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Lilla Wilbur has verbally committed to swim at the University of Wisconsin as a member of the class of 2030. She confirmed the decision on Instagram, writing:
I am extremely exited to announce my verbal commitment to further my academic and athletic career and the University of Wisconsin!! I would like to thank my family, teammates and coaches for helping me along the way! I would also like to thank the coaching staff at UW for giving me this opportunity! Go Badgers!
Wilbur hails from Fairfax Station, Virginia, where she attends Robinson Secondary School and trains year-round with Nation’s Capital Swim Club. She’s primarily a breaststroke specialist, but she’s also strong across both IM distances.
The future Badger has improved throughout each season of her career, most recently dropping from 1:02.52 to 1:01.61 in the 100 breast, 2:14.10 to 2:11.78 in the 200 breast, 2:03.86 to 2:00.72 in the 200 IM, and 4:28.13 to 4:18.10 in the 400 IM during the 2024-25 season.
Wilbur has qualified for the Virginia High School League (VHSL) State meet each year of her high school career so far. As a freshman, she placed third in the 100 breast (1:03.39) and fifth in the 200 IM (2:06.04). As a sophomore, she upgraded to second in the 200 IM, clocking 2:03.86, and posted 1:02.52 for third again in the 100 breast.
Last season, as a junior, she broke through with a win in the 100 breast, clocking 1:01.62. She had set her current best of 1:01.61 three weeks prior at a local high school meet. She also defended her silver medal in the 200 IM, posting her current best time.
Outside of high school competition, Wilbur’s other target meet of the season was the NCSA Championships, marking her third year qualifying for the meet. She delivered her best showing yet, finishing second in the 200 breast (2:11.78), fifth in the 400 IM (4:18.10), and ninth in the 200 IM (2:01.05), as well as 12th in the 50 breast (29.08) and 100 breast (1:02.75). Her 200 breast was a personal best by over four seconds, while her 400 IM dropped 6.68 seconds. Her highest finish at NCSAs before this year was fifth in the 200 breast in 2024.
Top SCY Times:
- 100 Breaststroke: 1:01.61
- 200 Breaststroke: 2:11.78
- 200 IM: 2:00.72
- 400 IM: 4:18.10
A Division I program in the Big Ten Conference, the Badger women placed fourth out of 14 teams at the 2025 conference meet before going on to finish 12th at the NCAA Championships. Dr. Jack Brown now leads the Wisconsin program, having taken over in May after seven-year head coach Yuri Suguiyama departed to work for USA Swimming.
Wilbur’s current best times would make an immediate impact at the conference meet, where ‘A,’ ‘B,’ and ‘C’ finals are scored. In 2025, her 200 breast personal best would have ranked 12th after prelims and into the ‘B’ final, while her 100 breast would have snuck into the ‘C’ final at 24th. It took times of 1:59.66 and 4:14.72 to secure second swims in the IMs. Since the 400 IM conflicts with the 100 breast while the 200 IM is on the second day with no other conflicts, and given that she’s closer to scoring in the 200 IM, the choice seems clear.
According to the team’s 2024-25 depth chart, Wilbur would have ranked fifth in both breaststrokes and the 400 IM, as well as eighth in the 200 IM. She will overlap two seasons with Bridget McGann (1:00.23/2:09.00) and Catherine Hughes (1:00.55/2:12.02), and three seasons with Brooke Corrigan (59.80/2:09.29). She will bring additional depth to the breaststroke group, and those three swimmers will serve as strong training partners as she transitions to college swimming.
Wilbur becomes part of a deep and versatile Badgers’ class of 2030. The group includes sprinters Caroline Wanezek (23.5/50.4) and Lindsey Schlegel (23.1/51.0), flyers Taryn Weatherhead and Vivian Moulson, breast/IM specialists Lilla Wilbur and Annika Curran, middle-distance specialist Ainsley Stephan, and distance freestyler Ellie Kayser.
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Let’s go Lilla! On Wisconsin!