Bakersfield swimmer Stanzi Moseley has nothing to lose at Olympic time trials

Swimming for the Junior National team, Bakersfield's Stanzi Moseley has gotten to travel all around the world. But this week the biggest race of her life is in Omaha, Nebraska.

 

"It's just kind of like 'Oh it's finally here?" she told 23ABC Friday at the Santa Clarita Aquatic Center. "I've been waiting for this for so long."

 

Moseley has been waiting since December of 2014 when she won the 50,100 and 200 freestyle at junior nationals to qualify for this week's Olympic time trials in Omaha. Since then the 18 year old has finished her home schooling, signed to swim next season at USC and joined the Canyons Aquatic team in Santa Clarita.

 

While she's out of Bakersfield she says coming from a small town is still one of the things that drives her. She recalled the feeling of being on a big stage at junior nationals and wondering what it would be like to swim in Omaha. "That's motivation in itself. Seeing how far you can push your body to go and how fast you can possibly get."

 

Friday was her final warm-up in California before flying to Omaha and new coach Coley Stickles says she's done all she can to be ready. "Physically she's prepared," he said Friday. "Mentally since it's her first time she'll see an indoor pool, she'll see a lot of lights and exlposions...stuff you don't typically see at a swim meet."

 

And then there's the swimmers she'll be sharing a pool deck with. Household names like Phelps, Lochte and Ledecky which she says is a crazy experience on its own.

 

But even if she isn't one of the top two finishers in her event to make the team heading to Rio, she says this won't be her last Olympic trials and is calling it "practice" for 2020.

 

"If I'm going to make it 2020 is probably going to be my best bet," Moseley said. "I'm kind of using this as a trial run. I have nothing to lose, I'm the dark horse and I can only go up from here."

 

Tuesday morning she finished 67th out of 105 in the 200 IM but still has the 50 and 100 meter swims coming this Thursday and Saturday.

 

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