Johns Hopkins University Athletics

One of the dominant female athletes in Johns Hopkins history, Sylke Knuppel was a four-year member of the women's basketball and track teams and played one year of soccer after the club team was elevated to varsity status during her final year at Homewood.

Knuppel made a name for herself on the national level in track as she was the NCAA Division III National Champion in the javelin as a junior and senior. Her winning throw as a junior was the second-longest throw in NCAA Division III history at the time and it remains the third-longest throw in Division III history. She placed seventh at the NCAA Championships in the javelin as a sophomore and was a three-time Middle Atlantic Conference Champion in the javelin as well.

On the basketball court, Knuppel helped lead the Blue Jays to a four-year record of 61-34 (.642) and three appearances in the MAC Playoffs. She helped transform the program into a post-season contender that has since made a mark at the national level. Knuppel finished her career as Hopkins' all-time leading scorer with 1,305 points and still ranks seventh on the all-time scoring list at JHU. She remains among Hopkins' all-time leaders in minutes played (2,304), rebounds (572) steals (115) and free throw percentage (.764). In leading the Blue Jays in scoring and rebounding as a junior and senior she became just the second player in school history to amass over 1,250 points and 500 rebounds. She was twice an all-conference selection in basketball.

Knuppel lettered in three sports as a senior as she was the starting goalie on the 1992 Johns Hopkins women's soccer team. This was the first season of varsity competition for women's soccer at Hopkins.