Florida high school state champion Raiz Tjon-A-Joe has signed a National Letter of Intent with Texas A&M and will join the Aggies for the 2016-17 season, head coach Jay Holmes announced.
Tjon-A-Joe, from Westlake Preparatory School in Davie, Fla., was rated the nation’s No. 20 2016 senior (No. 1 in the state of Florida) by CollegeSwimming.com and ranks as one of the highest-ranked swimming signees ever by the Texas A&M men’s swimming and diving program.
A native of Suriname, Tjon-A-Joe is the Florida state high school record holder in the 100-yard breaststroke, as well as the state champion in the 50-yard freestyle. At last year’s Florida Class 1A state championships, Tjon-A-Joe set the 100 breast state record of 54.64 in the prelims and went on finish second in the finals (55.63). He won the 50 free with a time of 20.26 after posting the top qualifying time of 20.10 in prelims. He was a district and regional champion in both races.
In addition to his state record in the 100 breast, Tjon-A-Joe has lifetime bests of 19.94 in the 50 free and 44.03 in the 100 free. Competing for Azura Florida Aquatics in club competition, Tjon-A-Joe has U.S. Summer Junior Nationals cuts in the 50 and 100 free, the 100 breast and 100 fly. At the 2015 Speedo Winter Junior Nationals last December, Tjon-A-Joe was a finalist in 50 free, 100 free and 100 breast.
Holmes also announced the transfer of former Bolles School standout Jake Gibbons from Yale University. Gibbons, who was coached at Bolles by Jon D. Sakovich, redshirted in 2015-16 and will have four seasons of eligibility. At Bolles, Gibbons helped the Sharks to a pair of Florida state championships and was a qualifier for Winter Juniors, Summer Juniors and Winter Senior Nationals. Prior to Bolles, Gibbons was a four-time Connecticut Senior Champion with titles in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke.
