CLEVELAND, Ohio--A record 62 UH Hilo Vulcan student-athletes were recipients today of the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award.

The Vulcans had 50 named to the list last year, and 31 the year prior to that. 

"I am proud of our student-athletes," said athletic director Patrick Guillen. "Our emphasis in this area includes having an academic study hall, directed by Melanie Brokaw, who has done a fantastic job. Additionally, our student-athletes rose to the challenge again during a pandemic year and made the best of the situation."

To be named to the exclusive group, the student-athlete has to have a accumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better, have at least two full years (four semesters) of college level work, and have been on the UH Hilo roster for the 2020-21 season. In this odd pandemic year with some sports playing short seasons, if a player opted out of playing but still attended classes, they qualified. 

In total, there were a record breaking 16,262 student-athletes from 188 institutions recognized for the 2020-21 Academic Achievement Awards. This is the most student-athletes being recognized since the inception of the award's program. 

For the Vulcans, the women's soccer team led with 12 total recipients, followed by the men's soccer team with 10. The women's tennis team equaled the women's soccer team with the highest percentage of players making the grade with six of 11 roster members qualifying (54 percent).

"It is incredible to think that our athletes excelled in the classroom despite having to deal with the many stressors associated with COVID-19," said Dr. Bren Stevens, Vice President for Athletics at the University of Charleston and current D2 ADA President. "To see once again that a record-breaking number of students are recipients of the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award is simply astonishing. I am extraordinarily impressed by the efforts of our member institutions to ensure that they provided special recognitions for their respective athletes, as they are certainly deserving."

Here follows the record-breaking 62 Vulcan student-athletes named to the D2 ADA Academic Achievement list.

BASEBALL (6)
Ryan Cho (San Diego, Calif. / Westview HS)
Dylan Gordon (Kamuela, Hawai`i / American Heritage / Cabrillo College/)
Alex Hobgood (Ottawa, Ontario / /South Carleton HS/)
Cameron Scudder (Yuma, Ariz. / Gila Ridge HS / Chandler-Gilbert CC/)
Aaron Wehrman (Honolulu, Hawai`i / Iolani HS)
Casey Yamauchi (Hilo, Hawai`i / Waiakea HS)
MEN'S BASKETBALL (3)
Anthony Haskett (Walnut Creek, Calif. / Las Lomas HS / Diablo Valley College/)
Steven Hubbell (Burbank, Calif. / John Burroughs HS / Glendale CC/)
Sasa Vuksanovic (Novi Sad, Serbia / McClennan CC / Sheridan College/)
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY (3)
Sabina Boo-Rivera (Kea'au, Hawai'i/Kea'au HS)
Lily Gavagan (Pukalani, Hawai'i/Kamehameha Schools Maui)
Olivia Jarvis (Oceanside, Calif./El Camino HS)
MEN'S GOLF (3)
Nicholas Gomez (Fountain Valley, Calif./Fountain Valley HS)
Noah Lau (Honolulu, Hawai'i/'Iolani School)
Evan Merrier
MEN'S SOCCER (10)
Marcanthony Cabrera
Michael Harre (St. Louis, Mo. / Marquette HS / Maryville Univ.)
Caesar Hjerten (Ulricehamn, Sweden / Union College)
Kealaula Keliikoa (Wailuku, Hawai`i / Kamehameha Maui / Whatcom CC)
Luca Lippert (Langen, Germany / Northern Michigan)
Brady O'Neill (Murrieta, Calif./Vista Murrieta HS)
Marcus Plataniotis (Drummoyne, New South Wales, Australia/Sydney Boys HS)
Andrew Rehedul (El Paso, Texas/Chapin HS)
Teddy Rubenstein (Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i / Kealakehe HS/ Redlands Univ.)
Kaleihalia Tolentino-Perry (Keaau, Hawai`i / Hilo HS / San Jose State)
MEN'S TENNIS (2)
Luca Checchia (Valencia, Spain / IES Distrito Maritimo/)
Joshua Liu (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia / Laurel Springs HS / Sonoma State/)
SOFTBALL (5)
Brandee Chinen (Hilo, Hawai`i / Waiakea HS/)
Darian Obara (Pearl City, Hawai`i / Pearl City HS/)
Markie Okamoto (Mililani, Hawai`i / Mililani HS/)
Angel Prewitt (Port Orchard, Wash. / South Kitsap HS / Bellevue College / Concordia-Portland/)
Nikki Zielinski (Sedona, Ariz. / Mingus Union HS / College of Southern Idaho/)
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL (5)
Jessica Goodluck (Adelaide, Australia / Independence CC)
Mandi Kawaha (Hilo, Hawai'i/Hilo HS)
Bree Olson (Tucson, Ariz./Pusch Ridge Christian Academy)
Kim Schmelz (Sacramento, Calif./Pleasant Grove)
Sara Shimizu (Sacramento, Calif. / CK McClatchy HS/)
WOMEN'S GOLF (2)
Tori Hironaga (Hilo, Hawai'i/Waiakea HS)
Kaelyn Uchida (Hilo, Hawai'i/Waiakea HS)
WOMEN'S SOCCER (12)
Breeann Andrade (Honolulu, Hawai`i / St. Francis / Providence Christian College/)
Bailee Brennan (Carlsbad, Calif./Sage Creek HS)
Piper Collado (Waipahu, Hawai`i/Pearl City HS)
Sophia Dent (San Diego, Calif. / Our Lady of Peace HS/)
Taylor Hornburg (Exeter, Calif./Exeter HS)
Kayla Kunihisa (Waipahu, Hawai'i/Maryknoll School)
Jodi Lillie (Mililani, Hawai'i/Mililani HS)
Maisie Paulson (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista HS)
Brenna Rill
Camille Strazzo (Sutter Creek, Calif. / Amador HS / Sierra College/)
Daelenn Tokunaga (Waipahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City HS)
Brende Yoshizumi (Kapolei, Hawai'i/Kamehameha Schools Kapalama)
WOMEN'S TENNIS (6)
Sandra Dafincescu (Ramnicu Valcea, Romania / De Anza College/)
Hannah Highsmith (Folsom, Calif. / Vista del Lago HS / Sonoma State/)
Hokulani Iseri (Kolua, Hawai`i / Kauai HS/)
Mia Rosa (Federal Way, Wash. / Thomas Jefferson HS/)
Anouk van Hoek (Zaltbommel, Netherlands / Cambium/)
Lino Yoshikawa (Kihei, Hawai`i / Maui HS/)
VOLLEYBALL (5)
Bria Beale (Eastvale, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga HS / UC Irvine)
Cara Bolte (Honolulu, Hawai'i/Maryknoll School)
Ashton Jessee (Anchorage, Alaska/South Anchorage)
Tiara Kaawaloa
Kendall Kott (Shingle Springs, Calif./Ponderosa HS)