Naval Academy Athletics

Career Honors:
2025 ACWPC All-Academic Team (Outstanding)
2024 ACWPC All-Academic Team (Outstanding)
2023 ACWPC All-Academic Team (Outstanding)
2022 ACWPC All-Academic Team (Outstanding)
 
2025 (Senior): Named to the 2025 ACWPC All-Academic Team … Played in 15 games during the season, finishing with 63 saves and 24 steals with a goal and five assists … Registered a season-high 10 stops against Mercyhurst, while adding nine saves against Wagner (MAWPC Tournament); eight saves against Iona; and seven stops against Wheaton College (Navy Open) … Recorded a season-high eight steals against Mercyhurst, while adding four takeaways against Penn State Behrend (Navy Open) and three steals against Iona … Scored a goal at Mercyhurst, while adding an assist against the Lakers for a season-high two points … Also had two points on a season-high two assists at home against Mercyhurst … Additionally, had assists against Penn State Behrend (Navy Open) and Iona.
 
2024 (Junior): Named to the 2024 ACWPC All-Academic Team … Played in 12 games on the year, finishing with 62 saves and 21 steals, nine assists, and a goal … Registered a season-high 12 saves against Biola at the Rare Air Challenge for first collegiate double-digit save performance … Recorded five or more stops against #6 Princeton (6 saves – Princeton Invitational), Air Force (5 saves – Rare Air Challenge), Concordia (6 saves – Rare Air Challenge), Cal Lutheran (7 saves – Rare Air Challenge), and #9 Fordham (7 saves) … Notched a season-high three steals against #6 Princeton (Princeton Invite), Cal Lutheran (Rare Air Challenge), and Wagner, while adding two takeaways against both #14 Harvard and Biola at the Rare Air Challenge … Credited with a season-high three assists against Mercyhurst, while adding a pair of helpers against #6 Princeton (Princeton Invite) and Biola (Rare Air Challenge) … Added assists at the Rare Air Challenge against #14 Harvard and Cal Lutheran … Scored a goal against Mercyhurst.
 
2023 (Sophomore): Named to the 2023 ACWPC All-Academic Team … Played in 12 games during the season, finishing the year with 30 saves and 17 steals … Recorded a season-high eight saves against Johns Hopkins, while adding five stops against McKendree (Salem Invitational) … Had three saves versus Biola (Triton Invitational), #11 UC San Diego (Triton Invitational), and #1 Cal with two saves at home against Connecticut College … Had a season-high four steals against Biola and #11 UC San Diego with three takeaways versus McKendree and George Washington.
 
2022 (Freshman): Named to the 2022 ACWPC All-Academic Team … Played in 10 games during rookie campaign, making 38 saves with a 42.7 save percentage, while adding seven steals and five assists … Registered a season-high nine saves against Johns Hopkins, while notching eight stops against Mercyhurst … Added seven saves versus McKendree and six stops at Hopkins … Made five saves against #1 Cal at the Navy Open with a pair of stops vs. Mercyhurst in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Tournament and a save at #17 Fordham … Additionally, made appearances against Biola (Navy Open), #18 Fordham, and Wagner (MAWPC Tournament) … Credited assists in four games, including a season-best two helpers at Johns Hopkins … Also had assists against McKendree, Hopkins, and Mercyhurst (MAWPC Tournament) … Made collegiate debut in the season opener against Biola at the Navy Open.
 
High School / Personal: Lettered for four years in water polo at Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego, Calif. … Named First Team All-CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) as a junior and senior … Earned CIF Award for Sportsmanship as a junior, while claiming Second Team All-League as a sophomore … Received the Coach’s Award for Cathedral Catholic as a senior, while being named Most Improved as a sophomore … Helped Cathedral Catholic San Diego Section CIF Championship as a freshman and senior … Eagle Scout … Member of the National Honor Society and California Scholarship Federation … Earned Academic First honors (four years) and Dons Distinction in Science Award (2022) … Son of Kimberly and Barry Hightower … Sister, Lindsey, was a member of the UC San Diego water polo team, while brother, Seth, played water polo at Cal Lutheran.
 
Career Statistics

Year	Games	Saves	GA	Pct.	Assists	Steals
2022	10	38	51	.427	5	7
2023	12	30	47	.390	0	17
2024	12	62	124	.333	9	21
2025	15	63	74	.460	5	24
Totals	49	193	296	.395	19	69

 
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