Swimming a career best time of 4:55.48, Oliver qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 400-meter individual medley Tuesday morning at the Speedo Junior National Championships at Stanford University’s Belard Pool.

Later that night, Oliver improved upon that time in the final, finishing in 4:52.35 at Stanford’s Baker Pool.

“It feels really good because last year at this meet I didn’t swim to my potential,” said Oliver by telephone to the Tyler Paper. “I’ve been trying to swim this cut for a while and to be able to do it; this morning I made it by not much and tonight I made it by four seconds. When you make it into trials, that is what everyone is trying for.”

Her second time was good enough to give Oliver a 14th place finish overall in the event which featured 136 competitors.

Oliver is swimming for North Texas Metroplex Aquatics, along with Lee teammates Sam Lewis and Michael Quam. Matt Franks,
Lee swim coach and an assistant for NTMA said Oliver has done something very special.

“I think it’s the first girl from Tyler to qualify for Olympic trials and the first person in 20 years from the city,” Franks said. “Todd Bricker in 1992 qualified in 100 breaststroke, so we’re all excited.”

Franks said both Quam and Lewis swam personal best times, although neither finished in the top 50 of the men’s 400 IM.

“Sam went four seconds of the Olympic trial time and Michael beat his best time by a second and a half,” Franks said. “Coming into a meet as competitive as this that is all you can hope for. This is the first time we’ve come out of here with these kinds of performances.”

All three will be in the pool today for the 400 meter freestyle. Franks said each enters with a top 40 qualifying time and all have the potential to finish higher.

“They will have to hit on all cylinders,” Franks said.