WAIMEA — One of the most accomplished swimmers on the Big Island over the past four years is ready to advance to the next level.
On Thursday, Hawaii Preparatory Academy’s Maile Lawson celebrated under the spot light of signing day, officially putting ink to paper and letting the world know she will be attending the University of Southern California on an athletic scholarship.
Lawson has excelled at every level of swimming, from open water to club with the Kona Dolphins and high school. Her hard work did not go unnoticed as she joins one of the top NCAA Division I programs in the country.
“She is joining a dynamic team in the Pac-12 conference and it is exciting,” said Hawaii Prep head coach Mark Noetzel. “She will have a chance to experience the Division I rivalries and the challenges. That is what we all hope for our athletes.”
Lawson’s decision to become a Trojan was finalized after her visit to the campus. She also looked at Notre Dame, the University of Hawaii-Manoa and University of California-Santa Barbara, just to name a few.
“A lot of schools I looked at offered amazing things, but after a lot of thinking, it wasn’t necessarily hard to choose USC,” Lawson said. “Once I visited the campus it just felt like home. I just kind of knew and I was lucky enough to experience that.”
While on her official visit, Lawson was able to meet with her future teammates as well as her coaches, saying everyone instantly clicked.
“The overall vibe and they way the people acted on the team, it was very much like a brother-sister relationship,” Lawson added. “With the coaches, there was that coach relationship, but there was also a friendship. It is exactly what I was looking for.”
USC is coached by Dave Salo, who is in his 12th season in charge of the program after a 10-plus year span as one of the most successful club coaches in the nation. He has coached several Olympic medalists.
“He is a patient man and he wants to help everyone improve on the team. That was really important to me,” Lawson said. “Practices will definitely be a change, but I am ready to put in the hard work to face the rough regiment. I am excited to work with him.”
Salo has guided USC, both the men’s and women’s programs, to new heights over the past three seasons. In 2015, Salo led the men to their first Pac-12 title since 1979. He also led the women to their first ever Pac-12 title in 2016.
“I have been following coach Salo for a while and he has an exciting and invigorating program,” Noetzel said. “It’s the Pac-12. It’s big time.”
Noetzel has helped Lawson immensely over her high school career and it all starts with the mental aspects of swimming.
“Swimming is a tough sport. You are usually staring at a black line for most of the day,” Noetzel said. “Mentally, swimmers are unique. You have to be creative during 120 minute sessions looking down. You have to want something bigger than yourself.”
Noetzel has helped Lawson prepare mentally by providing little tidbits of inspiration before practice.
“Coach Mark is a major factor in my swimming career,” Lawson said. “He would offer me a piece of encouragement, either from something he found on the internet or something he has cherished for a while, before every practice. It definitely encourages me.”
For Noetzel, the goal has always been character building, because, as he puts it, “the kids spend more time with a coach in a given day than they do with any teacher.”
“We have to motivate them, push them to beyond and build their confidence,” Noetzel added. “I tell the kids they have to give themselves permission to be courageous. It is little messages like that, that help.”
With the signing now in the past, Lawson will turn her focus to the upcoming swim season and she has several goals in mind, which she hopes to achieve at the club Age Group Short Course Championships in Oahu on Dec. 14.
“I want to swim fast and I have some times in mind, but at the same time I can always crush my own goals,” Lawson said. “My training schedule has been more intense and I am being pushed extremely hard. Hopefully it will pay off.”