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Laurel Bludgen, a junior at Metea Valley High School and Maverick Swim Club in Naperville, Illinois, has announced her verbal commitment to swim for the University of Illinois starting in 2020. Primarily a sprint freestyler, Bludgen has career-best times in the 50 and 100-yard freestyles that are less than a quarter second off of making the ‘A’ 200 and 400-yard freestyle relays for the Fighting Illini at the 2019 BIG Swimming Championships.
At the 2019 Illinois High School State Championship Meet, Bludgen led off the 200 and 400-yard freestyle relays for Metea Valley High School that would eventually take home silver medals for the team in those events. She qualified for the NCSA Juniors Championship meet where she swam the 50/100/200 yard freestyles and set all career-best times in all three events.
| Event | Career Best Time | Time it took to qualify 24th at 2019 BIG Champs |
| 50 free | 24.06 | 23.10 |
| 100 free | 51.84 | 50.57 |
| 200 free | 1:53.48 | 1:48.56 |
So far Bludgen and distance swimmer Cara Bognar are the first committed members of the Class of 2024 for the Fighting Illini.
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