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Futures finalist Lily Willis is set to continue her studies and swim career at the University of Louisville in the fall of 2025. Willis is currently a junior at Green Level High School and is on the East Carolina Aquatics club team in North Carolina.
Growing up, Willis broke age group records in North Carolina. In 2016, her LCM 200 medley relay set a new national age group record for 10 & under with a time of 2:18.71 at the North Carolina Age Group Championships. The following year, she also broke the 10 & under age group record for the state in the 100 back (1:15.02) at the same Championship.
Fast forward to 2019, Willis continued her record-breaking streak by setting new records in the 11-12 age group for North Carolina. She achieved a time of 1:12.99 in the 100 breast and 33.80 in the 50 breast at the North Carolina Long Course Age Group Championships. Additionally, she set a new mark in the 50 breast at the North Carolina Short Course Age Group Championships, with her time of 30.00 still standing as the record.
Willis was a three-time finalist at the 2021 Futures Championship in Huntsville (LCM), earning 2nd in the 400 IM (4:52.91), 4th in the 200 IM (2:18.95), and 6th in the 200 breast (2:35.75). All three were personal bests.
In 2023, she was a two-time finalist at the North Carolina High School 4A State Championship (SCY), placing 5th in the 200 IM (2:01.02) and 7th in the 100 breast (1:03.46). During the same year, Willis finished 4th at the Speedo Sectionals in Cary (SCY) with a new personal best in the 200 free (1:50.94).
Willis was a North Carolina High School 4A State Championship finalist again this year, achieving her lifetime best in the 200 IM (1:59.98). Class 4A consists of the biggest schools in the state.
Top LCM and SCY Times
| LCM | SCY |
| 100 breast – 1:12.31 | 1:02.51 |
| 200 breast – 2:35.75 | 2:16.05 |
| 200 IM – 2:18.41 | 1:59.98 |
With Willis still having another year left, her 200 breast (2:16.05) would have ranked 5th last season for the Cardinals. However, her time dates back to 2019, and all the times ahead of hers belong to upperclassmen, except for sophomore Ella Welch‘s 2:14.27, which ranked 4th. In the 200 IM, Willis’ time of 1:59.98 would have placed her 6th this year, with all the top 5 spots held by upperclassmen.
The University of Louisville placed 2nd overall at the ACC Championships this year on the women’s side. This was an improvement from their 2022-2023 season when they ranked 3rd. Thirteen swimmers also qualified for the NCAA Championships.
Willis will join Maya Bezanson, Sadie Murphy, Julie Mishler, and Kaitlyn Sallows so far for the Cardinals 2025 recruiting class. Mishler, Murphy, and Sallows were also High School State Championship finalists while Bezanson was a Futures finalist and a Speedo Canadian champion.
Willis is the second person in her family to go to college for a sport and is a huge Taylor Swift fan.
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