BY MIKE WATKINS//Correspondent
Jack Brown's journey to earning a spot on the U.S. National Team and 2009 Duel in the Pool squad started with disappointment.

Elated by his sixth-place finish in the semifinals of the 400 individual medley at last year's U.S. Olympic Trials, Brown went into the final in seventh heaven. He dropped six seconds off his best time in morning qualifying and was swimming the best race of his life.

Then, before the evening finals, the enormity of the moment took over. He lost his focus and finished a disappointing eighth.

"I remember walking out into the Qwest Center Arena and hearing the roar of the crowd and totally being in shock at the atmosphere of the building. However, instead of using that energy to fuel my swimming, I let it take me out of my zone and shifted my focus to things not concerning the race in front of me," said Brown, a senior at the University of Arizona. "I finished the race last and added 3 seconds to my time. I walked away from that race absolutely devastated, thinking that I had let everyone – my coaches, teammates, parents – down in the first major final of my career."

After much reflection and analysis, Brown spent the next few months learning to hone his focus, especially when things happened that could potentially take him out of his zone.

"I have learned to control the aspects of racing that are in my domain of management and to let the other aspects go," said Brown, who started swimming competitively as a 6-year-old in Atlanta. "Adversity is going to happen in major meets, and learning to handle this adversity and deal with it while maintaining focus is something that was difficult for me to learn.

"It took quite a shock from Trials to deliver. Swimming has taught me that all people have the power to control all aspects of their life. You are always accountable for everything that occurs in your life. Accepting that responsibility helps you move forward."

This summer, Brown put his accountability on the line at ConocoPhillips U.S. National Championships in Indianapolis, where the World Championship Team was selected.

Although he dropped more time and fared much better in the final than he did at Olympic Trials, he finished third in the 400 IM and missed making the World Championships Team.

And while this may have been too much for him to handle in the past, this time around, he saw the positive in his time and performance and used it as motivation and inspiration.

"I was absolutely thrilled to see my time in the finals on the first night of World Championship Trials. I dropped over 5 seconds in the event that night, and I remember looking up at the board and being totally overwhelmed with a sense of accomplishment," Brown said. "I wasn't disappointed about not making the team simply because I had done something that for me was the best performance in the history of my body, and I couldn't have been happier."

But coming so close to making an international team opened Brown's eyes to the possibilities of where he could take his swimming and gave him an entirely new perspective about the future.

"I did realize that since I was only one spot from making the team, I had finally reached a point where the next step in my career was to make a World Championship and/or major international competition team," Brown admitted. "Now, I use this desire to press forward with my training to try and reach the next level. One thing I have found in swimming is that when you stop striving to reach the next level, that is when you stop improving."

A few weeks after U.S. Nationals, Brown had his breakthrough meet at the U.S. Open. Not only did he win the 400 IM, but he also finished first in the 200 IM.

His performance recently earned him a spot on that elusive international team he'd been striving for – the 2009 Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool team headed to Manchester, England, next month.

"I feel like after my very first swim in the 400 IM at World Championship Trials, I created a force of momentum that carried me through Nationals and even the U.S. Open," said Brown, a psychology major who wants to practice sports psychology in the future. "At first, after Nationals, I felt like there was a lull in my swimming since I had accomplished so many of my goals at Nationals. I found myself asking 'I've already done everything I wanted to do. Why am I going to another meet?' My coach, Greg Rhodenbaugh, told me the answer: 'because you're going to swim faster.'"

With his new opportunity in hand, Brown said he intends to seize the moment and enjoy the experience while representing the United States against some of the best swimmers in Europe.

"Duel will be my first major international competition, and I couldn't be more thrilled with the opportunity," said Brown, who is a nominee for Homecoming King at Arizona this weekend. The winner will be crowned tonight (Nov. 6). "I honestly don't know what to expect from the experience, other than it's still just a swim meet. I will definitely keep my eyes open and take in the experience, but I feel like I've earned the right to compete there and deserve to be there."