Hawaii's first woman to make the U.S. Olympic Women's Swimming Team – Mariechen started breaking Hawaiian, national and world records while still a student at Punahou.This article appears as originally published in the Summer 1980 issue of the Punahou Bulletin.
In 1922 she lowered the national 100 and 200 freestyle records and then in 1923, swimming in Honolulu Harbor, broke the world's 50-yard freestyle record. Shortly thereafter, in the Waterhouse pool, she set a world's record for the 100-yard freestyle. As the nation's leading 50-, 100- and 200-yard woman swimmer she selected for the 1924 Olympic Team. At the Olympics she set world and Olympic records in the 100-meter semi-finals, but was nosed out for a gold medal in the finals at a slower time. However, she did win a gold as the anchor member on the winning 400-meter relay team. Two years later, in 1926, she set a world's record for the 200-yard freestyle and then again, in 1927, broke the world's 100-yard freestyle record. Mariechen has the distinction of being elected as the first woman director of the Outrigger Canoe Club in 1961. A long time member of the staff of the Honolulu Community Chest she is now retired and lives at Kamuela on the island of Hawaii.