Luke Leonidas

Class:
Junior
Position:
Backstroke
Hometown:
St. Paul, Minn.
High School:
Cretin-Derham Hall HS

Career Notes:

Ranks 12th in school history in the 100 back (47.51), and 14th in the 200 back (1:43.86)

2024-25 Junior Season: First Chance Meet: took first in 200 IM (1:47.17) and 100 back (47.51), second in 200 back (1:44.65) ... Purdue/Northwestern Tri-Dual: placed third in 200 back (1:43.86), sixth in 100 back (48.23) and 200 IM (1:48.90), competed in 200 medley relay ... Arizona State Dual: notched third in 1-meter diving (260.85), eighth in 100 back (49.67) and 200 back (1:50.07), competed in 200 IM (1:50.90) and 200 medley relay ... Minnesota Invitational: took 18th in 200 back (1:46.58), competed in 100 back prelims, 200 IM prelims, 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay ... Wisconsin Dual: placed fourth in 200 back (1:45.76), competed in 200 medley relay and 400 free relay ... St. Thomas/SDSU Tri-Dual: notched third in 100 back (50.67), fourth in 100 IM (53.10), competed in 400 free relay and 200 medley relay ... Army Dual: took fifth in 100 back (49.13) and 200 back (1:47.14), competed 200 medley relay ... South Dakota Dual: placed first in 200 back (1:50.10), fourth in 100 back (50.53), competed in 400 free relay and 200 medley relay.

2023-24 Sophomore Season: First Chance Meet: won both the 100 back (47.74) and the 200 IM (1:48.84) and got second in the 200 back (1:45.82)... Purdue/Northwestern Tri-Dual: placed sixth in the 200 back (1:46.73)... Tampa Dual: came in fifth in the 400 IM (4:10.28), sixth in the 100 back (51.86) and eighth in the 200 back (1:55.62)... Minnesota Invite: finished 14th in the 400 IM (3:57.56), 16th in the 200 back (1:48.01) and 29th in the 200 IM (1:50.64)... Wisconsin Dual: swam a 23.63 split in the 50 back... St. Thomas/South Dakota State Tri-Dual: got third in the 100 back (50.68) and fourth in the 200 IM (1:54.35)... SMU Dual: captured seventh in both the 100 back (49.69) and 200 back (1:50.09)... Nebraska/South Dakota Tri-Dual: placed second in both the 200 back (1:50.39) and 400 IM (4:06.06)

2022-23 Freshman Season: First Chance Meet: earned first in the 200 back (1:47.49) and second in the 100 back (49.57) and 200 IM (1:49.33) ... Northwestern/Purdue Tri-Dual: took 11th in the 200 back (1:49.19); also part of the 200 medley relay that took 10th (1:31.89) ... Minnesota Invite: came in 27th in the 200 back finals (1:47.49), 33rd in the 100 back prelims (49.60) and 36th in the 200 IM prelims (1:50.62) ... Wisconsin Dual: claimed seventh in the 100 back (52.26) and eighth in the 200 back (1:54.71) ... St. Thomas/South Dakota State Tri-Dual: won the 100 back (51.63) and swam the 200 IM in an exhibition (1:56.92) ... SMU Dual: finished eighth in the 100 back (51.85) and swam an exhibition in the 200 back (1:54.48); also part of the 200 medley relay (1:34.54) and 400 medley relay (3:29.22) that both finished seventh ... South Dakota Dual: made collegiate debut by placing fourth in the 100 back (51.96) and 200 back (1:55.50), and helping the 200 medley relay (1:34.14) to a fifth-place finish

Prep: Attended Cretin-Derham Hall where he lettered in swimming each year … named all-state and all-conference in three of his years … finished fourth in state as a junior … holds school record in 200 IM … also played baseball … swam at the club level for the Minnesota Flyers since he was seven years old … competed at Junior Nationals and Speedo Sectionals … earned a second-place finish at Speedo Sectionals … club teammates with current Gopher teammate Josh Johnston

Personal: Parents are John and Beth Leonidas … has one sister, Leah … cousin, Olivia King, plays on the Minnesota women's hockey team … plans to major in marketing, business … enjoys selling sneakers in his free time

Why Minnesota: "Because of the community, and I knew some of the teammates from past experiences."