Erica Hawley got her collegiate career at the University of Boulder in Colorado off to a winning start at the USA Triathlon draft-legal collegiate regional sprint event last weekend.

Things are happening quickly for the Bermudian freshman who has been offered the opportunity to work with a new coach, Ian O’Brien, in Colorado Springs.

Hawley’s win also helped her team claim the collegiate trophy.

She exited the 750 metres swim in the lead with Liberty Ricca in a time of 10min 54sec. The pair opened a big gap over the chasers, coming into the transition over three minutes ahead.

Hawley posted a time of 33:38 for the 20 kilometres bike, entering the transition some 15 seconds ahead of Ricca.

Hawley then showed her experience, racing in the draft-legal format as she gained a further 12 seconds on Ricca in the second transition and then ran the second fastest 5k run split of the day in 20:25 to finish in 1:06.25, 40 seconds ahead of Ricca.

Hawley’s win came soon after the news that she had been offered the chance to work with a new coach. Her parents acknowledged the fantastic work done by Canadian coach Kelly Guest to get her to the junior elite level, but with Hawley now based in Boulder, they felt the opportunity to work with O’Brien was too good to turn down.

O’Brien asked about Hawley joining his team when he heard she was in Boulder. He first met her at a USA Junior Camp a few years ago.

“I cannot wait to see where we can take her,” O’Brien wrote to Hawley’s parents, Adam and Julia.

“She is a great person and athlete. I really focus on coaching good people first then everything else comes later, so I am really looking forward to working with Erica!

“I will also ensure she gets to the next level with complete consideration for her academic load.

“There will be opportunities to be analysed by some of the Olympic sports scientists here at the Olympic Training Centre in Colorado Springs.

“I use as many specialists as possible to ensure ultimate performance progression, as I have with Taylor Knibb and all my elite athletes. It’s going to be an epic first year and then a continuous developmental pathway.

“My ultimate focus is 2020. I really want Erica to progress through the elite ranks and racing circuits effectively over the next few years, gradually building success and doing it right. It’s going to be great to see her develop as an athlete and as a person.”