IRVINE, Calif. – University of Hawai'i women's water polo player
Bia Mantellato Dias and men's basketball player
Justin McKoy were selected as the school's Big West Scholar-Athletes of the Year for their outstanding athletic and academic achievements.
The pair were among 22 individuals across the league who were named 2023-24 Big West Scholar-Athletes of the Year. Two student-athletes from each institution – one male and one female – were honored by their institutions and the conference.
The Big West Scholar-Athletes of the Year represent nearly 2,400 Big West student-athletes who made the Commissioners Honor Roll, which requires a 3.0 GPA or better. Nearly half of those on the Honor Roll had a 3.5 GPA or better.
Bia Mantellato Dias
Sport: Women's Water Polo (Center)
Class: Sophomore
Hometown: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Major: Business Administration - Marketing
Bia Mantellato Dias, the two-time Big West Player of the Year, led the Rainbow Wahine to an all-time best 23-4 record, a No. 3 national ranking and Hawai'i's best finish in the NCAA National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championship in 2024. Mantellato Dias capped off a stellar sophomore season with 64 goals on the way to First-Team All-America honors and a nomination for the Cutino Award, the most prestigious honor in collegiate water polo. A talented student, who earned Academic All-District, Academic All-Conference and UH's Exemplary Scholar-Athlete honors, the sophomore from Sao Paulo, Brazil looks to compete professionally in Europe with a goal of participating in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Justin McKoy
Sport: Men's Basketball (Forward)
Class: Graduate Student
Hometown: Raleigh, N.C.
Major: Online Learning & Teaching
Justin McKoy earned Second-Team All-Big West honors in 2023-24, finishing in the team's top five in defensive rebounds, scoring and free throw percentage while starting all 34 games. In the community, the graduate student from Raleigh, North Carolina taught basketball both in Japan and Hawai`i. Academically, McKoy was named to the Big West Commissioner's Honor Roll, a UH Exemplary Scholar-Athlete and was nominated to the NABC Honors Court. McKoy is engaged to be married in August and plans to eventually open a training facility in North Carolina.
