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Ellie Patla of Inverness, Illinois, has announced her commitment to swim and study at the University of Wisconsin, starting in the fall of 2027. She trains year-round with Reach Aquatics Swim Club and attends William Fremd High School.
Patla confirmed the announcement in an email to SwimSwam, writing:
I’m excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Wisconsin–Madison! I’m deeply grateful to God for this incredible gift and to my parents, sister, family, and friends for their love, guidance, and support. Thank you to my amazing Reach and Fremd teammates for all their encouragement. Huge thanks to Coaches Monika, Ed, Aaron, Jim, Ryne, Kittrell, and Newbys for helping me grow both in and out of the pool. And thank you to Coach Jack, Coach Johno, Coach Ted, and the entire swim and dive staff for this incredible opportunity, with so much gratitude to Coach Jennah and Coach Beata for guiding me through the process, and to my future teammates for welcoming me home. On, Wisconsin!
Patla, a wide-ranging freestyler, swam her first big meet of the 2024-25 season at the IHSA Sectionals – Lincolnshire in November. She took on the 200 and 500 free, where she dropped 3.91 seconds from her 200 time to successfully defend her title with a personal best of 1:49.67. In the 500, she clocked 4:56.87 for second, dipping under the five-minute barrier for the first time and improving from third a year prior. She also contributed to both the 200 and 400 free relays that took second, and she led off each with lifetime bests of 23.87 and 51.54
A week later, at State, Patla continued her momentum in the 500, where she logged a 4:55.92 in prelims to advance to the championship final ranked sixth. She ultimately added some time and finished eighth at 5:00.70, but it was a massive jump from the previous year nonetheless as she hadn’t even qualified for State in the event. She went on to make the ‘A’ final of the 200 free, touching the wall sixth at 1:51.19, an upgrade from her 11th-place finish from 2023.
Outside of her individual events, she led off the 11th-place 200 free relay in 24.09 and the 400 free relay in 53.33, which took 15th.
Following a winter training block, Patla headed to the Illinois Senior State Championships, the state meet outside of high school for all club swimmers in Illinois. She picked up a title in the 500 free, producing her third-fastest time ever of 4:57.02, in addition to grabbing second in the 100 free (50.17), slicing a few tenths off her best time. She also hit the wall eighth in the 1000 free (10:20.50), an event that is only contested at college dual meets but not at championship-level meets.
Patla wrapped up her season at the NCSA Spring Championships, where she chopped two seconds off her best time in the mile to finish ninth in 16:50.77, improving on the time she swam when she won the state title at the 2023 IL Senior Champs. She added top-24 swims in the 200 free (1:50.25) and 1000 free (10:16.57), where she hit the wall 22nd and 24th. Outside of her individual events, she led off the 18th-place 400 free relay in 49.90 and the 21st-place 200 free relay in 23.90, times that were career bests by 0.27 and 0.48 seconds.
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Freestyle: 23.39
- 100 Freestyle: 49.90
- 200 Freestyle: 1:49.67
- 500 Freestyle: 4:54.47
- 1650 Freestyle: 16:50.77
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 become USA Swimming’s National Team Director and Coach.
The conference meet scores ‘A,’ ‘B,’ and ‘C’ finals, and it took times of 22.55, 49.60, 1:47.11, 4:46.00, and 16:32.23 in the freestyle events to make the top 24 last season. While Patla’s bests are not in this range yet, her 100 free is only three tenths off, and she has two full years to drop time across all of her events before arriving on campus.
According to the team’s 2024-25 depth chart, Patla would have ranked sixth in the 100 and 1650 free, seventh in the 50 free, eighth in the 500 free, and 10th in the 200 free.
Patla joins Brynn Sundell, a freestyle and butterfly specialist, as the university’s only publicly announced recruits in the class of 2031.
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Let’s go Ellie! Go Badgers!