Cochranville native and Octorara Senior High School graduate Cierra Runge’s swimming prowess has taken her from her small slice of Chester County to remote locations all over the globe.

Her passport has gained stamps from nations like the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Russia, and – most importantly – Brazil, where she won a gold medal at last summer’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro as a member of Team USA’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay.

Now, Runge, who learned to swim at the Jennersville YMCA, can add Hungary to her long list of travel destinations.

On Wednesday night at the USA Swimming National Championships on the campus of IUPUI – Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis – Runge finished sixth in the 200-meter freestyle.

By placing in the top six of that individual event, she secured her spot on the relay team – the same one that stood atop the Olympic podium last August – that will compete at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships from July 14-30 in Budapest, Hungary.

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“I am so stoked,” said the 21-year-old. “It’s such an incredible feeling to be able to represent Team USA.

“I kept telling myself, ‘You can do this. You can do this.’ And in that last 50 (meters), I was just thinking about getting my hand to the wall. It’s mentally challenging, but I pulled through.”

On Tuesday, she finished fourth in the 800-meter freestyle. However, no more than the top two in each individual event will move on to worlds.

Runge’s nationals are not yet over, though. Today, she swims in the 400-meter freestyle, and on Saturday, she’ll complete in the 1,500-meter freestyle.

Runge, a rising junior at Wisconsin, has two years of college eligibility remaining. As a freshman in 2014-15 at NCAA powerhouse California, she was a key member of the national champion Golden Bears.

Last season, her first campaign in Madison, Runge set school records in six events.