Background
Lawrence was born in Las Cruces, New Mexico, but grew up in Pflugerville, Texas and attended Pflugerville High School. She grew up in an athletic family. Two of her older sisters were college swimmers for New Mexico State University.
Lawrence was born in Las Cruces, New Mexico, but grew up in Pflugerville, Texas and attended Pflugerville High School. She grew up in an athletic family. Two of her older sisters were college swimmers for New Mexico State University.
She was a member of the 2012 United States Olympic team, and finished sixth in the world in the 200-meter breaststroke event at the 2012 Summer Olympics. After graduating from high school, she finished 36th in the 100-meter breaststroke and fourteenth in the 200-meter breaststroke at the 2008 United States. Olympic Trials.
She was the runner-up in the 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley at the Texas state championships. While still in high school, Lawrence became a national junior team member in 2007. Lawrence received an athletic scholarship to attend Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, where she swam for the Auburn Tigers swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (National Collegiate Athletic Association) competition from 2009 to 2011.
She earned two All-American honors during her college career.
Lawrence also competed at the 2009 United States of America Swimming National Championships, finishing twelfth in the 100-meter breaststroke (1:0940), and seventeenth in the 200-meter breaststroke (2:2972). At the 2010 National Swimming Championships, she finished third in the 100-meter breaststroke (1:0848), and eighth in the 200-meter breaststroke (2:2970).
As a result of her performance at the 2010 nationals, she was selected for the 2010-2011 United States of America Swimming National Team. She represented the United States at the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, finishing tenth in the 100-meter breaststroke (1:0785), ninth in the 200-meter breaststroke (2:2519), and eighth in the 50-meter breaststroke (3207).
Following her junior year in 2010-2011 at Auburn, she decided to take a year off from school and began to train full-time for the 2012 Olympics with former Auburn head coach David Marsh at SwimMAC Carolina.
At the 2012 United States Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska, the qualifying meet for the 2012 Olympics, Lawrence qualified for the United States. Olympic team for the first time by placing second in the 200-meter breaststroke behind Rebecca Soni. At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, she finished sixth in the final of the 200-meter breaststroke.
She was also a member of two of Auburn"s Securities and Exchange Commission championship relay teams in the 4x100-yard medley relay.