Winter might be coming, but two athletes have been raising the heat with their brand-new romance lately. Who are we talking about? LSU’s swimming recruit, Lauren Bernardo, and NASCAR prodigy, Connor Zilisch. The newest Tiger made a splash back home in North Carolina with a stacked resume during her time at the Charlotte Catholic High School. However, her beau isn’t far behind. How has he impressed the masses? 

The 18-year-old made waves with his incredible debut in the NASCAR Truck Series. Zilisch secured the pole position at the Circuit of The Americas and mustered up a fourth-place finish. While many would chalk it up to beginner’s luck, it was much more than that. In fact, his remarkable talent grabbed JR Motorsports’ attention. The driver will join the team owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the Xfinity Series. However, fans’ excitement reached an all-time high for what’s taking place beyond the track.

Inside the relationship of LSU’s swimming star Lauren Bernardo and NASCAR’s Connor Zilisch

What happens when you pair NASCAR’s promising prospect with an LSU swimming star? You get a potential power couple. Or that’s what many hoped for when Lauren Bernardo posted a series of celebratory images from their Thanksgiving together on Instagram. One of the many images showcased the swimmer holding onto Zilisch on a couch. She paired the images with a heartwarming caption, “Thankful for my peeps.” 

Both North Carolina natives seemed to have an incredible time with their friends. However, 2025 would put them in a long-distance situation due to their busy schedules. The 18-year-old Charlotte Catholic high school senior committed to Baton Rouge and is set to be a freshman at LSU by pursuing a degree in construction management.

As for Connor Zilisch? The 18-year-old set expectations at an all-time high after his first Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen. He will be racing full-time for JR Motorsports next year. He even received a glowing endorsement from NASCAR veteran Danny Hamlin, who believes that the driver will continue to turn heads in his career. The young duo is set for greater things in the future, and fans can’t wait to see what they have up their sleeves. However, what exactly do we know about LSU’s newest addition? Without further ado…

Meet LSU’s newest swimming star, Lauren Bernardo

The backstroke and IM specialist lived most of her life in North Carolina along with her sister CJ and parents, Ken and Tracy Bernardo. She attended Charlotte Catholic High School in her hometown and earned a spot on the state team. What was the swimmer’s time there like? Lauren Bernardo and Co. won the state championship during her freshman year. She even attended Summer Juniors two years in a row and competed in her first U.S. Open. 

The swimmer gave her commitment to LSU last year: “I’m extremely excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my athletic and academic careers at Louisiana State University. I would like to thank my family and friends for their unwavering support and all of my coaches throughout my swim career for believing in me and helping me achieve swimming D1 a reality! GEAUX, TIGERS 🐅💜💛” However, what was her time like before she joined the Tigers?

While at Charlotte Catholic High School, Lauren Bernardo trained with SwimMAC Carolina and earned the 2022 Southwestern 4A Conference Champion in the 100 back with 59.39 seconds on the clock. But that’s not all. In the 100 fly, she placed 6th with 1:02.44. During the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) in early February, she placed 6th in the 100 back with 56.95 seconds on the clock. But she wasn’t looking to slow down.

In the summer long course season, the swimmer competed in the Summer National Championships in Irvine, California. So, how did she do in the pool? Her time of 2:19.70 was the highest in the 200m back. In fact, at the 2022 Winter Junior Championships in Greensboro, she placed 34th with a lifetime best time of 2:02.64 in the 200 IM and 4:27.02 in the 400 IM. So, why did she make the switch to LSU, you ask? She confirmed that they are a big SEC school that would help her achieve her swim goals. Now, we only hope that the couple achieves all of their goals together for years to come!