ARLINGTON, Texas – Grand Canyon University men’s track and field athlete Mariano Hernandez and Abilene Christian University women’s track and field athlete Payton Kirk have been selected as the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Stan Bates Award winners for the 2022-23 academic year.
 
Named in honor of former WAC Commissioner Stan Bates (1971-80), the annual award is given to one male and one female student-athlete who have demonstrated excellence in academic achievement, athletic accomplishment and exceptional character and community engagement. A $10,000 postgraduate scholarship is endowed to the winners.
 
Hernandez, a native of Eagle Pass, graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in applied management from Grand Canyon in the spring of 2023. Hernandez was a seven-time Dean’s List honoree and was included on the Academic All-WAC team from 2019-23.
 
Hernandez was a six-time conference champion in the WAC competing for the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and GCU, running with the winning 4x400-meter relay team in 2019 (indoor and outdoor) and 2020 (indoor) at UTRGV, the 400-meter dash in 2020 (indoor) at UTRGV and the 4x100-meter relay in 2021 (outdoor) at UTRGV and 2023 (outdoor) at GCU. Hernandez was a regional qualifier in both the 4x100 and the 4x400 relays for GCU in 2023.
 
Away from the track, Hernandez volunteered at the St. Mary’s Food Bank and for Read Across America Day. Hernandez was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) in the 2022-23 academic year at GCU and served in the Student-Athlete Mentor (SAM) program at UTRGV, helping incoming freshmen acclimate from high school to college as easily as possible.
 
Kirk, a native of Coppell, graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering with a minor in biology from ACU in the spring of 2022. Kirk was a member of the ACU Dean’s Honor Roll five times, landed on the academic all-conference team on five occasions (Academic All-WAC in 2022 and 2023) and was an NCAA Division I All-Academic Women’s Track and Field athlete from 2021-23.
 
Kirk was a three-time conference champion in the WAC, claiming the 2022 indoor and outdoor long jump and the 2023 outdoor title in the pole vault. A two-time team captain in 2022 and 2023, Kirk is among the top 10 on the all-time ACU performance list in five different events, including third in the indoor and outdoor long jump.
 
Kirk was a four-year member (2019-22) of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) at ACU and volunteered as a high school meet official, was a kids ministry volunteer at her local church and served as a Christian mentor for high school students. Kirk was also inducted into the ACU chapter of the Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society.
 

Stan Bates Award Awarded to the top male and female student-athletes in the WAC
Year	Men	Women
2022-23	Mariano Hernandez, Grand Canyon-Track & Field	Payton Kirk, Abilene Christian-Track & Field
2021-22	Hunter Schofield, Utah Tech-Men's Basketball	Gianna Nicoletti, Grand Canyon-Softball
2020-21	Andre Jones, Utah Valley-Track & Field	Ally Choate, Seattle U-Softball
2019-20	Alec Felix, Utah Valley-Soccer	Hannah Bruce, Utah Valley-Soccer
2018-19	Jerome Heidrich, California Baptist-Swimming & Diving	Lexi Howard, UMKC-Soccer
2017-18	Tyson Lambert, Utah Valley-XC/Track & Field	Bianca Boling, Grand Canyon-Softball
2016-17	Samuel Proctor, Grand Canyon-XC/Track & Field	Alisha Watson, UT Rio Grande Valley-Volleyball
2015-16	Kyle Valgardson, Utah Valley-Baseball	Sydney Crimmins, UMKC-Volleyball
2014-15	Karnell Grimes, CSU Bakersfield-Track & Field	Lexi Robison, Utah Valley-Soccer
2013-14	Holton Hunsaker, Utah Valley-Basketball	Eilise O'Connor, Missouri-Kansas City-Basketball
2012-13	Jeremy Klas, Idaho-Track & Field	Amber Olive, New Mexico State-Softball
2011-12	Markus Geiger, Idaho-Cross Country/Track & Field	Kayla Mortellaro, Idaho-Golf
2010-11	Eugenio Mannucci, Idaho-Track & Field	Kandis Jones, New Mexico State-Softball
2009-10	Jonathan Marler, Idaho-Track & Field	Allix Lee-Painter, Idaho-Cross Country/Track & Field
2008-09	Gary Wilkinson, Utah State-Basketball	Annett Wichmann, Hawai'i-Cross Country/Track & Field
2007-08	David Vobora, Idaho-Football	Karen Kaufmann, New Mexico State-Swimming & Diving
2006-07	Lauri Hakala, Hawai'i-Volleyball	Melinda Ouwerkerk, Idaho-Cross Country/Track & Field
	Corey Cabral, San Jose State-Baseball
2005-06	Jason Giuffre, Idaho-Track & Field	Christine Harms, Nevada-Volleyball
2004-05	James Adam Davis, Rice-Track and Field	Tracie Uchima, Hawai'i-Softball
2003-04	William Barker, Rice-Tennis	Allison Beckford, Rice-Track & Field
2002-03	Taylor Pullins, Nevada-Baseball	Stephanie Pascucci, San Jose State-Volleyball
2001-02	Chad Stoloff, Nevada-Tennis	Jennifer Ashcroft, Nevada-Track & Field
2000-01	Sebastian Iannariello, TCU-Tennis	Becky Witt, Fresno State-Softball
1999-00	Jeffery Piper, Rice-Cross Country	Jennifer Cafferty, Rice-Basketball
1998-99	Nate Kvamme, Colorado State-Football	Shelly Borrman, Colorado State-Track & Field
1997-98	Byron Shefchik, Brigham Young-Swimming & Diving	Christina Bell, Fresno State-Soccer
1996-97	Obadele Thompson, UTEP-Track & Field	Angelica Ljungquist, Hawai'i-Volleyball
1995-96	Greg Myers, Colorado State-Football	Teresa James, Colorado State-Basketball
1994-95	Stoney Case, New Mexico-Football	Amy Burnett, Wyoming-Basketball
1993-94	Justin Hall, New Mexico-Football	Heidi Standteiner, Utah-Skiing
1992-93	Jason Elam, Hawai‘i-Football	Anu Kaljurand, Brigham Young-Track & Field
1991-92	Chris Nelson, Air Force-Track & Field	Missy Marlowe, Utah-Gymnastics
1990-91	Robert Clayton, Wyoming-Swimming & Diving	Laura Zaugg, Brigham Young-Track & Field
1989-90	Collin Davie, Utah-Track & Field
1988-89	Randy Welniak, Wyoming-Football
	Chuck Cutler, Brigham Young-Football
1987-88	Chad Hennings, Air Force-Football
1986-87	Steve Bartalo, Colorado State-Football
1985-86	Rich Strong, Colorado State-Basketball
1984-85	Ed Eyestone, Brigham Young-Track & Field
1983-84	Jeff Kubiak, Air Force-Football
1982-83	David Schreck, Air Force-Football
1981-82	Frankie Sedillo, New Mexico-Football
1980-81	Blane Gaison, Hawai‘i-Football