She's not an All-American - yet.

But she's getting closer.

Pioneer Valley High School swimmer Shyla Motley is bearing down on High School All-American honors for the 100-yard breaststroke. The standard is 1:05-plus. Motley's career best is 1:07.74.

Getting that All-American spot is “Definitely,” her top motivation for her senior season, Motley said in a recent phone interview.

To push more toward getting that All-American berth - and focus more on the sport she wants to compete in after high school - Motley has given up water polo.

That's not something she takes lightly. Motley has been a varsity standout in water polo at Pioneer Valley. In fact, she was one of the team's top scorers last year.

However, “I really want to make All-American, and swimming is the sport I want to do in college. I'll miss water polo, but those are the choices you have to make sometimes.”

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The senior said she has been talking to some universities about swimming for them. She didn't specify which ones.

Though she's bidding for an All-American berth in the 100 breaststroke, that is not her best event. “My best event is the 200-meter breaststroke,” Motley said.

She can't get All-American honors in that event. She's not eligible. There is no 200 breaststroke at the high school level, and high school events are the only ones recognized for All-American honors.

Motley saved some of her best swims for late in her campaign last swim season. She won the 100-yard breaststroke at the PAC-7 League Meet last year. Motley ahd a good season in the 200 freestyle, a secondary event for her, but she did not swim that race in the CIF Division III Southern Section Finals.

She finished third in the 100 breaststroke there. That was good enough to get Motley her first Masters Meet berth. The Masters Meet is the mecca of high school swimming in California.

Motley was just getting warmed up. She medaled twice at the Junior Olympics, winning the 200-meter breaststroke and finishing second in the 100-meter breaststroke.

High School distances are short course distances, in yards. Meets such as the Junior Olympics and Double A Meets - Motley swam her 200 PR, 1:48.70, in a Double A event - are in meters.

“The last 50 meters have always been the strongest for me, and I really finished well that meet,” Motley said. “Plus, I nailed all my turns off the wall - one, two, three,” Motley said, clicking off the numbers. “That was really important.”

In fact, she said, she finished well in all her big late-season meets. Motley said she also executed her strategy well, which is, “Just hang in there at the start - the start's not the strongest part of my race - maintain a strong pace the middle 100, then close strong in the last 50.”

Her methodology was evident at the PAC-7 meet. Motley had a decent start, was near the lead after the first 25 meters, clearly there after 50 and then pulled away.

Motley said she has been swimming since she was five years old. She used to swim for the Santa Maria Swim Club. Now she swims for the Puma Club in Nipomo.

“They really emphasize the breaststroke, which is what I need,” she said.

Motley is gearing up for the next big phase of her competitive swimming. “There are some big short course meets coming up in October,” she said.

“I've been training almost every day, swimming and I also do some aerobics-type exercises.”

Yes, she watched the Olympics, Motley said. Don't get her wrong, “Michael Phelps was good, very good,” and she's a big fan.

However, “Rebecca Soni was my favorite,” said Motley. “She won the gold medal in the 200 breaststroke.”

September 14, 2008