5A Assistant Coach of the Year - 2002

SHANNON SAWNER
Shawnee Heights High School

Shannon Sawner is awarded the honor of being named 5A Assistant Coach of the Year. Sawner helped lead the Shawnee Heights Thunderbirds to a regional runner-up finish and eighth place in the 5A state tournament.

This past season, Sawner helped SHHS head coach Bob Gonzales coach a young man to a 41-0 undefeated state championship season and another wrestler to become the first freshman to ever place at state as a freshman for Shawnee Heights.

Before coming to SHHS, Sawner was a student assistant coach at Fort Hays State University from 1993-1997 and an assistant at Hays High School in 1997-98. He has been at Shawnee Heights since 1999.

He helped coach six NCAA Division II All-Americans at Fort Hays State and helped produce seven state placers and two state champions at Hays High School. At Shawnee Heights, Sawner has helped coach 12 state placers and two state champions. In 1999, Sawner helped coach Shawnee Heights’ first state champion since 1968.

As a competitor, Sawner has a state placer for Hays High School and helped lead his team to a runner-up finish in 1985 and third place in 1986. He went on to be a varsity letter winner for Fort Hays State at 150 pounds.

He earned his B.S. degree from FHSU in 1993 and a Master’s degree in 1998. He currently teaches Adapted Physical Education