It was only a matter of time.

From the moment Hazen swimmer Lauren Kaufman burst onto the scene with a third-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle at state as a freshman in 2007, she knew she would get a state title. She just had to wait.

It was only a matter of time.

More specifically, it was only a matter of 0.57 seconds that separated her from a state title then as a freshman.

Since then there have certainly been other highlights. She even won a state title in the 100 free as a junior. But in her mind it was always about the 50.

Now a senior, Kaufman’s time has come. She won twin state titles in the 50 and 100 free races at the 3A state swim and dive meet Nov. 13.

Now with three state titles, Kaufman is Renton’s most decorated current athlete and one of the best to come from the area in some time.

“It feels really really good,” Kaufman said. “It feels even better than the 100 last year because since I was a freshman, I’ve been working for the 50.”

The 50 has always been a different challenge. Make one mistake in a race lasting around 24 seconds (or 23.31 seconds in Kaufman’s case) and it’s almost impossible to get back in contention.

To avoid such missteps, Kaufman will visualize the race beforehand, plan out every last detail. If the pool is new to her, she walks along the lanes and determines where she needs to take her breaths.

“There’s a difference between a swimmer and a racer,” Hazen coach Ken Alfonso said. “She’s a racer. She will do whatever she needs to do to beat you.”

It’s that singular focus that makes Kaufman what she is in the pool.

“She becomes a different person when she’s on the blocks,” Alfonso said. “She’ll swim just fast enough to beat you. It’s fun to watch.”

Alfonso isn’t the first person to notice Kaufman’s change from cheery to cutthroat once she steps up on the blocks.

“Lots of people have said that,” Kaufman said. “I don’t really notice. I’m usually just nervous if it’s a big race. I’m just focusing mostly on winning. I don’t really think about anything else.”

It’s hard to argue with the results. Kaufman’s time of 23.31 in the 50 free at state earned her an automatic All-American bid. She beat the second-place swimmer by 0.53 seconds, a bigger gap than between any other two swimmers in the finals.

Both her club and high school coaches tapered her workouts before state meet, which gave her an extra boost. Kaufman went into many of her high school meets this season with a club practice already completed.

Kaufman started swimming for a club when she was eight, long before she ever made her first stroke in Hazen’s pool. So it’s no surprise club swimming is where her heart ultimately lies.

Club swimmers also have the unique bond of knowing exactly what each other goes through to compete.

“My group is really small and close-knit,” she said. “It’s a different vibe because we spend so much time together and no one else can really understand what we go through, with how hard the workouts are.”

Kaufman heads to practice at the King Aquatic Club for about three hours daily after practice at Hazen. Even though club is her focus, high school swimming provides something essential: A release.

“High school swimming is just really fun, it’s very important to me,” she said. “Club is a different world and when I go to high school swim, it’s a relief.”

Kaufman already has scholarship offers from Washington State University, University of the Pacific and West Virginia University. She definitely plans on taking her talents to the collegiate level next year.

It’s only a matter of time.