{"id":509458,"date":"2022-07-28T09:53:37","date_gmt":"2022-07-28T16:53:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=509458"},"modified":"2022-07-28T09:56:50","modified_gmt":"2022-07-28T16:56:50","slug":"when-mackenzie-looze-learned-she-would-make-team-usa-debut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/when-mackenzie-looze-learned-she-would-make-team-usa-debut\/","title":{"rendered":"When Mackenzie Looze Learned She Would Make Team USA Debut"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Mackenzie Looze Learned She Would Make Team USA Debut<\/strong><\/p>\n

Being around elite swimming is nothing new for Mackenzie<\/strong> Looze<\/strong>. The daughter of Indiana University coach Ray<\/strong> Looze<\/strong>, the 22-year-old who goes by \u201cMack\u201d is accustomed to training alongside NCAA champions and professionals, and her results from this season have edged her closer to that elite territory. Looze qualified for finals in both breaststroke and both individual medley events at the U.S. International Team Trials in April, and now she is a national champion.<\/p>\n

In the 200 breast final Wednesday evening in Irvine, Calif., Looze surged ahead of early leader Anna Keating to win in 2:25.25, her best time by two seconds<\/a>. Yes, the field was missing the three top Americans in the 200 breast this year, including Looze\u2019s Indiana teammates Lilly King and Annie Lazor, but the moment was no less rewarding.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve processed it yet, if I\u2019m being honest,\u201d Looze said after the race. \u201cI sort of just feel really weird. Everyone is really excited from my team, which makes me feel really special, just seeing that they\u2019re proud of me.\u201d<\/p>\n

But before her Wednesday evening victory, Looze had already received an invitation for the most meaningful opportunity of her swimming career. She was tapped to represent the United States at next month\u2019s Duel in the Pool in Sydney, Australia<\/a>. It had not occurred to Looze that the Duel was a possibility for her, but the impressive Trials results, which topped out with a fourth-place finish in the 200 IM, put her in line when a handful of swimmers declined spots.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think my dad\u2019s first international team trip when he was a swimmer was Australia, so to have that parallel to him is super special, and I\u2019m excited to go on it with a lot of people that I\u2019m friends with, like Gabi Albiero<\/strong> and Beata<\/strong> Nelson<\/strong>, just to name a few people. Annie, too. I get to experience it with people I\u2019m already friends with,\u201d Looze said.<\/p>\n

She noted that Albiero will also be making her first senior-level international team trip, meaning the daughters of two successful American coaches will have that experience together four years after their fathers were the two head coaches of the U.S. team at the Pan Pacific Championships, with Ray Looze leading the men\u2019s squad and Albiero\u2019s father, Louisville coach Arthur<\/strong> Albiero<\/strong>, leading the women\u2019s team.<\/p>\n

A beaming Looze recalled the moment when she the Australian trip became a reality.<\/p>\n

\u201cI walked out of the weight room, and I\u2019m getting a million calls from my parents, and I\u2019m like, \u2018What did I do? What\u2019s going on here?\u2019\u201d Looze said. \u201cAnd all the sudden, I\u2019m sobbing in my car, just so insanely shocked that I get this opportunity to represent the USA for the very first time.\u201d<\/p>\n