HAWAIIAN SWIMMING HALL of FAME
Our very own head coach, Mark Noetzel, is being inducted into the Hawaiian Swimming Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 18th. True to form, on Saturday, Coach Mark will be setting up for the age group meet at 5 AM, before flying to Oahu to coach ASC swimmers at a 2 PM Senior Meet, and then finally attend the Induction ceremony at 6 PM in Honolulu. A coach to the core!
Coach Mark is being recognized for his years of service dedicated to developing athletes in the sport of swimming in Hawai'i. He has been a USA Swimming coach for 40 years and holds a Level V endorsement from the American Swim Coaches Association. He has coached all abilities ranging from novice age groupers to coaching at the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Trials. Mark is certified to coach age group, high school, collegiate, and masters swimming. As an age group coach for Punahou from 1985-1989 and then as the founder of Academy Swim Club in 1993, Mark has trained multiple Hawaiian State Champions, Hawaiian State Record Holders and USA Swimming scholar-athletes. At the high school level he has six HHSSA Championships and eight runner-up titles. Mark was the first coach to win the high school state title from an outer island and the first coach to win at two schools (Punahou & Hawaii Prep). Coach Mark has mentored over 25 High School All American swimmers. He joins two of his Masters swimmers, who are in the Hall of Fame: Jim Budde and Harry Huffaker.
Coaching under Jon Urbanchek at the University of Michigan, was an important part of Mark's career, and he maintained a lifelong relationship with his mentor. If I were giving the induction speech, I would share that Mark takes great pleasure in having former swimmers reach out to him to share their memories, favorite stories and how swimming under his tutelage helped to shape their life. The true legacy of a coach!
