The LSU swimming season is in full swing. The athletes are preparing for upcoming NCAA and SEC meets. However, for one athlete there is even bigger goals to focus on. Junior, Kara Kopcso is focused on the Olympic trials in Omaha at the end of the season.
” I worry about beating people and going certain times and I forget how to swim a smart race. When I swim a smart race I’ll beat people and I’ll go certain times. So that’s my main focus this year is to just enjoy swimming because it is such a big part of my life,” Kopsco said. 
Head coach David Geyer says he was enthusiastic about her coming to LSU.
She’s really talented and for our program she was one of the top recruits to come out of Louisiana in a long time. So her coming in her freshman year we had that expectation for her performing at a high level. And you know for her first two years she has shown that progression that we were looking for. She qualified at NCAA’s her freshman year, scored at NCAA’s her sophomore year, so heading into her junior year we expect bigger and better things from her.”
After a tough first experience in the trials her junior year of high school, she feels prepared for the upcoming trials.
“So now having been through SEC’s a couple times, and NCAA’s a couple times and trials having all that under my belt is a lot more reassuring that I’ll be able to handle the intensity that trials is mentally and physically and all that.”
Coach David Geyer says that there were some things that he was helping her improve on, however over the past two seasons she has really progressed.
“Gaining that confidence in the big meet environment and that’s something we’ve been working on you know obviously in the SEC’s, NCAA’s and also in the summer with national championships, just performing under that pressure environment under the big spotlight and how to handle that a little bit better,” Geyer said.
For now Kara continues to prepare as she awaits the trials in June.