Peirsol Chooses Texas

NEWPORT BEACH, CA., Nov. 19. AARON Peirsol's going to Texas — for four years.

The Newport Harbor senior, Olympic silver medalist last year in the 200 meter backstroke and World Champion this season in that event, has decided to cast his lot with Coach Eddie Reese's University of Texas Longhorns starting in the fall of next year.

Peirsol thus joins a team that is double-defending NCAA Division 1 champ and a strong contender to make it a threepeat come next March in Athens, GA.

Peirsol chose the Longhorns over Michigan, Stanford, California and Arizona, according to his father, Tim Hartig.

Texas has won seven of the last 14 NCAA Championships under Reese, Hartig added, noting that "Eddie's success and coaching style was a big factor in Aaron's
decision. Eddie Reese has a John Wooden-type personality," he said in reference to the retired UCLA basketball coach who won 10 NCAA Championships in 12 years and who at one point in the early '70s had an 88-game winnning streak — longest in NCAA basketball history.

— Bill Bell

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