The North Texas Nadadores have already sent two recruits this fall to join Eddie Reese’s Texas men’s team, but their top two women’s recruits have both chosen from among the state’s other universities. Specifically, Laura Norman will head to Texas A&M, and Emily Gibson will swim for TCU.
Norman is primarily a sprint freestyler and backstroker. In yards, her bests are 23.92 and 51.97 in the 50 and 100 yard freestyles, plus a 55.25 in the 100 yard backstroke.
With a 2:05.4 in the 200 long course freestyle this summer, she’s got a chance at contributing there as well.
In addition to the 100 backstroke, Norman is also the defending Texas 5A State Champion (big schools) in the 200 yard IM, though her best time from the Region 2 Championship is a full second faster at 2:03.30. With some improvements on her breaststroke leg, something A&M head coach Steve Bultman and his staff happen to be very good at teaching, she could be a force in the IM as well, as her other three legs are stellar.
Her teammate Emily Gibson has also made her decision, and will go to TCU. Gibson is the Texas runner-up in the 100 yard fly, and her best time is a 55.19 in that event.
She adds very good sprint abilities as well, including bests of 23.6 and 51.9 in the 50 and 100 yard freestyles.
The Aggies graduate a massive senior class this season, including names like Olympians Breeja Larson and Cammile Adams, plus the likes of Caroline McElhany, Erica Dittmer, Paige Miller, and Allyson Sweeney. As a result, they really need help just about everywhere going forward with the exception of the breaststroke group (they’ve already picked up a verbal from Bethany Galat, plus current freshman Sycerika McMahon), and they have a decently-deep sprint group as well.
The two swimmers are club teammates, though they compete for different high schools. Norman swims for Keller High School, and Gibson swims for Southlake Carroll.
I think it’s 200 long course “freestyle” not backstroke.