LAS VEGAS – BYU women’s soccer’s Bella Folino has been named the first-ever BYU recipient and second-ever female recipient of the Bob Bowlsby Award from the Big 12 Conference, as announced by Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark on Tuesday morning.
Named in recognition of former commissioner Bob Bowlsby, the award is bestowed to the two student-athletes (one male and one female) who represent the absolute best in the Big 12 for their leadership and excellence, on and off the field of competition.
The honor was established by the Big 12 Board of Directors as the conference's most prestigious individiual accolade. The winners were determined by a vote of the conference's athletics directors.
Folino finished her Cougar career with the second-most games played by a BYU women’s soccer player at 107. Lettering in soccer for four consecutive years, she also added nine goals, two assists and 40 shots as a key starter in her final season. Folino’s 37 career goals puts her at No. 8 in BYU’s record book for total goals.
The Aliso Viejo, California native tallied two braces during her final season with the Cougars. Her brace against UNC in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinal led the Cougars to a historic 4-3 comeback win to advance to the College Cup for the second time in program history.
Before joining the Big 12 conference in 2023, Folino earned All-WCC Freshman and Second Team honors.
Maintaining a 4.0 GPA throughout her undergraduate and masters of business administration degrees, she is also the two-time recipient of CSC Academic All-District honors and the winner of the Elite 90 Award, given to the student athlete with the highest GPA at an NCAA Championship.
Folino was the first BYU student-athlete admitted to BYU's prestigious MBA program, and because of her hard work and commitment to academic success, has blazed a trail for other BYU student-athletes to also be accepted into the program.
Even while earning a 4.0 GPA while in an MBA program and starting on a top-five soccer program, going to the NCAA College Cup twice in her career, Folino still found time to serve her campus and community with integrity.
Through her five years at BYU, Folino has served as a volunteer youth coach, hosting free soccer clinics to youth who can’t afford club soccer. She has been an election poll volunteer, served in various church service and leadership roles in her local congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has been a member of her team’s leadership council and also served on the BYU Student Athlete Advisory Council.