There’s something about being part of a team, having teammates to help you out and cheer you on. Of course, there’s also something to be said about doing it yourself.
Hallie Lawson does both.
The freshman plays for the Pima College women’s basketball team and the women’s golf team. School officials believe she may be the first Aztecs athlete to play both sports.
“It means a lot, actually, knowing that my hard work for both sports pays off,” Lawson said. “And knowing that later on it’ll pay off, too, is pretty great.”
Lawson typically practices golf in the morning and joins the basketball team in the afternoon for practice. Lately it’s been a little tougher to make both schedules work.
Lawson missed golf’s Scottsdale Community College Invitational this week because she was busy scoring 22 points to help the top-seeded Aztecs beat No. 4 Chandler-Gilbert 92-83 in the NJCAA Region I, Division II women’s basketball semifinals. Pima hosts No. 2 Mesa on Saturday in the regional finals. The winner will advance to the NJCAA Division II Tournament in Harrison, Arkansas.
“It’s tough,” Lawson said about juggling both sports this time of year. “Right now, I’m kind of focusing more on basketball and just letting golf ease out right now. Once basketball is over, then I’ll go back into golf.”
If her start to the season was any indication, that shouldn’t be too difficult. In Lawson’s first tournament, she was the highest Aztecs finisher in eighth place at the Mesa Community College Invitational in January. She finished 12th at the Estrella Mountain Community College Invitational last month.
Lawson start playing basketball as a freshman at Gilbert’s Campo Verde High School, and picked up golf the following year. She loved both sports for what made them different, and knew she wanted to continue playing both at the next level. It was difficult finding a school that would allow it.
Most colleges recruited her as a basketball player, and for good reason. The 6-foot-2-inch forward averaged 10.2 points and 5.8 rebounds as a high school senior. Pima coach Todd Holthaus said he didn’t have an issue with her playing golf. When Lawson arrived in Tucson, she met with golf coach Rick Price. Price, it turned out, had an opening on the roster.
Lawson said she’s enjoyed her first year at Pima and is excited to see how far both of her teams can make it this season. She will continue to pursue both sports after leaving Pima.
“I’m not sure if I can,” she said, “but if I can continue to do both sports that would be amazing.”
