinic and hopefully helping out with the WSU gymnastics program for the years to come."
 
9) Anything else you'd like to share with the Warrior faithful? 
"Being a student-athlete at Winona State will always hold a special place in my heart. It feels great to be back in Winona with my family and we look forward to continuing to support Warrior Athletics. Go Warriors!"

A huge Warrior thanks to the Drs. Geislinger, Andrew and Stephanie, for contributing to our Warrior Stories project.  Winona State Athletics looks forward to seeing the Geislinger family on campus and at events this upcoming academic year.  Welcome back to Winona and congrats to both former Warriors on your professional paths and accomplishments. 

For more on Winona State University athletics, be sure to check out  www.WINONASTATEWARRIORS.com and @WinonaStateATH.