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Luke Ellis, the top miler in the class of 2025 and the #3 rank on our Way Too Early list, has announced his verbal commitment to Indiana University.
“I am thrilled to announcement my verbal commitment to pursue my academic and athletic career at Indiana University. I want to thank my family, friends, Coach Ron, and all the Sandpiper coaches and families for helping me achieve my goals. GO HOOSIER 🔴⚪️”
Ellis lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he trains under Ron Aitken with the Sandpipers of Nevada. He had an outstanding summer long-course season, earning Olympic Trials cuts in the 400/800/1500 free, 200 back, and 400 IM. A member of the USA National Junior Team, he represented the United States at the 2023 World Junior Championships in Israel, where he placed 6th in both the 800 free (7:56.40) and the 1500 free (15:18.94). Earlier in the summer he had gone a PB of 15:17.92 in the 1500 with his 6th-place finish at Nationals. His versatility was on display at Futures, where he won the 200 free (1:51.17), 400 free (3:54.71), 200 back (2:01.35), and 200 IM (2:03.89) – all with lifetime bests.
In short-course yards, Ellis is the top miler in the class of 2025 by more than 4 seconds. He also ranks in the top-5 of the 500 free, 1000 free, and 400 IM. As most of the Sandpipers do not participate in high school swimming, his best times come mainly from Winter Juniors and CA/NV Sectionals, both of which took place last December. At Winter Juniors West, he won the mile (by 6 seconds with 14:49.79), was 6th in the 400 IM (3:47.68), and came in 7th in the 500 free (4:22.23), clocking lifetime bests in the 500/1000/1650 free, 200 back, and 400 IM. Two weeks later, he won the 1000 free and 200 fly at Sectionals and left the meet with PBs in the 100/200/1000 free, 100 back, and 100/200 fly.
Best SCY times:
- 1650 free – 14:49.79 (best in class)
- 1000 free – 8:57.32
- 500 free – 4:22.23
- 400 IM – 3:47.68
- 200 fly – 1:47.23
- 200 back – 1:46.17
The Hoosiers finished 4th at 2023 NCAA Division I Championships but did not score a single point in distance freestyle. In 2022, Michael Brinegar earned the Hoosiers points in both the 500 and the 1650. Ellis’ 1650 time would have been the fastest on the 2022-23 IU roster by a good 4 seconds.
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Let him go we’re he wants none of you know what the selection process for college is like and if he feels welcome there that most important. Because what Happens if he gets injured and can’t swim do you think he’s just going for the swimming? No he’s going for the majors and academics.
I was hoping to see the duo of Luke’s in Florida that we saw at Junior Worlds.
Ah, yes, Indiana. The school known for distance freestyle. Blake P, Cody Miller, Lily King, Zach Apple, Ian Finnerty, Brendan Burns…. the list of distance free talent is truly incredible. Clearly the best option for an emerging distance lad
bro forgot abt hafnaoui🤣
Hafnaoui, Brinegar, Calvillo
Calvillo had a great freshman year, same with Brinegar, thats about as far as that goes. Looks like when chitwood took over the distance group things went downhill. Hopefully for this kids sake someone else is in charge of that group when he comes in. Unless they’ve already made a change, which with Hafnaoui’s success makes me think they have
On the women’s side, IU put 2 women in top 8 of the mile at NCs this past year, one of two teams to do so- and one of them was the silver medalist
Denigan
Obviously they feel pretty good about the program given they have had swimmers go there and they continue to chose too.
Hoosiers coming on real strong with some really solid classes!
the Ahmed Hafnaoui effect
please guerra come back
When the world needed him most he vanished
Is Hafnaoui eligible this year?
I believe so, but I wonder if he’ll take an Olympic redshirt.
Ray isn’t voluntarily paying a scholarship for 2 years if not racing. They have a number of LC dual meets set up to balance those demands.
Ray isn’t voluntarily paying for anything.
IU has their 2023-2024 roster up…and Hafnaoui isn’t on it. Might be redshirting? I can’t imagine he would leave IU to train back home after how successful this year was for him. Although I guess he was also very successful in 2021 training in Tunisia
https://iuhoosiers.com/sports/mens-swimming-and-diving/roster
It won’t let me edit my comment, but ignore what I said above. For some reason it loaded last years roster initially. Hafnaoui is on this years roster
Isn’t he on the national team for open water too?
I mean no disrespect to IU but I’m a little surprised he isn’t going to Florida.
see “the Ahmed Hafnaoui effect” above (or below depending on how you sort the comments)
Hafnaoui effect or not, I absolutely love seeing a kid pick a program that they feel fits them, versus the expectation of them. Not everyone wants to go to (fill in expected college here). Congrats Luke!
100%
Absolutely- IU is an amazing team! Congratulations Luke!!
Swimming or otherwise, you just have to go with your gut. And his gut told him Indiana
Your gut is undefeated
Is Florida really still the top place to go? Aside from Finke, the pros haven’t been swimming well and their distance crew was off at NCs and the summer too.
Kieran has plateaued, and after the Vargas situation and Tyler Watson transfer, I would personally reconsider defaulting to Florida for distance
Tyler Watson is a 5th year and with the incoming class, they likely didn’t have money to give him to stay anyway.
Here’s an example of what UF did for a freshman last year in distance races:
Gio Linscheer commits to UF with times of 4:28 and 15:19 in the mile, 3:53 400 IM
Ends his freshman year at 4:12, 14:48, 3:40.
Mestre and Finke posted PBs at Worlds, Pennington posted PBs, Ledecky is swimming better than she has since 2016, and UF has more than half of the US Open Water Pan Ams Team. UF had a fantastic Nationals this summer. The only person who was off was Natalie Hinds, and she’s not a distance swimmer.… Read more »
Only verbally committed. Still time to change his mind. HINT…HINT…young man.