Samuel Steele

Position:
Freestyle
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Pelham, Ala.
High School:
Heritage Academy

Senior: Steele continued to be a key member of the Cardinals’ freestyle group, earning himself a spot as a relay alternate for the NCAA Championships before the meet was cancelled. At the ACC Championships, he placed 17th in the 200 freestyle (1:34.54), 21st in the 100 freestyle (43.75), and 25th in the 500 freestyle (4:23.13). He raced to fourth in the 200 freestyle (1:36.91) at the Purdue Invitational where he also took ninth in the 500 freestyle (4:25.96) and 12th in the 100 freestyle (44.43). Steele recorded five top-6 finishes throughout dual meet competition, highlighted by a runner-up finish in the 200 freestyle (1:40.82) against Xavier and a third-place showing in that event (1:39.28) versus Northwestern. For his performances in both the pool and in the classroom, Steele was awarded ACC Honor Roll and CSCAA Scholar All-America honors. He was also named to the CSCAA All-American team in the 800 freestyle relay.

Junior: Throughout his junior season, Steele continued to be a consistent contributor for the Cards in the middle distance events. At the ACC Championships, he scored 19 points by finishing 12th in the 200 free (1:35.15) and 21st in the 500 free (4:21.60). Steele also had a strong showing at the IU Invitational, where he took 19th in the 200 free (1:37.90) and 21st in the 200 fly (1:51.86). During the dual meet season, Steele scored points in the Cards’ wins over Northwestern, Missouri, Virginia, Tennessee and Xavier. At the Phillips 66 National Championships, Steele competed in the 200m free (1:50.17) and the 400m free (3:58.99).

Sophomore: As a sophomore, Steele became a major player in the middle-distance events for the Cardinals. He qualified for the NCAA Championships as a member of the 800 free relay, helping Louisville to a seventh place finish with an anchor split of 1:34.36. He also had a key impact on the Cards’ runner-up finish at the ACC Championships, scoring 30 individual points. He placed sixth overall in the 200 free with a time of 1:35.12 and took 19th in the 500 free with a 4:19.56. He also helped Louisville to a silver medal performance in the 800 free relay, leading off in a lifetime best time of 1:34.76. At the Winter National Championships, Steele placed seventh in the 200 free with a time of 1:35.93 and 17th in the 500 free (4:23.31). He also competed at the Phillips 66 National Championships, swimming the 200-meter free and the 400-meter free. In the dual meet season, he put together a strong meet against Tennessee, taking third in the 200 free and fourth in the 100 free. Steele was also awarded CSCAA Scholar All-America honors for his performances in the pool and in the classroom.

Freshman: As a freshman, Steele provided depth to the Cardinals’ middle-distance group. At the UofL Invitational, he won the 200 free (1:37.01), and placed sixth in the 200 fly (1:50.32) and 500 free (4:33.44). He also achieved season-best times in the 200 free (1:36.09) and 500 free (4:23.70) at the Ohio State Winter Invitational. Steele qualified for the World Championship Trials in Indy, swimming the 200-meter free (1:51.81). At the Arena Pro Swim Series in Atlanta, he swam the 50-meter, 100-meter, 200-meter, and 400-meter free. Steele also provided valuable points to the Cardinals throughout the dual meet season, finishing third in the 200 free against Tennessee and third in the 500 free against Notre Dame.

Prep: Steele comes from Pelham, AL where he competed for the Birmingham Swim League and Coach Mike Davidson. He qualified to compete at the 2016 Olympic Team Trials in the 400 frees and just missed earning his cut for the 200 distance. Steele was named BSL's team MVP in 2015 and has received Scholastic All-America awards in both the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Steele was homeschooled. His best times in the 100 free are 45.26 (SCY) and 51.96 (LCM). In the 200 free, his best times are 1:37.69 (SCY) and 1:51.92 (LCM). His best mark in the 500 free is 4:26.86 with a 3:58.66 in the 400-meter free. His fastest time in the 200-fly was 1:48.27 (SCY).

Personal: Major is mechanical engineering. Born January 29, 1998.