Mackenzie Miller Lung has made history swimming with the Cougars this season.
Miller Lung currently holds five school records for BYU, did extremely well in the Big 12 championships, qualified for the NCAA championships, was named first runner-up in the 200 breaststroke and was named as a two-time All-American swimmer for BYU.
Miller Lung has been with BYU for the past three seasons of her swimming career, and it has always been her goal to get into the NCAA finals. Her freshman and sophomore years she did not qualify and this season she made goals to really push herself and be the best.
“At the beginning of the year, I thought that I was going to be done swimming and that was the whole goal," said Miller Lung. "To see how far I can push my body, see if I can reach my potential and really just see what I can do."
Miller Lung currently holds five school records for BYU. Most of those were set during thig Big 12 Tournament in late February. These were in the 200 breast, 100 breast and the 200 individual medley.
“The moment that I hit the water, I know exactly what time I’m going to go,” said Miller Lung.
With every big meet and moment this season, there are nerves that she has had to deal with. Normally, her teammates and coaches know exactly how to calm her down before a big meet.
“My biggest helper for handling nerves is honestly other people. For every race when I know I am getting nervous, I know that I need to go talk to my teammates or talk to coaches … I know I need to do and do something,” said Miller Lung.
Nerves are a huge part in athletics, and this season, Miller Lung seems to have a handle on them. At her biggest meet of the year, the NCAA championships, she was runner up in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:05.03. With that and her stellar performance in the 100 breast as well, Miller Lung earned two all-American honors. She is the first women’s swimmer from BYU to earn an All-American honor since Hiroko Nagasaki in 1991.
Looking into her senior year, there are some goals that Miller Lung has set for herself to improve even more in the swimming world. This season, she has been pushing herself to see what she is capable of.
“I really want to be a national champion. I was national runner up this year, and I want to win,” said Miller Lung
She is training to qualify for the NCAA championships again and wants to stay on that podium. Miller Lung wants to place first in the 200 breast stroke and get into the top three with the 100 breast as well. She also wants to make sure that she placed in the 200 IM as well.
The California native said that she has plans to swim until 2028. She has a few options in either competing with an international team, getting a deal with a swim brand or keep training and qualifying for more meets in the future.
The 2028 Summer Olympics might in cards for Miller Lung. The Olympics is long course swimming, which means that there is a difference in the length of the pool. With long course swimming the pool is a 50-meter pool instead of a 25-yard pool in the NCAA.
“That’s the big goal. Everyone wants to swim in the Olympics," she said. "Right now, I would love to, and it sounds amazing, but the Olympics is long course, and I haven’t swum long course in like five years.”
Even though she has not swum long courses for a while, Miller Lung still has her sights set on professional swimming, and the Olympics could be an opportunity in the future.
“We’re going to use this season as a test run and even next summer seeing where I’m at with long course and what I can do," Miller Lung said.
Along with her swimming career, Miller Lung also has more long-term goals on her mind. She is only a junior, but she is graduating with a degree in communications from BYU has been looking into graduate and masters programs. Miller Lung and her husband both have thought about furthering their education and looking into the different career paths they can take.
Over the duration of the season, Miller Lung has been recognized for her many achievements throughout the season. Most recently, she has been awarded the Big 12 Women’s Swimmer of the Year. This junior year has been a lifetime season for Miller Lung, and she only wants to get better and better for next season.
