UH Hilo athletes honored at 2022-2023 All-Sports Banquet

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Baseball’s Casey Yamauchi and women’s soccer’s Jodi Lillie were named male and female Athletes of the Year, respectively, with women’s soccer tabbed as Vulcan Team of the Year.

One male and two female athletes stand for photo holding award plaques.
From left, Casey Yamauchi, Kendall Kott, and Mandi Kawaha. (Spencer Honda/UH Hilo Athletics)

University of Hawai‘i at Hilo Vulcan Athletics wrapped up its 2022-2023 school year with its annual All-Sports Banquet May 3 at The Arc of Hilo.

Bonnie Irwin in a red and white lei, holding mic while delivering remarks.
Chancellor Bonnie Irwin delivers remarks at the 2022-23 All-Sports Banquet.

“Our Vulcan athletes are excellent ambassadors for UH Hilo, both locally and when on the road,” says UH Hilo Chancellor Bonnie Irwin. “These young people represent us well as both competitors and citizens. I am grateful for all the coaches and staff that have mentored them.”

Baseball’s Casey Yamauchi and women’s soccer’s Jodi Lillie were named male and female Athletes of the Year, respectively, with women’s soccer tabbed as Vulcan Team of the Year. Yamauchi and Lillie, both fifth-year seniors, have played integral roles to help build their respective sports programs over the last handful of seasons culminating in achieving top 25 rankings by both squads this season and an undefeated regular-season run to claim back-to-back Pacific West Conference Championships for women’s soccer.

Luca Matheiowetz (men’s tennis) and Bree Olson (women’s basketball) have both maintained a 3.91 cumulative grade point average to earn this year’s Joe and Harriet Estrella Male and Sakai and Harue Wakakuwa Female Scholar-Athlete honors, respectively. To be eligible, student-athletes must have been active this season of competition and been in attendance here for at least five semesters.

The Ramon Goya Academic Teams of the Year for highest combined GPA went to women’s soccer (3.48 GPA) and women’s tennis (3.47 GPA)—both consecutive repeat winners.

Team of the Year, a large group of students, pose for photo.
Women’s soccer is Vulcan Team of the Year. (Spencer Honda/UH Hilo Athletics)
Large group of students recognized for Academic Honors.
Academic Honors. (Spencer Honda/UH Hilo Athletics)
Group of students who won "Most Pono Vulcans" hold certificates and pose for photo.
Most Pono Vulcan honors. (Spencer Honda/UH Hilo Athletics)

In addition to student-athletes from each team also receiving scholar-athlete and Most Pono Vulcan honors, women’s soccer also took home the Community Engagement/Service Award for more than 700 combined hours volunteering in the local area.

Departing seniors from each team were recognized with special recognition for women’s volleyball’s Kendall Kott, women’s basketball’s Mandi Kawaha and baseball’s Yamauchi for setting new all-time program records.

All photos by Spencer Honda/UH Hilo Athletics. More photos and full list of the 2022-2023 UH Hilo Vulcan Athletics Awards at the Department of Athletics website.

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