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When Brendan McHugh was about 12 or 13 years old, he realized the 2012 Olympic Games would occur the same year he would graduate from college, so he set two goals for himself: to attend an Ivy League university and to qualify for the Olympics in swimming. In May, McHugh graduated from Penn's School of Arts and Sciences. On June 25, he will be one of three swimmers representing Penn at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team Trials in Omaha, Neb. Rising juniors Rhoads Worster and Shelby Fortin will join McHugh in what is considered one of the most competitive swim meets in the world. Swimmers from across the nation, whose times have qualified them to compete in the trials, will race over three days in a contest that will determine who will be on the U.S Olympic Team. The swimmers with the top two fastest times in each event will become America's 2012 Olympians. McHugh, who served as captain of Penn Swimming this past year, is a two-time All American. During his Penn athletic career, he set University records in the 200-meter freestyle, as well as the 200-meter and 100-meter breaststroke. At the Olympic Trials, he will compete in the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke. His strategy for the trials is to "swim smart," paying particular attention to "the little things, like turns and starts" that he says "can get sloppy" when a swimmer is focusing on speed. Worster, who was recently elected to be the Penn team's newest captain, will compete in the 100-meter butterfly event at the trials. To prepare, Worster, who lives in Yardley, Pa., is swimming about four hours each day at Penn, and lifting weights every other day. "This is such an unbelievable opportunity. I just want to go there and take it all in," he says. "I'm not nervous. I'm a really competitive person so I'm amped up to race. I want to get there and do it." Fortin, who will swim the 400-meter freestyle at the trials, is training with her YMCA club team in Connecticut. Since arriving at Penn, she has set four University records, and has been honored as a two-time First Team All Ivy athlete. "This is the fastest meet in the world," she says of the upcoming trials. "I'm not nervous yet. But when I step on that deck, I might be. Mostly, though, it is going to be an awesome experience." Also competing at the trials will be three incoming Penn freshmen—Chris Swanson, of Tampa, Fla., Bradley Wachenfeld, of Basking Ridge, NJ., and Annie McCotter, of Cherry Hill, NJ.—who will join the Penn swimming team in September. The U.S. Olympic Swimming Team Trials will be broadcast on NBC and NBC Sports Network beginning June 25 through July 2. Find a schedule of television coverage at the NBC Olympics website. Text by Tanya Barrientos Video by Kurtis Sensenig