Texas A&M Announces 2018 Men’s Signing Class

Press Release courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics

Texas A&M head men’s swimming and diving coach Jay Holmes announced the Aggies’ 2018 signing class, which was rated the nation’s eighth-best by FloSwimming.com.

Joining the Aggies next season are Clayton Bobo of Houston, Texas, Kaloyan Bratanov of Katy, Texas, Shaine Casas of McAllen, Texas, Ethan Gogulski of Cedar Park, Texas, Alberto Gomez of The Woodlands, Texas, Jacob Schababerle of Katy, Texas, Mark Schnippenkoetter of Zapopan, Mexico and Peter Simmons of College Station, Texas.

Head Coach Jay Holmes said:

“(Assistant coach) Jason (Calanog) and I have been targeting this group of 2018 seniors for a long time, and we believe this group has great chance to come in and make a significant impact on our team. As a group, they are extremely talented, competitive and committed and we think they have a chance to build a legacy at Texas A&M. We are really happy with all eight of them. This is a group that we think we can build with, and we’re excited to get them into the program. ”

Texas A&M Men’s Swimming & Diving signees:

Name                                     Hometown / High School / Previous School        Club Team

Clayton Bobo                        Houston, Texas / Stratford HS                               Dads Club Swim Team

Kaloyan Bratanov                 Katy, Texas / Katy HS                                              Katy Aquatics

Shaine Casas                         McAllen, Texas  / McAllen HS                                Nitro Swimming

Ethan Gogulski                     Cedar Park, Texas / Vista Ridge HS                        Nitro Swimming

Alberto Gomez                     The Woodlands, Texas / TWHS                              Magnolia Aquatic Club

Jacob Schababerle                Katy, Texas / Taylor HS                                           Power Aquatics

Mark Schnippenkoetter      Zapopan, Mexico / Educare HS                              Scottsdale (Ariz.) Aquatics

Peter Simmons                     College Station, Texas / A&M Consolidated HS   Aggie Swim Club

Clayton Bobo | Houston, Texas / Stratford HS | Dads Club Swim Team

Holmes said, “We have seen him swim many times over the last year and a half, and every time we see him we have no doubt that he’s the guy we want. He comes from a swimming family – both his brother and sister have competed at the collegiate level. We need help in freestyle and that’s what he does, and he will be a very good butterflier in college. He’s the real deal.”

• Says he chose Texas A&M, “For their traditions and the direction the team is heading.”
• Has trained with Dads Swim Club for six year and coached by Rey Aguilar
• Houston Area Male Swimmer of the Year 2016 & 2017
• District Male Swimmer of the Year 2015, 2016 & 2017
• Regional Male Swimmer of the Year 2016 & 2017
• UIL 6-A State Male Swimmer of the Year 2017
• 8 Time High School All American 2015- 2017
• 3-time Class 6A state meet qualifier
• 2017 Class 6A state champion in the 50 free and 100 free
• 2016 state champion in the 50 free, runner-up in the 100 free
• 2015 state runner-up in the 50 free
• Has been a part of three state champion relays at Stratford High School
• Owns school records in the 50 free (19.95) and 100 free (43.56)
• Coached at Stratford by Michael Hoskovec

Kaloyan Bratanov | Katy, Texas / Katy HS | Katy Aquatics

Holmes said, “Coco Bratanov has some real good length to him and the times that he has right now are good, but we’re really excited about what they’re going to be in a year or two. He’s going to be a real player for us. We see him in the 50 and 100 free and he’s going to be all over it.”

• Chose Texas A&M because, “I believe in the process and A&M is on track to do some pretty amazing things and I want to contribute to it. A&M is the place where I think that I will improve the most athletically and academically.”
• Has trained with Katy Aquatics Team for Youth for 10 years and is coached by Andrew Korda and Tim Bauer
• Owns Katy Aquatics records in the 50 free, 100 free and 200 IM
• Coached by former Texas A&M swimming standout Joe Watson at Katy High School
• Two time state meet qualifier
• 2017 district and regional champion in the 100 free and 200 IM
• Owns school records in six races — 200 Free (1:40.97), 200 IM  (1:50.50), 50 Free (20.79), 100 Free (44.90), 100 Butterfly (51.12) and 100 Breaststroke (56.57)

Shaine Casas | McAllen, Texas  / McAllen HS | Nitro Swimming

Holmes said, “There have not been a whole lot of collegiate swimmers coming out of McAllen, Texas, but we knew Shaine was different from the first time we saw him. Jason (Calanog) saw him first and sent me a picture of some kid standing on the pool deck. Jason was up in the stands and shot the picture and said ‘I don’t know who this is, but we want him.’ It was Shaine Casas and he’s been on our priority list from the word go. He can pretty much do everything and we’re going to give him a lot of opportunities to do a lot of things for us.”

