By Paul Martin

It’s hard to tell when and where one might be when something fantastic occurs.

For UK senior swimmer Tyler Reed, the location happened to be California earlier this month.

While competing in the 2011 ConocoPhillips USA National Swimming Championships, Reed finished with a personal-best time of 49.88 seconds in the 100-meter freestyle. Only a select few swimmers have ever finished below 50 seconds in that particular event, and the time placed him in the top 50 in the world.

Reed didn’t feel like it would transpire that morning.

“The water was warmer than the outside temperature, which was in the 60s,” Reed said. “I was uncomfortable in practice leading up the event.  But, you roll with the punches.”

He did just that and then some, as his freestyle time resulted in an invitation to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games.

“The under-50 mark is a mental barrier to overcome,” Reed said.  “It has been one of my goals for a long time.”

Being a Butler County native, swimming for UK is important to Reed. He would like to see this landmark occasion catapult UK’s swimming program to the next level.

“It’s a huge step for the program,” Reed said. “The more kids see and hear about what I did, the more interested they are in coming to UK. It’s a great step in the right direction for recruiting.”

Reed had been knocking on the door of breaking the 50-second obstacle for some time. Twice in one day at a recent practice, he had back-to-back 50.03-second swims.

The upcoming months will involve continued rigorous training and dedication to making the 2012 USA team.  Reed will attend two more qualifying events within the next 10 months, which will be held in Georgia and Nebraska.

“I am looking forward to both events, due to being able to practice long course situations,” he said. “The long courses are what the Olympics use.”

To put the 49.88 achievement in perspective, Reed’s time in California would have been good enough to beat 23 entries of the first round in the 2008 Olympics held in China.

Although it is a great personal accomplishment for Reed, he has quickly turned the page and is determined to make the Olympic team. The resources at his disposal will include the guidance of UK swimming head coach .

“This was affirmation that he really could be that good,” said Conelly, a former Olympian from the 1970s. “It’s a huge milestone for Tyler.”