After years of hard work and close finishes, Hazen’s Lauren Kaufman has a 3A state swimming title.

The junior won the 100-yard freestyle final Nov. 14 at the 3A state swim and dive meet with a time of 52.60 seconds. She finished second in the 50 freestyle.

Taking third-place finishes in both her freshman and sophomore seasons made the win feel all the better.

“It feels really good, really relieving” Kaufman said. “I’ve been working for it for so long. To finally get it… it’s just a big relief.”

Even with the 100-yard title, Kaufman still wants the 50-yard title next season.

“It kind of made me mad to be so close,” she said.

She fell by 0.29 seconds in the 50-yard race.

“That’s almost nothing,” Kaufman said. “It’s down to how many breathes I take. Usually I’ll take two or three, but I accidentally took four.”

Kaufman competes in club swimming year-round. Her next big event is nationals in December.

She is Hazen’s first state title winner since Kate Schaffer won the 200- and 500-yard freestyle races in 2005.