Texas A&M announces 11 men’s swimming & diving signees

The following is a press release courtesy of Texas A&M:

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Eleven swimming and diving standouts have signed with Texas A&M and will join the Aggies for the 2014-15 season, Texas A&M head coach Jay Holmes announced.

The 11-man signing class features 10 swimmers and one diver. Joining the Aggies this fall will be diver Domonic Bedggood (Brisbane, QLD, Australia) and swimmers Brock Bonetti (Bakersfield, Calif.), Gonzalo Carazo (Madrid, Spain), Mauro Castillo (Zacatecas, ZAC, Mexico), Kyle Hendricks (Spring, Texas), Cameron Kerr (League City, Texas), Clay McAnany (San Antonio, Texas), Justin Morey (Houston, Texas), Duncan Mulleady (Flower Mound, Texas), Jonathan Tybur (The Woodlands, Texas) and Kyle Whieldon (Plano, Texas).

2014 Texas A&M Swimming and Diving Signees

+ — Denotes diver

Bedggood began competing internationally for Australia in 2013, and is a member of the Australia Diving Development Team and the “Go Glasgow 2014” squad. He won the platform dive at the 2013 Australian World Championship Trials and will compete for Australia in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

Bonetti was the California Interscholastic Federation Central champion in the 100 backstroke in 2013, and has also logged top eight finishes in the 100 back at the Winter Juniors and Summer Juniors while representing Roadrunner Aquatics in 2013.  At the Speedo Sectionals in College Station in March, Bonetti won the 100 back and won the consolation race in the 200 back.

“I wanted to be a part of the rapidly improving team and I know the coaching staff will be able to give me the skills to reach my full potential in and out of the pool,” Bonetti said of his choice to sign with the Aggies.

Carazo has competed at variety of Spanish and European junior and senior meets, including the ARENA European Junior Championships. At the Spanish Juniors in February 2014, Carazo won the 100 breaststroke, was second in the 200 and 400 IM and took fifth in the 100 freestyle.

“I chose Texas A&M mainly because of the two aspects that any student-athlete is normally looking for, academic and athletic quality of the university,” Carazo said. “Texas A&M meets both things. It has a well-known engineering program and a consolidated swimming and diving team with great coaches and facilities and a fantastic team environment with the support and commitment of the whole university, the 12th Man.”

Castillo was named the Athlete of the Year in the Mexican state of Zacatecas while competing for Alberca Olimpica de Zacatecas. Castillo was the 2013 Mexican National Champion in the 50, 100 and 200 breaststroke in short course meters.

“I chose Texas A&M because it gives me everything needed to succeed in sports and the classroom, and especially in life,” Castillo said. “Texas A&M has a great network and good traditions.

Hendricks was a three-time district champion in the 100 butterfly and earned a pair of medals at the Texas Class 5A state meet. He was a three-time high school All-American and holds nine school records. Competing for Premier Aquatics, Hendricks qualified for the Summer Junior Nationals three times and also broke nine club records.

The son of a pair of Texas A&M Former Students, Hendricks chose A&M because: “Texas A&M has the best environment possible for leadership, traditions, and character growth. It provides opportunities to grow and mold myself into who I want to be. It’s simply the best!”

Kerr was a four-time Texas Class 5A state qualifier, a four-time TISCA all-state selection and also earned district Athlete of the Meet twice. A three-time team MVP, Kerr helped lead Clear Falls to a pair of district team titles. Competing for the Houston Cougar Aquatics Club, Kerr qualified for the NCSA Juniors (2012 and 2013), Winter Juniors (2013) and the Winter Nationals (2014).

Kerr’s mother is a Texas A&M Former Student and he says: “Texas A&M has been a family tradition and I love all of the great traditions and spirit that the school offers. It has a great engineering program and the Aggie Network is a very good resource to have when looking for a job.”

McAnany is a two-time All-America and was a two-time all-district and all-region selection in the 50-yard free and 100 back, as well the 200 medley and 400 free relays. He also set the Texas Class 5A Region VII meet record in the 100 backstroke in 2013. A two-time state qualifier, McAnany earned all-state honors in 2013 in the 100 back. Competing for Alamo Aquatics, McAnany qualified for Winter Nationals and Summer Nationals in multiple races.

“Texas A&M has great coaches, great facilities, and most of all a great team,” said McAnany. “When I visited, I loved the positive attitude and excitement around the campus. I wanted to swim for a known D1 university and was leaning toward staying in state. After some consideration and visits, all roads seemed to lead to Aggieland!”

Morey, whose hometown is Houston, Texas, spent the last few years of his high school career in Brisbane, Australia. Competing for St. Peter’s Lutheran College, set a Queensland School record in the 50-meter butterfly and with the 200 free and medley relays. Competing for St. Peter’s Western club team, Morey helped the 400 free relay set an Australian 18-and-under national record.

“I chose A&M because Texas is my home,” Morey said. “I love the campus and I have close friends at A&M with whom I would enjoy spending my college years. After talking with Coach Holmes and Coach (Ryan) Mallam, I developed an admiration for their dedication to the sport of swimming. With their guidance, I believe that this team has high potential and I look forward to contributing my best. I believe A&M is the ideal place for me to improve myself in and out of the pool.”

Mulleady has been one of the state’s top junior backstrokers. Competing for the Elite Swim Program, Mulleady has qualified Winter Nationals in the 100 back and competed at the 2013 Winter Juniors. He comes from an athletic family – his older brother, Mace Mulleady, swims for SMU; his mother played volleyball at Menlo College (Calif.) and his father played tennis at Pacific.

“I chose Texas A&M because of the great academic and athletic opportunities that were presented,” Mulleady said. “I loved the team and both Jay and Ryan as coaches. It felt like the team was truly a family that always looked out for one another, and I really liked the atmosphere of College Station. The amazing team, training facilities and Aggie Network sealed the deal for me and made me want to become an Aggie!”

Tybur was a two-time Texas Class 5A medalist in the 100-yard breaststroke with a runner-up finish as a junior and a third-place effort as a senior. He set the College Park High School record in the 100 breast and earned the Captain’s Award as a senior. Competing for The Woodlands Swim Team, Tybur qualified for the Junior Nationals team multiple times and received the Team Captain Award in 2013-14.

“I felt that by choosing Texas A&M that I could help be a part of something bigger and succeed not only as an athlete but also as a student,” Tybur said. “As a new member of the team I hope to contribute to making it an even better team.”

Whieldon was a three-time high school All-American, including earning honors in the 100 and 200 free and with the 200 free relay as a senior. Competing for the Lakeside Aquatic Club, Whieldon qualified for Junior Nationals in the 100-, 200- and 500-yard freestyles.

“I chose A&M for the atmosphere,” stated Whieldon. “Everyone is into the A&M spirit. I love the team and the camaraderie of the guys. Also the “Teamwork” caps are awesome because I love to work hard. The coaches are everything a swimmer could ask for with their combined experience, success, and tradition. I just want to be a part of it all.”