By: Chris Cowperthwaite, NBC17

The Olympic Trials have come and gone, and now close to a dozen area swimmers are getting back to their regular routine.

Among those is one Triangle teenager who made a splash out in Omaha, breaking a North Carolina record while going up against the likes of Amanda Beard.

Cary’s Sarah Henry says diving into the trials last week was an experience unlike any other.

“Nine thousand people showed up for prelims, and then around 13,000 showed up for finals,” said Henry. “And it was crazy.”

She and her Raleigh Swim Association teammates did well, though, posting 10 lifetime best times out of 11 races.

Henry’s highlight was making the semifinals in the 200 breast, where she came in at 2:30:35 — a North Carolina record.

“It was crazy,” said Henry. “I was in the heat with Rebecca Soni and Amanda Beard, and they both ended up making the team the next night.”

Swimming alongside some Olympians took a little getting used to.

“It was really cool seeing them and just watching them work out and stuff,” said Henry’s RSA teammate Torrey Bussey. “We’d get in the same lane as them sometimes.”

“The first day and a half, they’re star-struck,” said RSA Head Coach Kit Raulerson. “But then you see them doing the same thing, they’re going through the same rituals, the same routines, the same pre-race warm-ups.”

The girls say just being able to line up on the starting blocks against some of these world class athletes is going to make the Olympics that much more personal.”

“I met a lot of people as well, and I know who’s nice and who’s a little bit cocky,” said Henry. “And I definitely am pulling for some of my favorites now.”

The girls say they’re ready to take on the trials again, four years down the road.

“Now that I’ve gone to the Olympic trials once, it will be — it’ll make it easier for me to go again,” said Hannah Caron. “Like less nervous.”

Coach Raulerson is hoping to take twice as many swimmers with him next time.

Of course the biggest splash from our area during the trials came from North Carolina State swimmer Cullen Jones, who is going to Beijing as part of the 400-free relay team and briefly held the American record in the 50 free last week.