DAY TWO RESULTS

ATLANTA (SMU) – SMU diver Luke Sitz claimed the national championship on 1-meter at the 2026 NCAA DI Swimming & Diving Championships on Thursday in Atlanta, Georgia, securing his first-ever national title and his second consecutive First-Team All-American honor.

Averaging a 71.35 score per round, Sitz threw down a mark of 428.10 to take home the NCAA Championship. The sophomore's performance was highlighted by his 305C, a Reverse 2 1/2 Somersault Tuck, which earned him a score of 81.00. 

Sitz's victory marks the first NCAA Championship on 1-meter in SMU history. The last time a Mustang earned an NCAA title in diving was in 1990, when Scott Donie earned gold on 3-meter and on platform. At the 2025 NCAA DI Swimming & Diving Championships, Sitz finished seventh overall as a freshman, earning him a spot on the All-America First-Team.

"Everything I worked towards paid off tonight," said Sitz, "I'm just overwhelmed with joy right now." Head coach Darian Schmidt felt the same way, explaining "I'm so proud of Luke. He works so hard every day and stepped up in the biggest spotlight on the biggest stage."

The Texas native won the ACC Championship on the same event in the same pool back in February, becoming SMU's first-ever ACC Individual Champion. The diver nabbed the Mustangs' first NCAA Championship in over a decade, with golfer Bryson DeChambeau earning a title back in 2015.

Two additional Mustangs competed at the McAuley Aquatic Center today. Freshman Grant Cates made his NCAA debut on 1-meter. The Indiana native placed 24th overall after posting a score of 312.50. For the second time at the NCAA Championships and the fourth time this season, freshman Francis Brennan broke SMU's 200 free record after throwing down a personal best of 1:31.94. Brennan placed 18th overall.

UP NEXT
Sitz will be back in action tomorrow along with Cates, competing in the preliminary round of the 3-meter starting at 11 a.m. CT. Junior Jack Berube will swim in the 100 back preliminaries at 9 a.m. CT while Brennan will compete in the 500 free at 9:30 a.m. CT. Finals for all events will begin at 5 p.m. CT.

ORDER OF EVENTS

Friday, March 27
100-yard backstroke
200-yard breaststroke
500-yard freestyle
50-yard freestyle
400-yard medley relay
Three-meter diving

Saturday, March 28
200-yard individual medley
100-yard freestyle
200-yard butterfly
200-yard backstroke
400-yard freestyle relay
Platform diving