Final Results

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Hawai'i women's outdoor track and field team finished the program's best season under head coach Carmyn James with the completion of the 2009 NCAA Championships at the University of Arkansas' John McDonnell Field.

 

For the second consecutive year, multi-event specialist Annett Wichmann and multi-sport star Amber Kaufman earned All-America honors by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association in the heptathlon and high jump, respectively. For Wichmann, undoubtedly the program's most decorated athlete in school history, it was her fourth All-America award while Kaufman, a rising star in the sport, picked up her third All-America certificate.

 

As a team, the Rainbow Wahine completed the outdoor championships in a tie for 36^th place with eight team points and all three participants, including high jumper Emily Sheppard, finished in the Top 10 of their respective events.

 

Kaufman captured the bronze medal with her third place finish and in the process became the first UH athlete to medal at the championships in 25 years. Wichmann placed seventh with a personal best score of 5,675 points, her fifth Top 10 finish in seven NCAA Championship appearances. Sheppard placed 10^th at this year's meet and tied for sixth in 2008 in her only two trips to nationals.

 

In addition to her bronze medal, Kaufman became the first UH athlete to win an event at the NCAA West Regional. She also defended her Western Athletic Conference title for the second consecutive year while posting the nation's No. 2-ranked high jump at that meet.

 

Wichmann is a complete student-athlete, who will likely earn her third Academic All-America certificate later this month. She was the first track and field student-athlete to win the school's prestigious Jack Bonham Award, given to the top senior athlete who excelled in their sport, academically, and in the community. During her career, she earned 13 medals at the indoor and outdoor WAC Championships and became the WAC's first four-time heptathlon champion.

 

Sheppard concluded her illustrious career with her second consecutive trip to outdoor nationals. A high jumper during her first three seasons at UH, she transitioned to multi-events this year and placed fourth in the pentathlon at WAC Indoors and third in the heptathlon at WAC Outdoors. She won a total of 11 medals at WAC meets over her career including three at last month's WAC Outdoor Championships in Logan, Utah.

 

At that meet, the Rainbow Wahine placed fifth with 105.5 points, both program-bests. In addition, UH athletes captured a record nine medals including golds by Wichmann (heptathlon), Kaufman (high jump), and Jessica Custance (pole vault). Wichmann earned the meet's High Point Award after totaling 32 points in five events while she and Kaufman shared the Field Athlete of the Meet award.

 

Also this season, a record nine athletes qualified for the NCAA West Regionals, where the Rainbow Wahine set a school record for their 11^th place finish, highest among WAC schools. Kaufman and Wichmann earned automatic qualification to the nationals by virtue of their top five finishes in their events – Kaufman won the high jump while Wichmann placed third in the javelin. Sheppard tied for fifth but lost a three-way jump-off for the automatic spot to nationals. 

 

In all, a total of seven school records were broken during the outdoor season, including four by Wichmann, two by Sheppard and one by Kaufman.