It’s a bold statement for such a rare feat. Taylor Lau wants to win four state tennis titles. The Saint Francis sophomore won the girls singles title as a freshman last May and would like to win three more in the next three years. Her work on the court supports her claim.

At 5 feet 5, Lau is ranked first in her age group in the USTA Hawaii rankings. Nationally, Lau is ranked 56th on the USTA girls 16 list. Players ranked in the top 100 are already on a college coach’s recruiting radar.

But history indicates an anomaly in Hawaii state tournament history. Erin Hoe of Mililani is the only player (boy or girl) to win four state singles titles, accomplishing that feat from 1997 to 2000. Hoe then played at the University of Washington.

Lau is determined to become the second player to win four titles, and would like to do so by representing the school that’s welcomed her.

“I want to make sure I represent Saint Francis in the way it deserves to be represented,” Lau said. “It’s a great school and Sister Joan (of Arc Souza) does a great job supporting athletics and there’s two great athletic directors. I think I’m really motivated to win four state titles.”

When Lau beat Mililani’s Alyssa Tobita in the state singles final, it denied Tobita’s bid to become a four-time state champion. Lau won 6-1, 6-3 while recovering from a broken pinkie on her right (playing) hand and had lost to Tobita in previous meetings. Winning a state title as a freshman was a total surprise.

“After breaking my finger and losing in the ILH (tournament), it was definitely a surprise,” Lau said. “I’d lost to Alyssa five-plus times before that.”

Lau competed over the weekend at the USTA National Spring Team Championships in Alabama. Nationally ranked teens were invited to the event, and Lau won five of her eight matches there. Her exposure in national-level tournaments has caught the eyes of college coaches. Lau hopes to play Division I tennis, and in doing so would become the second Lau sibling to compete collegiately. Older sister Randi was a gymnast at LSU and Penn State.

“It was very nervous how people look at you and say ‘That girl is from Hawaii,’ ” Lau said. “But now they definitely give me a different look because of how long I’ve been in these national tournaments. You just (want to) represent well.”

Lau’s ascension to this level is due in part to her training. She works with Jeff Fitch, a former University of Hawaii player who serves as her technicals coach. Lau also has a strength and conditioning coach in Jordan Conley.

“My technical skills have gotten better because of my coach, and my movement, my speed, my agility, everything has gotten better,” Lau said.

Lau is focused on winning four state titles and has learned mental preparation from watching Randi prepare for her competitions.

“I really have to stay focused,” Lau said. “I can’t let injuries get in the way.”

While Lau has been making statementson the tennis court, she’s finally been able to find her voice off of it. She transferred to Saint Francis as a freshman after attending an all-girls middle school. The new environment allowed her to find a comfort level that was missing.

“Throughout my life, I’ve had a really hard time fitting in and being who I really want to be,” Lau said. “But thanks to Saint Francis, Sister Joan, the ADs, and the teachers, they’ve really helped me.”

At Saint Francis, she’s doing well in the classroom and enjoys singing in the choir. Music is her escape from tennis, and she’s recently started learning to play the guitar.

“I feel as if when I sing, it’s more free,” Lau said. “In tennis, people are watching you, you can feel their eyes on you. I sing by myself at home. I write my own music and that’s what really helps calm me down through practices and different events.”

Since Saint Francis doesn’t have the numbers to field its own team, Lau competes during league play for Maryknoll. But the Saints have been attracting players over the years and will field their own boys team next year. Her younger brother, Robby, also plays for the Saints, and their father, Robert, is the coach.

“It’s exciting,” coach Lau said of Saint Francis’ tennis program. “The parents are very supportive.”

NEWS & NOTES

Schroers honored at wrestling finals

‘Iolani and the wrestling community will begin to miss the services of a committed, veteran coach, coordinator and athletic director at the end of June.

Carl Schroers, who is retiring, was honored at a ceremony before the state wrestling finals on Saturday at Blaisdell Arena.

“Carl Schroers has been instrumental in helping our state develop the sport of wrestling for almost 40 years,” an announcer at the arena read to the packed house. “As a coach at ‘Iolani School, his records of state championship teams are unmatched, but what is (more) important than the victories are the many lives he has positively influenced.”

Earl Kim, the president of Kamehameha Schools (Kapalama campus) and a former wrestler under Schroers, was one of a group who presented Schroers with certificates of commendation from the State House of Representatives and the State Senate.

The wrestling community also presented Schroers with the Lei O Mano perpetual plaque.

In his 38 years at ‘Iolani, Schroers was the school’s wrestling coach, the ILH wrestling coordinator and the state wrestling coordinator. He will leave his post as one of three athletic directors at the school. Between 1984 and ’96, ‘Iolani won nine state titles under Schroers (plus one under Todd Los Banos while Schroers was on a sabbatical).

“This was very surprising tonight,” Schroers said on Saturday. “I’m not big on awards. It was unbelievable to have one of my closest friends, Earl Kim, make the presentation.

“I’m blessed. We had so many wonderful people in our program and many of them have gone on to do amazing things. The best thing for me is to see them come back and I see how they’re helping to make the world a better place. The athletes and their parents I will always remember, and the (student) managers, too. Some of my fondest memories are of our managers helping run the state tournaments before all these people came.”

Schroers will continue to serve at ‘Iolani until June 30. The school will be searching for a replacement soon to join the two other athletic directors, Wendell Look and Eddie Maruyama.

Choy is Govs’ new girls volleyball coach

Changes are coming to Farrington High School’s campus, including one that involves the girls volleyball program.

Barney Choy is the new head coach, athletic director Harold Tanaka said. He replaces Reagan Agena. Choy has experience as a club coach. His daughter, Bailey, plays for ‘Iolani.

As for other changes, it’s a long-term picture that has begun with the football and track facility. The grounds are being redone to make way for a 4,000-seat on-campus stadium. The tennis courts on the northeast portion of campus next to the field are already gone.

“That was done in one day,” Tanaka said.

The new tennis courts will be part of a renovated upper campus (next to the freeway), along with a new pool. The current area where the old pool is will be cleared to make way for a new gymnasium, Tanaka added.

“The plans for the new gym just got approved,” he said.

A four-story student center is also in the plans.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Boys And Girls
The Lahainaluna boys and girls wrestling squads

On Friday, late during the first round of the Chevron/HHSAA State Wrestling Championships preliminaries at Blaisdell Arena, Lahainaluna’s boys team was in second place behind Punahou. Its girls team was tied for first with Kamehameha. The Lunas had never won a wrestling state team title, and had been pegged as “unable to win the big one,” with five state runner-up trophies in the case in the gym.

“We get to bring Mama and Papa home,” said Lahainaluna boys and girls coach Todd Hayase, referring to the bigger awards going back to Maui after the Lunas came out on top in both the boys and girls portions of the tournament after Saturday’s finals.

Five wrestlers led the way to the two team titles Saturday by winning individual championships, but Hayase, as far back as Friday, was saying “everyone” had to contribute to get that elusive state title.

Robert Campos (138 pounds), Thomas Rosen St. John (170), Alexis Encinas (107), Diamond Freitas (112), Breanna Dudoit-Vasquez (138), Carly Jaramillo (145) and Laleilei Mataafa (225) were the Lunas’ individual champions.

Jaramillo and Mataafa succeeded in their bids for a third individual state title.

THE TOP 10

Voted on by coaches and media from statewide. First-place votes in parentheses. Ten points for first-place votes, nine for second, etc.