Texas A&M Adds Signee
COLLEGE STATION, Texas, August 6. TEXAS A&M Head Women's Swimming Coach Steve Bultman announced the signing of Emily Thompson (Tucson, Ariz.) to a letter-of-intent on Wednesday.
Thompson is a first team All-American in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly. She graduated from Palo Verde High School in May and also swims for Coach Roric Fink's Tucson Ford Aquatics club team. She was a member of the National Honor Society during her final three years of high school.
"Emily has a great spirit," Bultman said. "She is full of energy and is serious about becoming the best she can be. She comes from one of the top club programs in the country, Tucson Ford Aquatics, which is where Katie Fancher swam. Emily has a lot of drive and desire to get better and because of that she has improved a great deal. We look for her to be a contributor in the butterfly events and the 50, 100 and 200 freestyles."
Thompson was the Arizona state champion in the 100 fly each of the past two years, setting the 4A state record as a senior. She won state in the 50 freestyle as a junior and finished runner-up this past season. For her efforts, she was named the 2002 Southern Arizona Sportswoman of the Year, was a High School Heisman award nominee for the state of Arizona and was a three-year first-team member of Arizona High School Swimming.
Thompson has also experienced success at the club level. Her Tucson Aquatics 400 medley relay team finished third at the senior national meet in the spring of 2002. She has qualified to swim both the 100 and 200 fly at the senior national meet, as well.
"The reason why I chose Texas A&M was because the girls seemed to have a certain magic and motivation about them," Thompson said. "They are wiling to do anything it takes to get to the next level in this sport. The team is full of unity, spirit, competition, fun and happiness. I was not going to pass up a chance to train and grow with that kind of fire and camaraderie."
Thompson will join incoming freshman swimmers Meghan Nebera, Rebecca Sturdy and Jenna Wheeler and diver Alida DiPlacido in September.