Noah Otsuka (12) signed his letter of intent with California Polytechnic State University’s (Cal Poly) swim team after the universities recruiter scouted him.

“I didn’t always know about Cal Poly, but at the time, I started looking for colleges to go to, I found out about Cal Poly, and it definitely became a dream school for me,” Noah said.

Since Augusta does not have a swimming team, Noah caught the attention of college scouts while competing for the Andover YMCA All-Stars.

“I was surprised when [Cal Poly] contacted me. I honestly didn’t expect it. It felt like a dream coming true,” Noah said.

Noah’s six years with the YMCA All-Stars allowed him to grow as a swimmer and a person. Noah’s mom, Leticia Otsuka, has cheered him on every step of the way and watched him improve throughout the years.

“Noah has matured a lot; it has made him to be able to fail and then strive to succeed. His losses make him more determined,” Leticia said.

Due to his commitment and dedication to the sport, Noah is able attend a top college in California while competing at a collegiate level of swimming.

“Noah is very determined, I think when he has a goal in mind he pursues it especially when he is pursuing something that he has his whole heart in like swimming,” Leticia said.

Noah discovered his passion for swimming after watching the 2012 Olympics on television. He has been swimming for the past six years and competes in the 50 and 100-meter freestyle, 100 and 200-meter breaststroke and the 100-meter butterfly.

Noah will be attending Cal Poly in the fall of 2019 where he will study computer engineering while competing for the Mustang’s swimming team.