COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Black Hills State Head Athletic Trainer Tony Silva has been named the 2022-23 Wayne Barger Athletic Trainer of the Year, as announced by the RMAC office Thursday afternoon.

"I am completely shocked and very humbled the Head Athletic Trainers in the RMAC would bestow such an honor on me," said Silva. "There are many other deserving Athletic Trainers in the conference, and although I may be the person receiving the award, they are all MVP's for the athletes under their care."

Silva, the first RMAC athletic trainer to win the award more than once, retired at the end of this season, marking an end to his 31-year career at BHSU.

After joining BHSU in 1992, Silva was the head athletic trainer overseeing student athlete healthcare for all varsity sports and was in charge of prevention, evaluation, emergency care, rehabilitation, pre-practice, and game day activities. He also taught part-time in the College of Education and Behavior Science.

Prior to arriving at BHSU, Silva earned his bachelors and masters degrees from South Dakota State before leaving to his first athletic trainer stint in 1989 at Georgia College in Milledgeville, Georgia for three years for all sports. After Georgia College, he moved back to become the first official certified athletic trainer at BHSU, where he has served roughly 6,000 Yellow Jacket student-athletes during his time in Spearfish.

Silva has served as the President of South Dakota Athletic Trainers Association for six years and has held other positions within the SDATA. As President of the SDATA, he was also on the board of directors for the Mid-America Athletic Trainers Association. He was also voted the South Dakota Athletic Trainer of the Year in 2002-2003 in only the second year the award was given.

Tony and his wife, Betsy, met in Spearfish and were married in 1996 and have a daughter named Isabelle. Betsy is also retiring after having worked at BHSU as a professor and the chair of the college of education.

About the RMAC Wayne Barger Athletic Trainer Award
The Wayne Barger award was first established in the 2017-18 academic school year and was named after former Fort Lewis College Assistant Athletic Director and Director of Sports Medicine, Wayne Barger.

Recipients of this honor demonstrate commitment to ideals set forth by the RMAC and member institutions and act ethically to assure proper health and safety for the student-athletes under their care. Each head athletic trainer from around the league submits one vote for this award and is not permitted to vote for themselves.

Recipients of the Wayne Barger Athletic Trainer Award
2022-23 – Tony Silva, Black Hills State
2021-22 – Rick Hackford, Westminster
2020-21 – Jennifer McIntosh, Colorado School of Mines
2019-20 – Tony Silva, Black Hills State
2018-19 – Don Watt, Chadron State
2017-18 – Wayne Barger, Fort Lewis