HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i Athletics Department's highest individual honor, the Jack Bonham Award was presented to Emma van Rossum of women's water polo and Jakob Thelle of men's volleyball at the annual H Awards, Monday night.
 
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."
 
Van Rossum is just the second water polo student-athlete to win the award and the first since Andrea Nishioka in 2001. Meanwhile Thelle is the fourth men's volleyball  honoree in the last five years (Rado Parapunov-2021, Colton Cowell-2020, Stijn van Tilburg-2018) and 10^th player all-time. 
 
From the moment van Rossum stepped onto the Mānoa campus, she made an immediate impact on the Rainbow Wahine. In the pool, the Nieuwegein, Utrecht, Netherlands is one of the top defensive players in the country and this year was named to Cutino Award Watch List as one of the nation's top 20 collegiate players, a recognition few defensive players receive.
 
In the classroom, van Rossum has made the Dean's List every semester and is set to earn her master's degree in marketing next month. She received her bachelor's in economics in May 2021 in just three years and earned ACWPC All-Academic honors in 2021.
 
"In the past decade, I have only nominated one other water polo student-athlete," head coach Maureen Cole said. "To be nominated for this award is an honor in itself. Emma stands by every virtue that this award stands for. She is the absolute foundation to the success of our program and where we are today because of her.
 
"Every single team we play will take Emma away from her primary position, the 2-meter defender, because she dominates and completely shuts down centers from scoring in front of the cage. She is the most deserving scholar-athlete our program has had in over a decade. She leads our team in so many positive ways. She is the teammate everyone looks to and goes to. She is someone everyone can trust."
 
Thelle will leave his mark in Mānoa as one of the best to ever play for the Rainbow Warrior volleyball program. During a standout five-year career, the Tonsberg, Norway native became just the fourth player in program history to receive both first-team AVCA All-America and first-team Academic All-America honors. He will earn his master's in urban and regional planning next month. 
 
"How does one describe the impact that Jakob has had on our program, our department at UH and for our state," head coach Charlie Wade said. "There are very few in the country who can say they lead a team to two consecutive national championship titles and Jakob is one of those very few. He is the team leader who has guided our team since 2019.
 
"Jakob is everything we want in a student-athlete here. He excels athletically, academically, and as a person on and off the court."
  
A three-year starter at setter, Thelle earned Big West Player of the Year honors last season and has directed UH to consecutive national championships. This year, he has guided the Warriors to a No. 1 ranking for the majority of the season and a share of the Big West regular season title. He will finish his career among the program's leaders in assists and service aces.
 
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
2023	Jakob Thelle, Volleyball	Emma van Rossum, Water Polo
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