Saluting the seniors | Johann Schmidt

This past year, graduating senior diver and tri-captain Johann Schmidt reaffirmed his reputation as one of the best divers in his sport across the country and in Tufts' history.

Schmidt dominated during the dual meet phase of the Jumbos' season, either winning or finishing second in every event in which he competed. Virtually unbeatable off the boards, he blew the competition out of the water with his consistent excellence.

But the regular season was just a warm-up for Schmidt, who continued to shine in the championship meets. In the NESCAC Championships hosted by Bowdoin in late February, Schmidt was named Diver of the Meet after winning the NESCAC one-meter title for the third time — the sixth conference victory of his career with the highest score he's ever had in the event. His score of 578.15 set a new pool, school, NESCAC and conference-championship meet record. The Nanuet, N.Y., native also finished a close second to freshman teammate Matthew Rohrer in the three-meter, narrowly missing out on his fourth-straight conference title in that event.

Schmidt reached and maintained such a high level of success largely due to his intense devotion to training, which required four hours every day for lifting, practicing and stretching. Head diving coach Brad Snodgrass credited Schmidt for his tremendous work ethic and inner drive to be the best.

"As gifted as Johann is and as much as he makes everything look easy, there has been an untold amount of hard work he's put into his diving," Snodgrass said, echoing the praise Schmidt received from teammates and coaches throughout his career.

All that effort came to fruition at the 2014 NCAA Div. III Championships in Indianapolis, when Schmidt put the exclamation point on his career by winning the one-meter diving championship and placing fourth in the three-meter event. After finishing third in the one-meter preliminaries, Schmidt scored 522.95 points in the finals to secure his second national one-meter title; his previous victory came as a sophomore in 2012. He received Diver of the Meet honors as well as his sixth and seventh All-American awards. Schmidt contributed 35 points to the Jumbos' total, helping the team score its highest finish at Nationals since 2010.

Gracious and humble to the end, Schmidt refused to take credit for his incredible performance.

"I want to thank [coach] Brad [Snodgrass], [women's head coach] Nancy [Bigelow], and coach [Adam] Hoyt for an amazing career at Tufts, as well as my teammates," Schmidt said. "There is no way I could have accomplished this championship and Diver of the Meet without them all."

A respected team leader and exceptional diver, Schmidt leaves behind an impressive legacy and an even bigger hole for Tufts' diving to fill. The Jumbos will be hard-pressed to find another diver as remarkable as he.