HONOLULU – A pair of standout student-athletes were awarded with University of Hawai'i Athletics' highest honor as women's tennis' Petra Melounova and men's volleyball's Colton Cowell were selected as the 2020 Jack Bonham Award winners.
 
The Bonham Award is given annually since 1974 to the top male and female senior student-athlete who "best exemplifies the ideals for which Jack Bonham stood for in the areas of athletic excellence, academic achievement, public service, leadership and character."
 
Melounova is just the fifth tennis recipient all-time and first since Rose Thomas won it in 1984. Cowell is the eighth men's volleyball honoree and fourth in the last six years following in the footsteps of Stijn van Tilburg (2019), Kūpono Fey (2017), and Taylor Averill (2015).
 
Melounova will undoubtedly conclude her career as the most accomplished tennis player in school history. A 2019 ITA All-American, she is the first tennis player (male or female) to earn three Big West Conference Player of the Year awards and first to advance to the NCAA Tournament Round of 16 while qualifying for nationals three times. She was also a three-time, first-team all-conference honoree in both singles and doubles.
 
The Havlíckuv Brod, Czech Republic native has been named to the Dean's List three times and is scheduled to receive her degree in electrical engineering in December. She was named UH's Big West Scholar-Athlete of the Year recipient twice and earned UH and ITA scholar-athlete honors three times. 
 
"I'm grateful that Petra has been representing our team, university and our state in the most positive manner as a student-athlete," women's tennis head coach Jun Hernandez said. "It has been great to see her achieve all her many accomplishments in the classroom and on the tennis court. She is very focused and dedicated in getting her degree with high marks and excelling on the tennis court to help our team reach our full potential."
 
Cowell began his UH career as a walk-on from Maui's King Kekaulike High School five years ago. In 2020, he earned second-team AVCA All-America honors and was one of three finalists as the nation's top outside hitters. The Makawao, Maui native was also a first-team all-Big West honoree.
 
In addition, Cowell has given back to the community, coaching club volleyball while teaching and mentoring local youth to achieve what he's done through hard work and perseverance. He is also the team's top scholar-athlete, three-time Big West all-academic, and recently earned his UH-Mānoa degree in economics. 
 
"The Colton Cowell story continues to be one of achievement and great inspiration for people all over the world," men's volleyball head coach Charlie Wade said. "He came to UH as a under-sized, under-recruited local kid from up-country Maui, who has, through the belief in himself and commitment to our team, become one of the best players in all of college volleyball, a scholar-athlete, and a   respected teammate. With all of his success, he has maintained his humility, his pride in his local roots, and is always a great ambassador for our university and our state."
 
Considered the most prestigious award in UH athletics, the Jack Bonham Award is named for the late assistant athletics director who was killed in 1974 in a plane crash in America Samoa. Bonham was returning to the islands from New Zealand where he was on a recruiting trip at the British Commonwealth Games.
 

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All-Time Bonham Award Winners

Year	Male	Female
2020	Colton Cowell, Volleyball	Petra Melounova, Tennis
2019	Stijn van Tilburg, Volleyball	Raisa Strom-Okimoto, Soccer
2018	Johnny Weeks, Baseball	Franziska Weidner, Swimming
2017	Kupono Fey, Volleyball	Cole Brauer, Sailing
2016	Kacy Johnson, Swimming	Katie Spieler, Beach Volleyball
2015	Taylor Averill, Volleyball	Genevieve Bradley, Diving
		Shawna-Lei Kuehu, Basketball
2014	Davis Rozitis, Basketball	Emily Hartong, Volleyball
2013	Pi'ikea Kitamura, Baseball	Kelly Majam-Elms, Softball
		Stephanie Ricketts, Basketball/Softball
2012	Matt Sisto, Baseball	Kanani Danielson, Volleyball
2011	Kealoha Pilares, Football	Emma Friesen, Swimming
2010	Andreas "Andy" Weber, Tennis	Aneli Cubi-Otineru, Volleyball
2009	Solomon Elimimian, Football	Annett Wichmann, Track & Field
2008	Colt Brennan, Football	Kate Robinson, Softball
2007	Mark Rodrigues, Baseball	Kanoe Kamana'o, Volleyball
		Brittany Grice, Basketball
2006	Alfred Reft, Volleyball	Allie Rowe, Golf
2005	Chad Owens, Football	Jennifer Warnock, Sailing
2004	Michael Kuebler, Basketball	Melissa Villaroman, Volleyball
2003	Costas Theocharidis, Volleyball	Kate Judd, Softball
2002	Predrag Savovic, Basketball	Molly O'Bryan, Sailing
2001	Nerijus Puida, Basketball	Andrea Nishioka, Water Polo
2000	Dan Robinson, Football	Raylene Howard, Basketball
1999	Michael Dartt, Baseball	B.J. Itoman, Basketball
1998	Naveh Milo, Volleyball	Nani Cockett, Basketball
1997	Carlton Oswalt, Football	Angelica Ljungquist, Volleyball
1996	Clint Kuboyama, Football	Tania Brunton, Basketball
1995	Jason Olive, Volleyball	Brandi Brooks, Volleyball
1994	Jarinn Akana, Basketball	Melanie Azama, Basketball
1993	Travis Sims, Football	Daniele Haia, Softball
1992	Shawn Ching, Football	Heidi McElhanney, Swimming
1991	Dane McArthur, Football	Patti Su'a, Softball
1990	Jeff Ball, Baseball	Judy Mosley, Basketball
1989	Amosa Amosa, Football	Sandra Budd, Swimming
1988	Guy Farrow, Swimming	Reydan "Tita" Ahuna, Volleyball
1987	None	Susan McDaniel, Diving
1986	Michael Beazley, Football	Susan Hlavenka, Volleyball
1985	Joe Lileikis, Swimming	Andrea Hawcridge, Swimming
1984	None	Rose Thomas, Tennis
1983	Larry Goeas, Football	Joy Minaai, Tennis
1982	Brandon Kop, Golf	Gillian Cooper, Tennis
1981	Blane Gaison, Football	None
1980	Dean Dunn-Rankin, Tennis	Bonnie Gouveia, Volleyball
1979	Ron Nomura, Baseball	Jane Zukaitis, Tennis

1978	Harris Matsushima, Football
1977	Gerald Ako, Baseball; Alex Kalai, Football
1976	Marilyn Moniz, Women's Volleyball
1975	Gene Caranza, Men's Gymnastics
1974	Joey Estrella, Baseball

Note: Only one award given the first five years