Hultin Earns a Spot in 2012 Olympic Trials

Shannyn Hultin, a senior at Agoura High, has qualified for the 2012 U.S. Olympic swimming trials in the 400-meter individual medley and will compete for a spot in the Summer Games in London.

Hultin qualified for the U.S. Olympic swim trials, to be held in Omaha, Neb., from June 25 to July 2, 2012, at the U.S. Nationals swim meet in Irvine last month, but did not find out until Thursday.

"It was really exciting," Hultin said. "I've been wanting to do that for a while. I get to swim with the top swimmers in the country."

Hultin competed against many of the top swimmers in the country at the U.S. Nationals. She also has competed against them at grand prix meets over the past couple of years.

"She's pretty fearless, unfazed by the girls around her," said Lauren Hancock, her coach at the Conejo Simi Swim Club. "She doesn't worry about the names of the girls around her. My advice to her is to have a great time. Her goal should be to set a lifetime best."

Her time of 4:55.41 was a fraction of a second below the qualifying time of 4:55.89. She is the 71^st qualifier out of 77 who made the cut for the Trials.

"It'll really help out with experience," Hultin said. "The next step is to make the Olympics. I want to get as close to that as possible."

Elizabeth Beisel has the fastest American time in the 400 individual medley at 4:34.04. Caitlin Leverenz posted the top time in the 400 individual medley at the U.S. Nationals in 4:35.60. Olympian Katie Hoff has the fourth fastest time in the nation and was third at the U.S. Nationals in 4:37.51.

Hutlin will have a chance to qualify for other events at the Olympic swim trials in the next two years. She also competes in the 200 individual medley and the 100 and 200 breaststroke.

"She's in a great spot," said Hancock, who has been working with Hultin for the past two years as her coach. "She gets two more years. Her goals are working harder, get a little faster and get into a better heat of girls."

Hancock qualified for the U.S. Olympic swim trials in 2008 as a member of the Conejo Simi Swim Club.

"It the same meet where the Olympic team is made," Hancock said. "I'm so excited for her just to know she can be there."

Hultin said having a coach who went through Olympic swim trials is helpful.

"It was only a couple of years ago," Hultin said. "She remembers it very clearly."

Hultin will be in her freshman year of college when the Olympic swim trials begin. She said she wants to swim in college and will start visiting some of her top choices in the fall. On her list of colleges she will visit are UCLA, USC, Arizona and Ohio State.

"I'm trying to keep an open mind," Hultin said. "I have a lot of time to grow and get sharper. I'll be training with a different team. That'll be a good change. I'm lucky I'll have time to grow before then."