Sophomore Noa Calili has had a record-breaking start to her high school swimming career, and this weekend, she may finish the job.
At the Clinton Central Invitational this Saturday, Dec. 13, at 10 a.m., the University High School Swim team co-captain is on pace to sweep every remaining school swimming record, an extraordinary milestone for an athlete midway through her sophomore season. Calili first made waves as a freshman, breaking two school records in her debut year, and she has continued to rewrite the record books ever since.
Despite competing in events she admits are not her favorites, Calili approaches Saturday’s meet with focus and determination. “I’m a little nervous,” she said, “mostly because I don’t usually swim those strokes, but I’m excited, too.”
For Calili, record-breaking has never been the only motivation. A swimmer since early childhood, she credits her growth to strong coaching, close-knit teammates, and a school environment where she feels truly known. “I like that everyone here knows my name,” she said. “Teachers I’ve never had, students I haven’t even talked to come up and congratulate me. That wouldn’t happen at a bigger school.”
She also values the smaller team dynamic at University, which allows for individual technique work alongside a sense of fun and belonging. “It feels like the school community, but even smaller,” she said. “It’s not just swim, swim, swim. We joke around with each other all the time! It makes getting up early worth it.”
University swim coach Jared Shum isn’t surprised by her trajectory. “Noa’s success isn’t accidental. She’s training before most people wake up and again after school, six or seven days a week, all while balancing a full academic load. That level of commitment extends well beyond the school season. She trains with the same intensity year-round. She consistently chooses the harder path, and it shows. Breaking records was never our objective. I demand excellence because Noa is excellent, and our focus is on raising her floor, not just her ceiling, by not only pushing the limits of her best performances, but elevating her everyday baseline so that even her routine swims are exceptional. The records simply reflect how far that baseline has risen. Noa has earned her success through her discipline, her resilience, and the way she shows up every single day.”
As Calili takes the pool Saturday morning, she won’t just be chasing times, she’ll be cementing her place in University High School history.