The Mustangs sophomore accomplished something no other swimmer has on The Hilltop.
The Winter Olympics are taking place in Italy, but it's a Summer Olympic sport that is seeing strong performances at SMU.
Sophomore swimmer Luke Sitz is making waves in the ACC, and he's earning national recognition as a result.
Sitz made history by winning the conference championship in the 1-meter dive, scoring a 429.75 to set a new school record and become SMU Swimming & Diving's first ever individual conference champ in any event.
According to the program's website, the All-American's performance "was highlighted by his Reverse 2 1/2 Somersault Tuck, earning him a mark of 78.00."
Sitz is also the first sophomore across the entire ACC to win gold in any event since 2016.
On the second day of competition, the Prosper native from newly-opened Rock Hill High School took him the bronze medal in the 3-meter dive. His second podium was earned with a 407.25 score "highlighted by his Forward 4 1/2 Somersault Tuck, earning him a 91.20 mark for the dive."
Now Sitz has taken his name to the national platform.
As announced this week, seventeen divers from across the country have been named to the USA Diving National Team. Sitz is one of them.
He is the only athlete from Texas to make the roster.
“We are incredibly proud to recognize the first athletes named to the USA Diving National Team under our new structure. These athletes have earned this distinction through their performance at a premier national championship event and have positioned themselves as leaders in our pursuit of Olympic and World success,” said USA Diving High Performance Director Leslie Hasselbach Adams.
“This designation reflects sustained excellence at the highest level of domestic competition and our continued focus on preparing athletes to represent the United States with distinction. It also speaks to the dedication of the coaches and daily training environments that support their growth, reinforcing the unified Team USA culture we are building together.”
The USA Diving National Championships, which will be held August 5-11 in Morgantown, West Virginia, will mark the next opportunity for athletes to make the National Team.
A strong showing here could but Sitz in the running for an opportunity to represent his country on the grandest stage of all.
As the LA 2028 Olympics near, someone like Luke Sitz could take his talents from the SMU campus to the global stage even more in the near future.