HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i Athletic Department handed out its highest honor at the annual H Awards on Tuesday night with women's basketball player Amy Atwell and men's tennis player Andre Ilagan selected as the 2022 recipients of the Jack Bonham Award.
 
Since 1974, the Bonham Award is given annually 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."
 
Attwell is the 10th women's basketball player to win the award and the first since Shawna Lei-Kuehu in 2015. Meanwhile Ilagan is just the third men's tennis honoree in the nearly 50 years of the award's existence. Ilagan joins Andreas "Andy" Weber (2010) and Dean Dunn-Rankin (1980). 
 
Ilagan has enjoyed an inspiring career at UH. Coming from a modest upbringing in Kalihi, the Farrington High School graduate has exceeded expectations and will depart as  one of the best tennis players in program history. He earned Big West Freshman of the Year honors upon his arrival in Manoa and was a first-team all-conference pick in each of his first two full seasons of competition. 

This season he has taken it to another level. In the ITA All-American Tournament this past fall, he went through three rounds of qualifying and reached the semifinals of the main draw, beating six ranked opponents in the process and advancing farther than any player in UH history. He went on to finish eighth in the elite ITA Winter Nationals and ultimately earned a No. 11 national ranking, the highest ranking ever achieved by a UH player.

"Andre may be the shortest athlete we currently have on the team," head coach Joel Kusnierz said, "but his heart, his character and his work ethic makes him an absolute giant in the eyes of his fellow teammates, his coaches, and his opponents. Nobody in our program embodies the Warrior mentality better than Andre."

Off the court, Ilgan has dedicated himself in the classroom and in the community. His dedication  helped the team reach the highest team GPA among all sports at UH. Holding  a 3.4 GPA, he will graduate this spring with a degree in finance.
  
Atwell, meanwhile, just completed an illustrious career with the Rainbow Wahine basketball program. The native of South Perth, Australia was the 2021-22 Big West Player of the Year and the focal point of a UH squad that became the first in program history to claim both the conference regular-season and tournament titles in the same season. 

She leaves the island as the single-season (76) and career (205) record-holder in three-pointers made. And after a stellar performance in the NCAA Tournament, she became just UH's second-ever WNBA draft pick after being selected by the LA Sparks. Atwell, a four-time Big West all-academic honoree, graduates this spring with a degree in business marketing and management.
 
"Amy has exemplified what a student athlete is," head coach Laura Beeman said. "From the court to the classroom to the community, Amy is a true leader and inspiration to all around her. Her accomplishments throughout her six years at the University of Hawai'i will leave a legacy for young girls across our state and in Australia."

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.

 
All-Time Bonham Award Winners

Year	Male	Female
2022	Andre Ilagan, Tennis	Amy Atwell, Basketball
2021	Rado Parapunov, Volleyball	Hannah Gaskins, Track and Field
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 Kaloi, 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