Mankato, Minn. --- Minnesota State men\'s swimming coach Nathan Owens has announced the signing of Omaha, Neb., natives Tom Gasnick and Kyle Hellyer to National Letter of Intents to join the MSU swimming and diving team this fall.

All signings are contingent upon admission to MSU and compliance with NCAA rules, including certification by the NCAA Clearinghouse.

"Both Kyle and Tom are coming from an outstanding swimming program in Creighton Prep," Owens said. "I'm confident that the transition to college swimming will be smooth for both of them."

Gasnick finished second in the 100-yard freestyle last year at the Nebraska High School championships with a time of :47.15. He was third in the 200-yard freestyle last season with a time of 1:43.42 and was a member of the 400-yard freestyle relay team which set a new state record with a time of 3:05.95. In 2008, Gasnick also was also a member of the state championship winning 400-yard freestyle relay team with a time of 3:11.23 and finished seventh in both the 100 and 200-yard freestyle races.

"Tom is someone we are very excited about," Owens said. "He has improved throughout his career and has developed into an elite swimmer. We believe that he has a lot of potential to continue that trend during his college career. Tom will also add a lot of talent and depth to our men\'s team which loses 10 seniors this year."

Hellyer finished fourth in the 100-yarde backstroke last year at the Nebraska High School championships with a time of :54.15. In 2008, he also finished fourth in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of :55.08.

"Kyle is going to be another great addition to our team," Owens said. "He has the ability to make some significant contributions in events that we need people in. He is a very talented backstroker that we are hoping can continue to get better and improve in college."