• Chose Texas A&M because, “… the team and coaches are so much like a family, and when I stepped foot on campus, I knew that I wanted this to be my new home. There is no doubt in my mind that this program will bring out my full potential both athletically and academically. Greatness is in A&M’s future, and I am so glad to be able to be a part of it!”
• Trains with Nitro Swimming
• Has been selected to the U.S. National Junior Team
• Was an “A” finalist in the 50 free, 100 back, 100 fly and 200 IM at the Winter Junior Nationals West.
• Tied for the national title in the 100 fly at Summer Junior Nationals and also was runner-up in the 100 back, third in the 50 free and 200 IM, fourth in the 100 free, 6th in the 200 back, and 8th in the 200 free
• Swimming for McAllen High School, Casas was the runner-up in the 200 IM and 100 fly at the Class 6A state meet in 2017. He also helped McAllen to an 11^th place finish in the 200 free relay with the fastest leadoff split of the meet (20.17) and a 14^thplace result in the 400 free relay with the second-fastest leadoff (45.15).

Ethan Gogulski | Cedar Park, Texas / Vista Ridge HS | Nitro Swimming

Holmes said, “He was the first guy to take a stand and say, ‘Yeah, I’m coming to Texas A&M.’ He comes from an Aggie family. He’s been on our campus many times. His dad was in school here at the same time that I was. He’s a backstroker and he’s also going to help us in freestyle.”

• Chose Texas A&M because, “I went to a TAMU football game and because of the culture and just hype that I experienced at that game, as soon as I left I knew it’s where I wanted to go. Both my parents and sisters went to TAMU so Aggie fever runs in the family.
• Has trained with Nitro for 10 years and is coached by Elliott McGill and Florian Rudolph
• Owns school records at Vista Ridge High School in the 100 back (49.5) and 200 free (1:42.1)
• Two-time district champion in the 100 backstroke
• Texas state meet qualifier as a junior

Alberto Gomez | The Woodlands, Texas / TWHS | Magnolia Aquatic Club

Holmes said, “Alberto is very good underwater; probably one of the best we’ve seen. He’s going to help us in backstroke and IM and he can also do middle distance freestyle. He’s going to be a very good swimmer for us because he is so good underwater.”

• Chose Texas A&M, “For their great academic and athletic program. Also, wanting to be part of something big and a movement to becoming NCAA champs.”
• Has trained with the Magnolia Aquatic Club for two year and is coached by Terry Jones and Scott McFarland
• Represented Mexico at the World Junior Championships
• Two-time state meet qualifier
• Two-time district champion
• Coached at The Woodlands High School by Jeremy Wade and Kent Kirchner

Jacob Schababerle | Katy, Texas / Taylor HS | Power Aquatics

Holmes said, “We weren’t really looking for any breaststrokers because we’re already so deep there, but after seeing all of Jacob’s summer swims we decided that if we’re going to take one that it needed to be Jacob. We see a lot of potential. He has so many of the attributes that we’re looking for in a breaststroker. He’s got great size, he does well academically and he’s a chance to come in help us.”

• Chose Texas A&M because, “it struck the perfect balance for me between potential for academic and athletic achievement.”
• Two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American and NISCA All-American
• Trains with Power For Life Swim Team
• Qualified for the 2016 Winter Juniors West and was 15^th in the 200 breast at the 2017 Summer Juniors
• Competing for Katy Taylor High School, Schababerle placed second in the 100 breaststroke with a lifetime best time of 56.04.

Mark Schnippenkoetter | Zapopan, Mexico / Educare HS) | Scottsdale (Ariz.) Aquatics

Holmes said, “We were looking for some freestylers and he does the 100 and 200 free and he’ll do the 500 for us. It’s an area we definitely need some help and he’ll be able to come in and help us immediately in the 800 free relay. We look forward to him getting here because we can use his help as soon as he can.”

• Chose Texas A&M because, “The coaches are exactly what I’m looking for and the team just felt like family. And it is one of the best schools in the country.
• Trains with the Scottsdale Aquatic Club and is coached by Kevin Zacher
• Was coached at Educare High School in Zapopan, Mexico by Luis Luebs
• Schnippenkoetter represented Mexico at the 2016 Junior Pan Pacific Championships
• At the Mexican Junior National Championships in May, Schnippenkoetter won the 200 free and was runner-up in the 100 free

Peter Simmons | College Station, Texas / A&M Consolidated HS | Aggie Swim Club

Holmes said, “Peter is from right here in College Station and obviously we’ve seen him swim a lot. He’s a backstroker and he’ll be able to do some fly for us as well. The thing that we have noticed about Peter is that he is very good underwater and, in short course yards, that’s what we do. We know that he’s going to get a whole lot better.”

• “It will be a pleasure to compete for my hometown and continue my education at one of the best engineering schools in the nation. Thank you to all of my friends, family and coaches who have supported me,” Simmons said.
• Trains with Aggie Swim Club and is coached by Henry Clark
• At the Southern Zone Senior LC Championships, Simmons won the 50,100, and 200 backstrokes, and set meet records in the 50 (26.99) and 100 (57.60).
• USA Swimming Scholastic All-American
• Three-time state meet qualifier at A&M Consolidated High School
• At the 2017 Class 5A state meet, Simmons won the 100 fly (50.20) and 100 back (49.97), and contributed the fastest 50 fly in the field (22.28) to the Tigers’ winning medley relay.
• As a sophomore, he won the 100 back and was runner-up in the 100 fly. And in his first year of high school he was fourth in the back and eighth in the fly.
• Coached by Ryan Goodwyn and Jenny Marquardt at A&M Consolidated High School