University of Hawai'i track and field athlete Annett Wichmann was named the 2008-09 Western Athletic Conference Stan Bates Award female recipient.

Utah State men's basketball player Gary Wilkinson won the men's award.

Named in honor of former WAC Commissioner Stan Bates, the annual award is given to the WAC's top male and female scholar-athletes and recognizes the recipients' athletic and academic accomplishments. The awards carry a $2,000 postgraduate scholarship.

Wichmann, from Jena, Germany, completed her degree in Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science this past spring. She is a four-time academic all-WAC honoree and was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American three times during her career.

Throughout her career at UH, Wichmann was a volunteer instructor at numerous Track and Field Youth Clinics and participated annually in the Bryan Clay Kid's Fest.

On the track, Wichmann set a UHi record with seven NCAA Championship appearances and broke over 40 school records. She became the first athlete in WAC history to win the heptathlon four times at the conference championships and won the pentathlon three times. She also medaled in the javelin and high jump.

This past year, Wichmann was the Co-Field Athlete of the Meet at both the WAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships. She was named to All-America teams in both 2008 and 2009. She began her career being honored as the WAC Outdoor Freshman of the Year in 2006.

Wichmann is the sixth UH student-athlete to win the Stan Bates Award, and third women's winner. Past recipients include Lauri Hakala (2006-07, men's volleyball), Tracie Uchima (2004-05, softball), Angelica Ljungquist (1996-97, women's volleyball), Jason Elam (1992-93, football), and Blane Gaison (1980-81, football).