Leveling Up

Kawahara and Mallari are set to join collegiate women’s golf programs, heading to Utah Tech University and the University of Hawaii at Manoa, respectively. Salem—the reigning HHSAA State Champion—will join Mallari on Oahu, committing to the Rainbow Warriors “Sistahhood” within the University of Hawaii women’s swimming and diving program.

 

Before fully committing to the pool, Sacha Salem balanced multiple sports for years. She ran track, excelled on the golf course, and trained with the Lahaina Swim Club under Coach Tom Popdan. Salem quickly proved to be a powerhouse across the board, topping leaderboards at junior golf events around Maui while racking up medals at age-group swim meets. (Salem once captured gold in every single race she entered at a state-level meet.)

 

Despite her dominant results, Salem admits her ultimate athletic path wasn’t always obvious. “After the fire, I thought I was going to play golf in college. I think I always knew that swimming stuck with me a little more. As I grew older, swimming made me happier.”

 

Salem leaves an indelible mark on the Maui Prep swim program as a seven-time MIL individual champion and a two-time MIL Swimmer of the Year. After several close finishes in previous years, she capped off her high school career by capturing a thrilling state title in the 200-yard Individual Medley.

 

For Sofia Mallari, the journey to a Division I golf scholarship required mastering her own mindset. She openly admits to having a persistent “love/hate” relationship with the sport early on.

 

“Growing up, everyone knew I was the biggest hothead on the course. I would get super frustrated; it was the worst thing ever,” Sofia recalls. “I realized that was a battle I wanted to win. I stuck with it and took every lesson as something I could learn from rather than shutting down.”

That resilience paid off, turning her into a formidable competitor capable of catching the eye of collegiate programs.

 

For Ava Kawahara, reaching the Division I level meant making difficult, calculated choices early in her high school career. The 2026 MIL Golf champion made the major decision to transfer from Baldwin to Maui Prep ahead of her sophomore year—a move that demanded a grueling daily commute, but promised an environment where she could thrive.

 

Because of MIL transfer rules, Kawahara was required to sit out of official competition for an entire year. Rather than viewing the sit-out year as a setback, she embraced it as a stepping stone.

 

“Transferring from Baldwin to Maui Prep was a big decision, especially because of the long daily commute, but I knew it was the right choice for my future,” Kawahara reflects. “The biggest realization came when I saw the opportunity to be part of a stronger golf team while also receiving a higher level of education. I wanted to challenge myself both academically and athletically, and Maui Prep provided an environment where I could grow in both areas. Although the sacrifice was significant, I believed the opportunity to play for a better team and prepare myself for college made it worth it.”

 

Instead of letting the competitive gap year derail her momentum, Kawahara anchored herself within the team culture, maintaining her focus and supporting her peers from the sidelines.

 

“Sitting out a year due to transfer rules could have been frustrating, but it honestly didn’t have a major effect on me because I was still able to be around my teammates every day,” she says. “I continued to practice, and support the team, which helped me stay motivated and connected.”

 

Navigating the recruiting process requires patience and persistence, and the path looks different for every athlete.

 

For a distance powerhouse like Salem, recruiting largely comes down to clocking elite racing times and finding a program in need of her specific specialties. Salem’s breakthrough came during an Age Group Sectional meet in Austin, Texas, where her performance in the 500-yard freestyle firmly put her on the radar of the University of Hawaii coaching staff.

 

“After that, I flew over to have a meeting with the head coach and he told me there was a spot on the team for me. That’s when I took it.” Though she initially looked at mainland schools, a local visit sealed the deal. “I didn’t commit until the summer going into my senior year, mainly because I didn’t know if I wanted to stay home. But then I went and watched a UH meet and saw their energy and vibe, and I realized I could see myself there.”

 

Mallari also originally envisioned herself attending college on the mainland, but she kept her options open by reaching out to the UH golf coach during her junior year. When her initial outreach went unanswered, Mallari took matters into her own hands. She introduced herself to the coach in person at a women’s tournament at the Ka’anapali Golf Course.

 

Recognizing the name, the coach followed up, and Mallari began sending over her athletic resume and videos of her powerful swing. Impressed by her drive, the coach invited her for an unofficial visit to the Manoa campus.

 

“My dad and I toured the athletics and training areas, and as soon as we got back to her office, I verbally committed right there. I didn’t even know the details yet; I was just so happy.”

 

For Kawahara, the recruitment journey was uniquely forged during her mandatory year on the sidelines. Rather than waiting for programs to find her, she utilized her downtime to aggressively and proactively engineer her own future, laying the groundwork for her commitment to Utah Tech University.

 

“During that time, I also started focusing on my recruiting process by reaching out to college coaches,” Kawahara explains. “I would send emails introducing myself, sharing my information, and asking if they were available to talk or meet. Building those relationships kept me motivated and gave me something to work toward while I waited for my opportunity to officially compete again.”