There are 315 international students currently enrolled at UMSL. From that population, 30 are student-athletes who represent UMSL at the varsity level of collegiate athletics. Each of these students have unique and exciting stories of how they ended up here at UMSL, as well as fascinating stories they are creating during their time here. For two of these student-athletes, the story is one that will likely never be replicated.
 
Luca Saewe and Linus Saewe are German twins. Hailing from the town of Datteln in the North-West of Germany near Dortmund, the pair have found their way to UMSL where they are immersing themselves within campus life in many ways to ensure they make the most of this opportunity. They both represent the men's soccer program here on campus. Luca joined the program in August, while Linus followed his brother here in January. It is their deep-rooted love of soccer that paved the way for not only this opportunity, but their journey to the United States of America in the first place.
 
The Journey
As the world navigated its way through the COVID-19 pandemic, the Saewe brothers decided to explore a new adventure across the Atlantic. "It was a rather spontaneous decision due to the COVID-19 situation. At that time, a friend and fellow player told us about his plans on going to study and play soccer in the US and we decided to check it out," Luca recalls. This decision took them to Illinois Central College where they earned their associate degrees and competed on the men's soccer team. Upon graduation in May 2023 both began to look for their next step.
 

Same, But Different
The life of twins can be one of serial inseparability. For Luca and Linus, much of their lives have been intertwined and conjoined, yet they have always found differences. For example, Luca is a defender and Linus is a forward. Linus states: "In the youth, I played more defensive positions such as CB and CDM. When I grew older, I switched to more offensive roles." Luca adds: "In the youth, I started off as a striker and offensive player, while slowly shifting into defensive roles in later years."

Academically, both are intelligent young men – same. Luca is embarking on a Physics degree, while Linus is pursuing a degree in Computer Science – but different. Luca recorded a perfect 4.0 in his first semester at UMSL, and both were named to the President's List at ICC.

Physically, the pair joke about the slight differences that have developed. "Luca is about an inch taller and also six minutes older," explains Linus. While Luca quips with a wry smile "As Linus is a little lighter, it could be assumed that he might be lighter on his feet." It is this bond they have, playing off each other with a hint of competitiveness, that has seen both succeed in the classroom as well as on the pitch. This is a journey that has seen them play on the same team every year but this past fall. "We went through all club teams at home from our youth until our senior year in high school together. Even when coming over to the US, we kept playing together at the same college except for one semester."
 
UMSL
Indeed, in the fall while Luca began his time as a Triton, Linus attended Hannibal-LaGrange University. This is the only season they have not played on the same team. But why did Luca join UMSL in the first

place, and why did Linus decide to join him after just four months apart? "Easy," says Luca, "UMSL offers a good combination of athletic and academic quality while providing an enjoyable environment to live in."

And enjoying their time they are. Both are progressing well with the team and both have found the opportunity to pursue their other passion: music. Together, they have joined the Wind Ensemble on campus to build on their life-long love of playing the French horn (Luca) and the trumpet (Linus). "We both started playing our musical instruments when we got into fifth grade and joined the music class at our school, which also included being a member of the orchestra," details Linus. But why another example of 'same but different' when it comes to the instruments they chose? Luca clarifies: "We were able to try out different instruments in the beginning and then were able to choose after developing different interests for various instruments. In the end, we chose what we thought was our favorite."

And who is the better musician? "We both always try to remain neutral on that question as we also play different instruments," laughs Linus. "But Linus was also able to play on scholarship at a music school which was a good competitive experience," remarks Luca, smiling and ceding to his brother on this occasion.
 
Family
As you would expect, the love for sports and music is built within the fabric of the Saewe family. "Our father was a track and long-distance runner when he was younger. Our mother was more involved in music, playing the guitar. Both enjoyed playing tennis from time to time," states Luca. Linus explains they have a brother who also shares their passions: "We have an older brother, who is 1.5 years older. He played soccer when he was younger but was not as committed as we were right from the start. However, he tried different sports and learned to play the piano as well."

 

What's Next?
With one year of athletic eligibility remaining, the twins are looking forward to an exciting 2024-25 academic year. "We definitely want to get the most out of the next soccer season as it will be our last in our college career. Academically, we want to continue to learn and work towards finishing our degrees on a high note. While doing that, we will use music as a complementary and important aspect to follow our musical interest," Luca explains. Linus adds of their next venture in life: "We would like to continue playing soccer on a high level and build a solid foundation for our future careers in our fields of study, Physics (Luca) and Computer Science (Linus). Apart from that, we would like to continue to travel and experience other parts of the world."
 
One thing that can be said of the pair is that they will continue to immerse themselves within campus life while at UMSL, and that they will always seek ways to further their passions for soccer, music, and new experiences. From Datteln, Germany to the pitch, classroom, and stage in St. Louis, it is as unique a story as you will find, and there are many more chapters to come.