T.C. Smith

Position:
Distance
Weight:
null
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Bradenton, Fla.
High School:
State College of Florida

Senior: Smith had a standout senior season with the Cardinals, earning a spot on the U.S. Open Water National Team after securing bronze in the 10K (2:06.25) at the Open Water National Championships. He also placed nine in the 5K with a time of 1:02.44. In the pool, Smith finished 30th in the mile (15:09.79) and raced the 500 freestyle (4:21.43) at the NCAA Championships. At the ACC Championships, he placed 16th in the mile (15:19.84) and 20th in both the 400 individual medley (3:53.79) and 500 freestyle (4:21.39). Smith also posted six top-4 finishes throughout the abbreviated dual meet season, highlighted by a pair of third-place finishes in the 400 individual medley and 1000 freestyle against Cincinnati. He raced to third in the 1000 freestyle and fourth in the 500 freestyle versus Notre Dame while placing fourth in those events against Kentucky.

Junior: Smith continued to be an integral member of the Cardinals’ distance freestyle group during his junior campaign. At the ACC Championships, he finished 19th in the 1650 freestyle (15:23.42) and 20th in both the 500 freestyle (4:19.84) and 400 individual medley (3:51.54). He won the mile (15:03.76) at the NCAA Last Chance Meet and achieved three Olympic Trials times at the Toyota U.S. Open. At the Purdue Invitational, he was the runner-up in the mile (15:05.71), placed sixth in the 500 freestyle (4:24.67), and took eighth in the 400 individual medley (3:56.86). He recorded 12 top-6 finishes throughout the dual meet season, highlighted by a victory in the 1000 freestyle (9:26.93) against Xavier.

Sophomore: Smith continued to be a distance standout for the Cards throughout his sophomore season. At the ACC Championships, he took 15th in the 1650 free with a 15:09.38 and 19th in the 500 free with a time of 4:20.82. At the IU Invitational, he tallied a sixth place finish in the 1650 free with a time of 15:07.79. He also added a 12th place finish in the 400 IM (3:53.08), 13th place finish in the 500 free (4:22.86) and 14th place finish in the 200 fly (1:49.05). In the dual meet season, Smith tallied eight top-three finishes throughout the season, including a third place in the 1000 free and second place in the 200 fly in the victory over Xavier.

Freshman: Smith made an immediate impact for the Cardinals in the distance events throughout his debut season at Louisville. At the ACC Championships, he scored 41 points for the Cards. Smith placed seventh overall in the 1650 free, becoming the first Louisville freshman to ever break the 15-minute mark with a time of 14:55.33. He also placed 12th in the 500 free, stopping the clock in a time of 4:19.04. Smith competed on the national stage at the Phillips 66 National Championships, swimming the 1500-meter free (15:42.56), 800-meter free (8:09.52) and 400-meter free (3:56.26). At the Winter National Championships, he registered a sixth place finish in the 1650 free (15:02.21). an 11th place finish in the 500 free (4:22.01) and a 15th place finish in the 400 IM (3:55.54). In the dual meet season, Smith was instrumental in the Cards’ win over Kentucky, where he took second in the 500 free and third in the 1000 free. For his performances both in the pool and in the classroom, Smith was awarded CSCAA Scholar All-America Honorable Mention honors and named to the All-ACC Academic Team.

Prep: Smith comes to UofL from Bradenton, Florida, where he swam for the State College of Florida Collegiate School and the Sarasota Tsunami Swim Team. He competed on the international stage in open water, where he qualified for the Junior World Championships in Hong Kong. He was also the first-ever Olympic Trials Qualifier from the Sarasota Tsunami Swim Team, swimming the 400 free and the 1500 free. Smith was the team captain and MVP of the State College of Florida Collegiate School and became the 2015 state champion in the 500 free and 2016 state champion in the 200 free. His best times are 1:39.40 in the 200 free, 4:23.10 in the 500 free, and 15:09.70 in the 1650 free.

Personal: Son of DeAnn Ross and Mike Smith. Born on March 24, 1999.