2024 “Best of the Rest” IMer Charlie Bufton is Headed to NC State

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Wilmette, Illinois native Charlie Bufton is slated to swim and study at North Carolina State University beginning in the 2024-25 school year. He wrote on social media in February:

“Grateful for all my coaches teammates and friends who have supported me. Go Pack!♦️”

Bufton graduated from New Trier High School whom he represented in Illinois high school swimming. He placed 3rd in the 200 IM and 3rd in the 100 back, picking up PBs in both events (1:46.39 and 48.25), at the 2024 IHSA Boys’ State Championships in February. A month later, swimming with his club team, NASA Wildcat Aquatics, he lowered his 200 IM time to 1:46.32 at NCSA Spring Championships, where he also scored PBs in the SCY 400 IM, 200 back, and 200 breast as well as the LCM 200/400 IM, 200 back, and 200 breast.

In May, Bufton dropped 2.3 seconds to qualify for 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the 200 IM, going from the 2:04.92 he swam at NCSAs to 2:02.65 at the MAC Long Course Midwest Invitational. He finished 72nd in the 200 IM at Trials and swam the 100 free and 200 breast in time trials, earning a PB of 58.19 in the former.

We honored Bufton in the “Best of the Rest” of our final re-rank of the top recruits in the high school class of 2024.

Bufton will suit up for the Wolfpack next fall with 2024 German Olympian and #1 in the class, Kaii Winkler, #18 Matt Marsteiner, “BOTRs” Hudson Schuricht and Nolan Dunkel, and Arsen Kozhakhmetov, Brasen Walker, Daniel Diehl, and Simon Bermudez.

Best SCY times:

• 200 IM – 1:46.32
• 400 IM – 3:48.91
• 200 back – 1:45.11
• 100 back – 48.98
• 200 breast – 2:00.29
• 100 breast – 56.67

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