2020-2021 / AS A SENIOR
• Rejoined the team for the beginning of the spring semester
• Raced in the 50 freestyle (20.72) and 400 free relay at the Senior Day triple dual vs. Indiana and Ohio State
• Opted to redshirt, exercising a COVID-19 eligibility extension to return for the 2021-22 season
2019-2020 / AS A JUNIOR
• Competed in the freestyle events
• Registered season-best times in the 50 (19.95) and 200 free (1:37.62) at the Big Ten Championships
• Time in the 200 was also a career best, moving him into 14th place in team history
• Also remains among the Purdue all-time leaderboard in the 50 (19.87, 12th) and 100 free (43.27, 4th)
• Helped the Boilermakers eclipse the team record in the 800 free relay at Big Tens, contributing to a free relay record for the second year in a row
• Scored in the B final of the 50 free at Big Tens
• Swept the 50 and 100 free at the FIU Sprint Invitational, winning all four races in the 50 ladder tournament
• Accounted for 31 team points at the Purdue Invitational, scoring in all three of his events via top-10 overall finishes
• At the Purdue Invite, placed fourth in the A final of the 100 free and won the B final of the 200 free
• Helped Purdue sweep the 200 and 400 free relays at the Big Ten Triple Duals
• Also won heat 1 of the 50 free at the Big Ten Triple Duals
• Runner-up in the 50 free as part of a 1-2-3 finish for Purdue in the dual meet vs. Notre Dame
• Also swap on relay winners vs. Michigan State and the Indiana Intercollegiates
• Helped the Black team sweep the 400 relays at the season-opening intrasquad meet
2018-19 / AS A SOPHOMORE
• Competed in the freestyle sprints
• Posted career-best times in the 50 (19.87) and 100 free (43.27) at the Big Ten Championships
• In program history, moved up to fourth place in the 100 free and 12th place in the 50 free
• Swam the leadoff leg on the record-setting 400 free relay to close out Big Tens, helping the quartet eclipse the previous mark by more than a second
• Scored in the B final of the 100 free at Big Tens, accounting for 15 team points
• Accounted for 13 team points to help Purdue win the Hawkeye Invitational, winning the B final of the 50 free and also scoring in the B final of the 100 free
• Contributed to relay winners at the Big Ten Triple Duals, Notre Dame and the Indiana Intercollegiates
• Runner-up in both the 50 and 100 free at Notre Dame
• Swept the 50 and 100 free and contributed to a relay sweep for the victorious Black Team at the season-opening intrasquad
2017-18 / AS A FRESHMAN
• Big Ten Freshman of the Week (Jan. 10)
• Competed primarily in the freestyle sprints after joining the team during the semester break
• Posted season-best times in the 50 (20.24) and 100 free (44.09) at the Big Ten Championships
• Swam the anchor leg on the record-setting 200 medley relay on the opening night of Big Tens
• Moved into ninth place in program history in the 100 free, his time coming on the leadoff leg of the 400 free relay
• Swept the 50 and 100 free in his collegiate debut, the dual meet victory at Hawaii
• Earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors for his impressive debut, posting a team season-best mark at the time in the 50
• Won the 50 free in the dual meet victory vs. Michigan State
• Finished among the top five in both the 50 and 100 free at the Big Ten Triple Duals
BEFORE PURDUE
• Three-year Bosnian national champion in the freestyle sprints for coach Miodrag Čero
• Won those national titles in his home country in 2016, 2017 and 2018
• Attended the Nikola Tesla electro-technical school; Tesla was a Serbian-American engineer who was born in Croatia
• His hometown of Banja Luka is located in the north central part of Bosnia & Herzegovina, about 200 kilometers northwest of Sarajevo
• Joined Purdue at the semester break during the 2017-18 school year
PERSONAL
• Major: Selling and Sales Management
• Born in Banja Luka, Bosnia
• Parents are Rade and Snezana Bjelajac
• Family also includes younger sister Marija
