University of Hawai'i women's softball player Kate Judd and men's volleyball player Costas Theocharidis were named the 2003 Jack Bonham Award winners in recognition for their outstanding performances on and off the playing field. The announcement was made this morning at the annual Scholar-Athlete Breakfast at the Stan Sheriff Center.

The award is given annually to the top male and female senior 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.”

In four years with the women’s softball team, Judd was a model student-athlete; on the playing field, in the classroom, and in the community. She is a two-time Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year, a feat no other Rainbow Wahine has accomplished. Judd has also earned NFCA, WAC, and UH Scholar-Athlete honors, while compiling a 3.13 cumulative grade point average. In addition, she has participated in numerous clinics around the state. This season, she helped the Rainbow Wahine win its very first WAC championship.

Theocharidis completed a brilliant four-year career by earning his second AVCA National Player of the Year award this past season. He also took home Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Player of the Year accolades and became the first ever men’s player to earn All-America first team honors for four years. Theocharidis also excelled in the classroom, compiling a 3.71 cumulative grade point average and was the program’s first Verizon Academic All-American. Furthermore, Theocharidis was a four-year UH Scholar-Athlete.

Considered the most prestigious award in University of Hawai‘i 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.

More than 150 UH student-athletes were recognized at the annual Scholar-Athlete Breakfast. In order to qualify, student-athletes must have had a semester 3.50 GPA (for freshman and transfer students) or a cumulative 3.00 GPA for athletes who completed more than one semester. In addition, all athletes must have lettered or be lettering for the 2002-03 season.