Former Skyline High star Sara Nicponski placed fourth in the 100-meter breaststroke at the U.S. Swimming Championships in Indianapolis Thursday evening, finishing just 0.22 seconds from making the U.S. World Championship team.

Just qualifying for the championship heat of the women's 100 breast at the U.S. Championships was a phenomenal accomplishment, and Nicponski outdid herself to go 1:06.76 and finish fourth in a heat that featured some of the best swimmers in the world.

"At night, there was just so much energy in the building. When you walk out behind the blocks, there are (lots of) cameras, the crowd is sold out, and when they announce everyone's name, I'm in a heat with a world-record holder (and) former Olympic gold medalist and former national champions," Nicponski said. "I kind of realized that I'm actually with these girls, and I'm at that level now. I just got really excited and stepped it up."

Nicponski said she didn't know afterward whether to be happy or sad because of how close she came to making the U.S. World Championship team in the 100 breast, but she quickly pointed out that she's since started to figure out how special her accomplishment is.

"I'm looking at my times now," Nicponski said, "and right now I'm eighth in the world."

Nicponski will have one more crack at qualifying for the World Championship team when she competes in the 200-meter breast today. She said, though, that her main goal for the event is to be one of the eight qualifiers for tonight's championship heat.