DENVER – University of Hawai'i track and field athlete Annett Wichmann has been selected by the Western Athletic Conference senior woman administrators to represent the WAC for the 2009 NCAA Woman of the Year award.

The award acknowledges senior women student-athletes who have excelled in the areas of academic achievement, athletics, service and leadership.

Wichmann, from Jena, Germany, completed her degree in kinesiology and rehabilitation science last spring. She is a four-time academic all-WAC honoree and a three-time Academic All-American. Most recently, Wichmann received the Stan Bates Award, given to the WAC's top male and female scholar-athletes, and the Jack Bonham Award, given to UH's top senior male and female student-athlete.

Considered the most decorated track and field athlete in school history, Wichmann qualified for seven NCAA Championships, earning All-America distinction four times, and broke more than 40 school records. She became the first athlete in WAC history to win the heptathlon at the conference championships four times and won the pentathlon three times. She finished with 13 career WAC medals in all.

This past year, Wichmann was the Co-Field Athlete of the Meet at both the WAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships. She began her career being honored as the WAC Outdoor Freshman of the Year in 2006.
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Wichmann is one of 132 NCAA student-athletes who have earned Woman of the Year recognition from their conferences, representing all three NCAA divisions as well as independent school. A committee composed of representatives from NCAA member schools and conferences will select the top 30 – 10 from each division – from the nominees. From the top 30 honorees, nine finalists – three from each division – will be chosen. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will select the national winner from the pool of nine finalists and announce the recipient during the 2009 Woman of the Year dinner on Oct. 18 in Indianapolis.

The WAC received several nominations for the 2009 Woman of the Year candidate, including Fresno State track & field athlete Grace Wiesmann, Louisiana Tech softball player Emma Barnes, Utah State cross country/track & field athlete Caroline Berry and Utah State women's basketball player Danyelle Snelgro.