University of Hawai'i track and field athlete Annett Wichmann has been selected by the Western Athletic Conference senior woman administrators to represent the conference 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. She also 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.

Wichmann, who is considered the most decorated track and field athlete in school history, 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.

Wichmann is one of 132 student-athletes who have earned Woman of the Year recognition from their conferences, representing all three NCAA divisions. 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.

GOLF

KONO ADVANCES

Honolulu's Stephanie Kono toughed it out for 35 holes yesterday to win two matches and advance to the quarterfinals of the 109th U.S. Women's Amateur Championship in St. Louis.

Kono, 19, a Punahou alum and sophomore-to-be at UCLA, held off a charge by Canada's Stephanie Sherlock en route to a 2 and 1 victory in the second round and defeated good friend Allie White of Lancaster, Ohio, 2 up, in the round of 16 at old Warson Country Club.

And she did so with a condition that has plagued her for about a month.

Kono has been bothered by her iliotibial band, a muscle that runs along the outside of her left thigh, knee and hip, according to a story on the USGA's tournament Web site.

"My main priority was stretching and keeping myself loose so that I could even go 36 holes," Kono said. "Obviously my opponents are my biggest obstacles, and usually I can focus on just the golf, but this being my sixth round, if you consider my practice rounds, then it becomes a concern."

Still, Kono never trailed in the match against Sherlock and built a 5-up lead through nine holes. Sherlock won the par-4 10th hole with a par and won Nos. 14 and 15, both par-4s, with pars to cut the lead to 2 up. They halved the par-5 No. 16 to take the match to dormie. Both parred the par-3 No. 17 to give Kono the victory.

Kono won the last two holes — No. 17 and the par-4 No. 18 — to defeat White in the afternoon.

"Nothing feels good about losing, but I hope she goes on and wins, though, 'cause she's a good kid," White said. "Plus then I can at least say I lost to the big dog."

Kono will face Jennifer Song of Ann Arbor, Mich., in today's quarterfinals. The semifinals are tomorrow with the 36-hole final on Sunday.

PEREZ LEADS ARMY

Former Manoa Cup champion Ryan Perez fired a 6-under-par 66 in yesterday's opening round of the Army Invitational.

Perez holds a three-shot advantage over Frank Marcus going into today's second round at Leilehua Golf Course.

Perez played both nines in 3-under. He tied for fourth last year at this event. The 2004 Manoa Cup winner reached the semifinals at this year's state amateur match play championship and also won Amatour Hawai'i's Coral Creek Classic.

Matthew Ma, the 2005 Army champ and this year's Hickam winner, is tied for third at 70 with Brandan Kop, a seven-time Army champion who is in the Hawai'i Golf Hall of Fame.

Ryan Kuroiwa and Craig Watanabe were the only other golfers to break par with 71s.

The final round is tomorrow.

HAWAI'I KIDS FARE WELL

Hawai'i' golfers stayed near the top in yesterday's first round of the U.S. Kids Championship, at Pinehurst, N.C.

Waipahu's Allisen Corpuz, who won the Girls 9 division two years ago, is in fifth place among the 11-year-old girls after shooting a 74. She is five shots off the lead. In the 7-under age group, Honolulu's Millburn Ho is tied for 15th, nine back, after an opening round 41 (nine holes).

Among the boys, Honolulu's Nicolas Tanaka (37) is tied for 12th in the 6-under age division, six shots off the lead, and Donny Hopoi of 'Aiea shares 23rd among the 12-year-olds after a 74. Hopoi, who won the 10s two years ago, is also six back.

In the largest divisions, Wailuku's Nathaniel Idica (77) is 25th and Honolulu's Trevor Arashiro (79) 43rd in the 10's, which has 151 qualifiers. Honolulu's Kyle Suppa (75) and Sian Rogers (78) are in the top 50 among 149 qualifiers in the 11's.

YOUTH BASEBALL

KAILUA LOSES OPENER

Greeley, Colo., scored an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth inning to beat Kailua, 7-6, yesterday in the opener of the American Legion (19-under) Western Regional at Fairfield, Calif.

Kailua's Ryan McMonigle had three hits, including an RBI double in the sixth that broke up a no-hitter by Logan Hall, and Patrick Wolfe hit a two-run single during a four-run eighth that tied the score at 6.

Jared Matsumoto added two hits for Kailua.

Only two of Greeley's runs were earned as Kailua committed six errors.

HILO JUNIORS 3-0

Kean Wong and Chayce Kaaua opened the game with homers, and four pitchers combined on a three-hitter as Hilo beat Nampa, Idaho, 10-0, in the Little League Juniors (ages 13-14) West Regional yesterday at Aliso Viejo, Calif.

Keoni Chiquita hit a solo homer in the third and Drew Kell had two RBIs for Hilo, which pounded out 17 hits.

Kell, Andy Filotea, Micah Kaaukai and Randall Iha pitched for Hilo.

Hilo (3-0) will play Fremont, Calif., today at 7 a.m. (Hawai'i time).