TEMPE, Ariz. - The probability of giving birth to twins is 1 in 250. For triplets, that probability jumps to 1 in 10,000. It's even rarer for multiples to be competing with one another in the same collegiate program
When swimmer Jackson Stallworth started his career at ASU last fall, he didn't think he'd have the opportunity to compete alongside his triplet brother, Lane, who's been a diver since he was 11 years old. At the time of Jackson's commitment in early 2021, the Sun Devils were without a diving team.
But in September 2021, when the Sun Devils announced the hiring of head diving coach Marc Briggs in a move that showed the program's commitment to rebuilding the dive program, it ended up being the perfect opportunity for the Stallworth brothers to reunite – this time at the collegiate level.
"At first, when I was thinking about where I was going to college, ASU didn't even have a dive program," Lane said. "Jackson is the one who told me that the swim coaches wanted to get a dive program back in the works."
Almost immediately after head swimming coach Bob Bowman announced the hiring, Lane and Briggs had swapped contact information and were on the phone together the next day.
"It all happened so fast," Lane said. "But right after that phone call, I knew that ASU was one of the top schools I wanted to go to, and Jackson was a huge drawing factor," Lane said.
The Stallworth brothers have been on the pool deck with each other from the very beginning. They started swimming in local neighborhood teams when they were four and started year-round swimming when they were nine. Just a few years later, Lane began diving in addition to swimming.
When they began high school swimming, the two continued to compete for both their high school and at a larger aquatics program in their hometown of San Antonio, Texas.
When Jackson received his offer to swim at ASU, he explained that it was "a dream come true." With COVID-19 taking over the latter portion of his high school career, the recruiting process was much more difficult, "so getting that call from the coaches was a huge relief."
"It's been my dream since I was four to swim at a D1 school at this level, so to have that actually come true is really special," Jackson, now a sophomore, said.
Not only was it a "dream come true for him" to swim for ASU, but it became that much more important when ASU decided to revamp its dive program. A year after Jackson began swimming for the Sun Devils, along came Lane.
"I was the last one coming out of the house, and knowing that my triplet brother, sister, and older sister had made it to a D1 university for a swim team, I really wanted to continue that trend for my family," Lane said. "That's when I really started to step it up in diving."
With joining the new dive team, Lane said, "It's definitely a lot of pressure, coming in as one of four guys and being around all of these people with high expectations, so I'm hoping to live up to it."
Reflecting on last season and what it means to have diving back in Tempe, Jackson explained that there were many dual meets a year ago where the absence of a dive team hindered the Sun Devils' scoring. "For one dual meet against USC, we had to give them 30 points since we didn't have a dive team," Jackson said.
"Having these divers is the next step to take us from getting sixth place [at NCAAs] up a few placements, hopefully up to fourth, third, second, or first," Jackson said. "It's pretty big."
Since his hiring a year ago, Briggs worked tirelessly to rebuild the program. In January, he welcomed his first two additions in transfers Zachory Lundgren (Hawaii) and Thomas Wesche (Grand Canyon).
Lane is now one of four on the Men's Dive team and one of two freshmen. Briggs calls it a "wonderful opportunity" for Lane to be one of the first members of a young program while doing it alongside family.
"Competing alongside your brother at the Division-I level is really special," head diving coach Marc Briggs said. "Being there to support one another on the same team is not something many athletes get to experience."
Lane Stallworth making it look easy 🤯 pic.twitter.com/GaWVIOd6Tv
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) September 8, 2022
Thinking beyond what it means for the brothers to both be contributing to the Sun Devils, it also means a great deal for the Stallworth family dynamic. With Lane teaming up with Jackson in Tempe, the Stallworth family can now boast that all four siblings are Division I athletes.
Jackson and Lane's triplet sister, Aspen, and older sister, McKenna, currently swim for the University of the Incarnate Word back in San Antonio.
Consider it a four-for-four Stallworth special.
"I think it's a great testament to our whole family dynamic, the way our parents raised us, and the mindset that we all share," Jackson said.
"For us to be on the same team again means so much to me," Lane added. "Growing up, everyone knew us as 'Lane the diver' or 'Jackson the swimmer.' I'm really looking forward to this season."
Their mother, Jenny, shares her boys' excitement, relishing in an opportunity they'll cherish forever.
"I am so excited to have my boys on the same team together at ASU," she said. "To be both brothers and teammates during college is an incredibly special experience that they will remember forever."
Catch the Stallworths in action, including Lane's debut with the new-look dive program, on Friday, September 23, when the team hosts its annual Maroon & Gold Meet at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center. The competition, which will include a pentathlon format for the swim team, will begin at 3 p.m.