EDWARDSVILLE – Edwardsville High School's swimming and diving programs for boys and girls have emerged as teams to be reckoned with in the state of Illinois.

In a Wednesday afternoon ceremony, two members of the boys swimming team, Brian Baggette and Tyler Morris, announced they had signed letters of intent to swim with NCAA Division II school McKendree University in Lebanon beginning next year.

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“We're excited that they both decided to go with McKendree's brand-new, up-and-coming program with a coach (Jimmy Tierney, who had coached the swimming and diving teams at Northwestern before coming ot the Bearcats) that they've gotten to know – McKendree's trained at the (Chuck Fruit) aquatic center for the better part of the season – and we're definitely excited about where he can take them.

“It's a beautiful campus, a great school; I think they're going to be a part of a great up-and-coming program.”

Both Baggette and Morris have been a part of the Tiger program since the team was first started and both are excited about the prospects for the future for them.

“I'm really excited for the next four years,” Baggette said. “I definitely want to be a big contributor, a big leader on the team and help the Bearcats win. Being on the (Edwardsville) program from the very beginning definitely had an impact; being a sophomore when the team first came into existence, it was definitely a big deal, helping this program go to the heights where it is right now.”

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“I can't wait to go there in the fall,” Morris said. “The coaches and his experience, as well as the team there and their amazing atmosphere and how comfortable I felt on campus and how welcoming they were to recruits when they first come on campus” was what Morris cited as his reasons to go to McKendree.

Being close to home, “I can still go home and get my laundry done there,” Morris joked. “I did (consider other schools), but McKendree definitely was the best fit for me, the size it is and how good a school it is for the area.”

Both Baggette and Morris plan on majoring in computer science at McKendree. “I'm hoping to go into (information technology),” Morris said.

“The campus is beautiful; the coaching staff and the team is absolutely amazing. I'm looking forward to being a part of it for the next four years,” Baggette said.

“I'm hoping to go to state this year,” Morris said of what he would like to accomplish the remainder of the high school season. “If I don't, I don't, but I'm going to do the best that I can, the best of my ability, to try to go to state this year.”

“Hopefully, I can do well at sectionals and make it back to state,” Baggette said of his goals for the rest of the season; he qualified for last year's state meet. “State was incredible last year; the state atmosphere was nothing like I ever felt like. It was such an amazing experience.”

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