Laura Branton

2018-19 (Senior): Competed in the 50 free, 100 free, 100 fly and 200 fly for the Jackets this season … Also swam with the 200 free, 400 free, 200 medley and 400 medley relay groups … Turned in her fastest 50 free (24.06), 100 free (53.89), 100 fly (54.93) and 200 fly (2:02.09) times of the season at the Georgia Tech Invitational … Her 100 fly at the GT Invite was the Jackets’ second-fastest this season … Placed fifth in the 200 fly (2:07.16) vs. FGCU, SCAD.

2017-18 (Junior): Tech’s top swimmer in the fly events all season long … Turned in five NCAA B qualifying times on the year – 53.83, 53.94 and 54:06 in the 100 fly and 1:58.76 and 1:59.21 in the 200 fly … Set a new career-best time of 59.89 in the 100 IM versus Emory … Posted the fastest times on the team in both the 100 fly (53.83) and the 200 fly (1:58.76) on the season … Also had the fourth-fastest time on the team in the 50 free (23.32) on the year … Swam the second leg of the Jackets’ fastest 200 free relay time (1:31.44) of the season … Was also the third leg in Tech’s fastest times in both the 200 medley (1:39.07) and 400 medley (3:37.95) relay events for the year … Registered 12 top-five individual finishes on the season … Earned first-place finishes in both the 100 fly (55.34) and the 200 fly (2:03.34) events in the season-opening dual meet at home versus Pittsburgh … Also finished first overall in the 100 fly (55.79) at Northwestern and in the 100 fly (56.51) at home against Emory … Finished runner-up in the 100 fly (55.01) at Notre Dame and in the 200 fly (1:58.76) at the Georgia Tech Invitational … Turned in a third-place finish in the 200 fly (2:09.97) versus Delta State and in the 200 fly (2:07.69) on the road at SCAD … Took fourth overall in the 200 fly (2:06.50) at Northwestern … Placed fifth in the 100 fly (55.91) at Georgia, in the 200 fly (2:06.06) at South Carolina and in the 100 IM (59.89) versus Emory on Senior Day … Touched the wall in 19th-place overall in the 100 fly (53.83) and in 27th-place in the 200 fly (2:03.44) at the 2018 ACC Championships … A member of the team’s Leadership Council.

2016-17 (Sophomore): Had a strong sophomore season in which she set five school records while competing for the Jackets in the 50 free, 100 fly and 200 fly events on the year … Set the Tech school record in the 100 fly (52.64) and the 200 fly (1:57.47) events … Also was a part of the 200 free relay (1:30.73), 200 medley relay (1:38.50) and 400 medley relay (3:37.26) record setting squads … Recorded the fourth-fastest time on the year for Tech in the 50 free (23.32) and the sixth-best mark in the 200 IM (2:10.87) … Totaled 13 total top-10 finishes on the year, despite missing the first two meets of the season … Won the 200 fly (2:02.68) in the double-dual meet with Florida State and SCAD … Also finished runner-up in the 100 fly (55.27) in the meet against FSU and SCAD and in the 200 fly (2:02.44) versus Alabama … Turned in a third-place finish in the 100 fly (55.93) and a fifth-place finish in the 200 fly (2:02.75) in the dual meet against Georgia … Also posted a fifth-place finish in the 100 fly (53.70) at the Georgia Tech Invitational and in the 50 free (24.22) against Alabama … Finished 10th overall in the 200 fly (1:57.57) and 12th in the 100 fly (52.64) at the 2017 ACC Championships … Swam in the 100 fly (53.32) and 200 fly (1:58.31) at the Bulldog Last Chance Meet.

2015-16 (Freshman): Made an immediate impact on the team … Helped lead two record-breaking relays as the fly leg in both the 200 and 400 medley relay units along with Maddie Paschal, Florina Ilie and Iris Wang … Recorded the fastest times of the season for Tech in the fly events with a time of 54.11 in the 100 fly and a time of 1:59.48 in the 200 fly … Broke her first school record at the ACC Championships in the 200 medley relay with Paschal, Ilie and Wang, topping the old record by three seconds … Swam in the C-final of the 100 fly at the ACC Championships with a career-best time of 54.11, ranking her third in Tech history … Found herself on another record-breaking relay with Paschal, Ilie and Wang in the 400 medley relay with a time of 3:39.92 … Finished a career-best 14th-place in the 200 fly at the ACC Championships making her the top finisher for Tech in the event … Recorded a top-four time for the Yellow Jackets on the season in the 100 free … Also posted a top-eight time in the 50 free and the second-fastest 100 IM time by a Jacket on the year.

Before Tech: Lettered for four years in swimming at Oakton High School in Oakton, Va. … Was a senior captain … Was an all-American in the 100 fly, 200 free relay and 400 free relay … Also received all-American consideration in the 50 free and 100 free … Her high school team won district, regional and state championships in 2013, 2014 and 2015 … Was named to the honor roll and was a member of the National Honor Society.

Personal: Full name is Laura Elizabeth Branton … Daughter of Steve and Leisa Branton … Born Dec. 14, 1996 in Oakton, Va. … Has one brother, Matthew … Started swimming at the age of six … Majoring in business administration.