Annette Payne '94

Athlete - Field Hockey

A highly skilled, four-year starter on Whitfield’s field hockey team, Annette was the first Whitfield student-athlete, male or female, to continue her playing career at a Division I school – the University of Iowa. Her coaches described her as a gutsy player who would not hesitate to dive head first for the ball. She was selected first team All-MWAA her junior and senior years.

When Annette graduated from Whitfield, she had set multiple records including being the all-time leading scorer. She is a two-time recipient of the Ginger Newton Jacobi ’73 Athlete of the Year award receiving that honor in 1992 and 1994.

While earning her bachelor’s degree at Iowa, Annette was a four-year letter winner for the Hawkeyes, a two-year starter, and captain her senior year. She tallied 12 goals and three assists as a midfielder and was also a part of the 1995 and 1996 squads that both went 10-0 on the way to Big Ten Championships. Finally, Annette was a member of three NCAA Tournament teams including the 1994 squad that advanced to the Final Four.

In addition to her successful collegiate playing career, Annette had a very successful collegiate coaching career. She joined the Ball State University field hockey coaching staff as an assistant in 2001 and served as head coach from 2003-2009. She also received her master’s degree from BSU. During her tenure, Annette coached more than 20 players to All-Mid American Conference honors and multiple players to all-region accolades. Her teams were successful in the classroom earning all-conference and national academic honors. As head coach, Annette recruited Maggie Durbin Young who is currently a Whitfield faculty member and the Warriors’ head field hockey and girls lacrosse coach.

Before coaching at BSU, Annette was an assistant coach at Whitfield for one season and served as a volunteer assistant during one season at the University of Iowa.