• Rejoined the team for the beginning of the spring semester
• Raced in the 50 freestyle (20.72) and 400 free relay at the Senior Day triple dual vs. Indiana and Ohio State
• Opted to redshirt, exercising a COVID-19 eligibility extension to return for the 2021-22 season
2019-2020 / AS A JUNIOR
• Competed in the freestyle events
• Registered season-best times in the 50 (19.95) and 200 free (1:37.62) at the Big Ten Championships
• Time in the 200 was also a career best, moving him into 14th place in team history
• Also remains among the Purdue all-time leaderboard in the 50 (19.87, 12th) and 100 free (43.27, 4th)
• Helped the Boilermakers eclipse the team record in the 800 free relay at Big Tens, contributing to a free relay record for the second year in a row
• Scored in the B final of the 50 free at Big Tens
• Swept the 50 and 100 free at the FIU Sprint Invitational, winning all four races in the 50 ladder tournament
• Accounted for 31 team points at the Purdue Invitational, scoring in all three of his events via top-10 overall finishes
• At the Purdue Invite, placed fourth in the A final of the 100 free and won the B final of the 200 free
• Helped Purdue sweep the 200 and 400 free relays at the Big Ten Triple Duals
• Also won heat 1 of the 50 free at the Big Ten Triple Duals
• Runner-up in the 50 free as part of a 1-2-3 finish for Purdue in the dual meet vs. Notre Dame
• Also swap on relay winners vs. Michigan State and the Indiana Intercollegiates
• Helped the Black team sweep the 400 relays at the season-opening intrasquad meet
2018-19 / AS A SOPHOMORE
• Competed in the freestyle sprints
• Posted career-best times in the 50 (19.87) and 100 free (43.27) at the Big Ten Championships
• In program history, moved up to fourth place in the 100 free and 12th place in the 50 free
• Swam the leadoff leg on the record-setting 400 free relay to close out Big Tens, helping the quartet eclipse the previous mark by more than a second
• Scored in the B final of the 100 free at Big Tens, accounting for 15 team points
• Accounted for 13 team points to help Purdue win the Hawkeye Invitational, winning the B final of the 50 free and also scoring in the B final of the 100 free
• Contributed to relay winners at the Big Ten Triple Duals, Notre Dame and the Indiana Intercollegiates
• Runner-up in both the 50 and 100 free at Notre Dame
• Swept the 50 and 100 free and contributed to a relay sweep for the victorious Black Team at the season-opening intrasquad
2017-18 / AS A FRESHMAN
• Big Ten Freshman of the Week (Jan. 10)
• Competed primarily in the freestyle sprints after joining the team during the semester break
• Posted season-best times in the 50 (20.24) and 100 free (44.09) at the Big Ten Championships
• Swam the anchor leg on the record-setting 200 medley relay on the opening night of Big Tens
• Moved into ninth place in program history in the 100 free, his time coming on the leadoff leg of the 400 free relay
• Swept the 50 and 100 free in his collegiate debut, the dual meet victory at Hawaii
• Earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors for his impressive debut, posting a team season-best mark at the time in the 50
• Won the 50 free in the dual meet victory vs. Michigan State
• Finished among the top five in both the 50 and 100 free at the Big Ten Triple Duals
BEFORE PURDUE
• Three-year Bosnian national champion in the freestyle sprints for coach Miodrag Čero
• Won those national titles in his home country in 2016, 2017 and 2018
• Attended the Nikola Tesla electro-technical school; Tesla was a Serbian-American engineer who was born in Croatia
• His hometown of Banja Luka is located in the north central part of Bosnia & Herzegovina, about 200 kilometers northwest of Sarajevo
• Joined Purdue at the semester break during the 2017-18 school year
PERSONAL
• Major: Selling and Sales Management
• Born in Banja Luka, Bosnia
• Parents are Rade and Snezana Bjelajac
• Family also includes younger sister Marija