Sam Thornton

Photo by: Patric Schneider/A&M Athletics

Photo by: Patric Schneider/A&M Athletics

Photo by: Russell James/Texas A&M Athletics

Photo by: Kristi Mejias

Photo by: Thomas Campbell

Photo by: Texas A&M Athletics

Position:
Diving
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Baildon, United Kingdom
High School:
Woodhouse Grove School

2018-19 (Senior):

Had a victory against No. 11 Louisville in the one meter dive (358.95)
Had a win in the 1-meter (393.60) and the 3-meter (398.33) against No. 18 Alabama
Took first place in the 1-meter dive (456.15) and second in the 3-meter dive (375.68) against TCU
Grabbed the top spot in the 1M dive (407.78) and captured the silver medal in the 3M dive (437.70) against LSU
Took the silver medal with a lifetime best score of 421.40 in the SEC Championships
Placed second in the one-meter springboard with a 12-dive score of 775.40 to earn an NCAA Championship berth
Named the Danny Green Memorial Co-MVP with Benjamin Walker at the team’s annual banquet
Second Team All-SEC (1M dive)

2017-18 (Junior):

First-Team All-American (1-meter diving)
Honorable Mention All-American (3-meter diving)
2nd-Team All-SEC (1-meter diving, 3-meter diving)
Earned first-team All-America honors with 6th-place showing on the 1-meter springboard at the NCAA Championships (407.45)
Earned honorable mention All-America accolades after placing 10^th on the 3-meter springboard at NCAAs (396.35)
Qualified for NCAAs in all three events with strong showing at NCAA Zone D Diving Championships
Placed 3^rd at Zones on the 1-meter (748.10), 7^th on the 3-meter (770.70) and 10^th on platform (651.30)
Finished 3^rd at SEC Championships on the 1-meter (406.35), 6^th on the 3-meter (385.65) and 9^th on platform (335.25)

2016-17 (Sophomore):

Earned honorable mention All-America honors in the one-meter dive with an 11th place finish at the NCAA Championships
At the SEC Championships, Thornton placed fourth in the one-meter dive, sixth in the three-meter and ninth in the platform dive
Posted season bests of 395.15 in the one-meter, 416.90 in the three-meter and 341.40 in the platform dive

2015-16 (Freshman):

Had a stand out freshman season with honorable mention All-America honors in the one-meter dive (16th) and earned an SEC Championship in the three-meter dive
Earned third at the SEC Championships in the one-meter dive (391.95)
Aggies’ No. 1 entry in both the one-meter (405.00) and three-meter (415.81) dives
No. 2 in platform (317.35)
Had 10 first place finishes

High School/Club:

2015 graduate of Woodhouse Grove School in Bradford, England
Had best dives of 371 in one-meter, 402 in three-meter, and 366 in ten-meter
Swam for the City of Leeds Diving Club coached by Pung Li
Won the bronze medal in three-meter synchronized at Junior Worlds, a bronze medal in one-meter at Junior Europeans, and a silver medal at the Birtish Championships during his time with the club

Personal:

Sam Neil Thornton is the son of Martin and Alyson Thornton of Bradford, England
Born October 16, 1996 in Bradford, England
Telecommunication and Media major
Chose Texas A&M “because I knew some of the divers that are currently on the team, they have great facilities, and there are records there that I want to try to beat!”

Up Close:
Favorite TV Show: Game of Thrones
Most Played Song on iPod: One more - Blaze
Favorite MovieFavorite TV Show: Game of thrones
Most Played Song on iPod: One more - Blaze
Favorite Movie: Stepbrothers
What I’m Currently Reading: Video game manuals
Bookmarked Websites: Ecampus..., Netflix, YouTube
Worst Habit: Biting my nails
Favorite City to Visit: Sydney, Australia
Favorite Athlete in Another Sport: Anthony Joshua - boxing
Talent I’d Most Like to Have: Fly
Dream Date: My girlfriend...
Pre-Competition Music: Rap
Favorite Quote: “I wanna go fast” - Ricky Bobby and “Shake and bake” - Ricky Bobby / Cal Naughton Jr.
Something about me that most people don’t know: I’m English

Describe in one word:
Coach Holmes: Funny
Coach Calanog: Determined
Coach Lerew: Legend