The NA Koa Football Club held its annual awards banquet tonight at the Sheraton Waikiki Beach Hotel. University of Hawai'i head coach June Jones presented awards to several players including wide receiver Ashley Lelie who earned the top honor as Alec Waterhouse Most Valuable Player.

Lelie, a junior from Long Beach, Calif., leads the Warriors in receiving yards with 76 catches for a school-record 1,451 yards and 17 touchdowns. This season, Lelie has already been named third-team All-American by Football News and leads the WAC and is third in the nation in receiving yards per game (131.9) and third in the WAC and 11th in the nation in receptions per game (6.91). He became UH's career receiving leader in his last game against Air Force when he caught for an all-time UH record 285 yards and currently has career 3,079 yards, the only receiver in school history to catch for more than 3,000 yards.

The Ben Yee Most Inspirational Player Award went to defensive tackle Mike Iosua. Despite being hampered with a shoulder injury all season, Iosua started all 11 games so far. The senior is tied for first in the WAC and leads the team in forced fumbles (3) and also leads all defensive linemen with five tackles-for-loss. The team co-captain recorded his first interception against Boise State and is also an Academic all-WAC and Verizon Academic all-District honoree in 2001.

The Warrior Club Awards went to Vince Manuwai on offense, Jacob Espiau on defense and Keith Bhonapha on special teams.

Manuwai, a junior offensive guard out of Farrington High School, started all 11 games so far and amassed a team-high 35 pancake blocks while allowing 5.5 sacks in 518 pass attempts. Manuwai was also a candidate for the Outland Trophy in 2001. Espiau, a senior safety from Kailua, Oahu, earned his second straight Warrior Club Award. He recorded six games in double-digit tackles and ranks first among WAC safeties in tackles per game (9.6). Bhonapha, a junior, has played in all 11 games on special teams and returned a blocked punt 38 yards for the tying touchdown at SMU.

Quarterback Shawn Withy-Allen was named the team's scholar-athlete for the third straight year. The junior from Kailua, Oahu, owns a 3.80 grade point average in communications.

2001 Hawai'i Football Awards

Alec Waterhouse Most Valuable Player: Ashley Lelie
Ben Yee Most Inspirational Player: Mike Iosua
Scholar-Athlete Awards: Shawn Withy-Allen

Captains' Awards
Offense: Nick Rolovich
Defense: Nate Jackson
Special Teams: Sean Butts

Warrior Club Awards
Offense: Vince Manuwai
Defense: Jacob Espiau
Special Teams: Keith Bhonapha

Scout Team Awards
Offense: Michael Brewster
Defense: Ikaika Curnan
Special Teams: Gary Wright

Four-Year Seniors
Robert Grant
Mike Iosua
Nate Jackson
Bronson Liana
Bobby Morgan
Chris Riccardi
Brian Smith
Craig Stutzmann
Lonnie Williams