Amy Modglin is no stranger to racing the best swimmers in the world.
The decorated freshman and Penn State's only qualifier for the NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships has competed in three Olympic Trials and numerous national meets in her career.
But she has never represented the Nittany Lions at the highest level.
"It's not really that different in a way because you know you're swimming next to really fast people," Modglin said. "But obviously it is different now because it's in college."
In her best event, the 200 backstroke, in which she qualified eighth in the country with a time of 1:54.02, Modglin will compete against former Olympians, world record holders and All-Americans.
This list includes the event's top qualifier, Indiana senior Kate Fesenko, who represented Ukraine in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and earned double All-American honors at last year's NCAA Championships in the 100 and 200 backstroke.
Modglin will also be in the pool with Florida's Gemma Spofforth, who competed in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics for Great Britain. The senior was the 2009 SEC Female Swimmer of the Year and an 18-time All-American selection.
Despite having the daunting challenge of dethroning the sport's best, Modglin isn't intimidated. In fact, she's more excited, the freshman said.
Modglin's roommate and fellow freshman, Paige Whitmire, has faith her teammate will be able to handle the pressure.
Whitmire has seen Modglin step up all year and lead the team even as a freshman, she said.
"She gets nervous because she really cares about her swimming," Whitmire said. "But she realizes that if she lets her nerves get to her, she's not gonna swim her best."
Modglin will have to keep her nervous energy under control.
But if she keeps doing what she's been doing all season, the freshman phenom should be just fine.
"It's really awesome," Modglin said. "NCAAs is one of the fastest meets in the world. It's gonna be fun just to watch records being broken."
