Texas A&M Signs Two High School Standouts

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Dec. 5. TEXAS A&M Head Men’s Swimming Coach Mel Nash announced the signing of two swimmers to letters-of-intent today.

The Aggies signed Jeff Bratten of Ottumwa, Iowa, and Terry "Ozzie" Gardner of Kearns, Utah, during the early signing period.

Bratten, a senior at Ottumwa High School, specializes in the freestyle events. As a junior, he swam bests of 46 seconds in the 100 free and 1:41 in the 200 free. Bratten is a multi-sport athlete who has begun to concentrate more on swimming in the past year. His high school coach is Mike McWilliams and his club coach is Kelly Nordell.

Gardner, a senior at Kearns High School, also is a freestyle sprinter. He swam times of 20.8 in the 50 free and 46.4 in the 100 free as a junior. He was also a member of the national junior water polo team this past summer. Gardner is currently coached by Chris Horne.

"Both of these young men stand 6’3" and are in the same mold of the freestyle success stories we’ve had in the recent past, such as Jerrod Kappler, Keven Kehlenbach, Michael Colligan and David Morrow," Nash said. "They are good now, but we think they will be great."

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