#3 in Class of 2025, Sandpipers’ Luke Ellis, Hands Verbal Commitment to Indiana

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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.

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].

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Swim1650
1 year ago

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.

Distance Boys
1 year ago

I was hoping to see the duo of Luke’s in Florida that we saw at Junior Worlds.

Jimmy DeSnuts
1 year ago

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

Tyson Huynh
Reply to  Jimmy DeSnuts
1 year ago

bro forgot abt hafnaoui🤣

1650 Onetrick
Reply to  Jimmy DeSnuts
1 year ago

Hafnaoui, Brinegar, Calvillo

HereForTheMems
Reply to  1650 Onetrick
1 year ago

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

Yaboi
Reply to  HereForTheMems
1 year ago

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

The General
Reply to  1650 Onetrick
1 year ago

Denigan

M d e
Reply to  Jimmy DeSnuts
1 year ago

Obviously they feel pretty good about the program given they have had swimmers go there and they continue to chose too.

Swimmy123
1 year ago

Hoosiers coming on real strong with some really solid classes!

Andrew
1 year ago

the Ahmed Hafnaoui effect

please guerra come back

Guerralover
Reply to  Andrew
1 year ago

When the world needed him most he vanished

ArtVanDeLegh10
1 year ago

Is Hafnaoui eligible this year?

IU Swammer
Reply to  ArtVanDeLegh10
1 year ago

I believe so, but I wonder if he’ll take an Olympic redshirt.

oxyswim
Reply to  IU Swammer
1 year ago

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.

MSC
Reply to  oxyswim
1 year ago

Ray isn’t voluntarily paying for anything.

chickenlamp
Reply to  ArtVanDeLegh10
1 year ago

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

chickenlamp
Reply to  chickenlamp
1 year ago

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

CrazyFace360
1 year ago

Isn’t he on the national team for open water too?

Swim Dad
1 year ago

I mean no disrespect to IU but I’m a little surprised he isn’t going to Florida.

Unknown Swammer
Reply to  Swim Dad
1 year ago

see “the Ahmed Hafnaoui effect” above (or below depending on how you sort the comments)

Old Bruin
Reply to  Swim Dad
1 year ago

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!

Chris
Reply to  Old Bruin
1 year ago

100%

The General
Reply to  Old Bruin
1 year ago

Absolutely- IU is an amazing team! Congratulations Luke!!

thezwimmer
Reply to  Swim Dad
1 year ago

Swimming or otherwise, you just have to go with your gut. And his gut told him Indiana

Coach Michael
Reply to  thezwimmer
1 year ago

Your gut is undefeated

Andrew
Reply to  Swim Dad
1 year ago

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

Aquajosh
Reply to  Andrew
1 year ago

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 »

Dennis
Reply to  Swim Dad
1 year ago

Only verbally committed. Still time to change his mind. HINT…HINT…young man.

About Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant is the mother of four daughters, all of whom swam in college. With an undergraduate degree from Princeton (where she was an all-Ivy tennis player) and an MBA from INSEAD, she worked for many years in the financial industry, both in France and the U.S. Anne is currently …

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