Adrià Arnaus (Barcelona, Spain), Charlie Benell (Pacific Palisades, Calif.) and Ben Crancer (Kirkwood, Mo.) will all join the A&M program in the fall of 2012.
"I'm really excited about this class," Higgins said. "Aside from being really talented and fundamentally sound, they're also a really hard-working group of kids. They are great students and high-character guys. I think they'll be a great fit for A&M and our golf program. We're really excited to get them here."
Adrià Arnaus (uh-DREE-uh are-NO), the son of Joaquim and Lidia Arnaus of Barcelona, Spain, is one of the top junior golfers in his country. Ranked third in the Spanish Boys (under 18) ranking and fifth in the Spanish Amateur ranking, Arnaus won the European Boys Under-18 championship in July and was a quarterfinalist at the Spanish International Amateur in March. He won the under-16 Spanish Championship in 2010 and has numerous other medalist and runner-up showings under his belt. Arnaus, who attends school at Instituto Joaquim Blume, enjoys soccer, running and mountain biking in his spare time.
"Adrià is probably one of the top five players in Europe," Higgins said. "He's a Spanish junior champion and just has great experience in international golf. He's played on the national team for the last few years. He's a tremendous talent, has a fantastic short game and hits the ball a really long way. He really has a lot of upside. He's a guy that can come in and play for us right away."
"Since I was young I knew that I was going to play golf for many years," Arnaus said. "When I saw that there was a possibility to keep playing it after high school in the USA, I wanted to achieve that. Then when I saw all the facilities at Texas A&M, I really didn't want to go back to Spain. I realized that this place has all that I need to improve my game. Of course it also means a lot to be part of a characteristic Aggie spirit, which makes all of us a big family. For these reasons I was sure this was the place I wanted to attend college."
Charlie Benell, the son of Craig and Marion Benell, hails from Pacific Palisades, Calif. An accomplished junior golfer, Charlie has seven career AJGA top 25 finishes-including a fifth-place showing at the 2009 Stockton Sports Commission Junior and a seventh-place effort at the 2011 Hunter Mahan/Under Armour Championship. He is a three-time all-league selection and three-time CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) individual qualifier, and holds a No. 54 ranking in the Class of 2012 by golfweek.com. Benell is an honor-roll student at Harvard-Westlake High School, where he enters his senior year.
"We got pretty lucky to get Charlie," Higgins said. "He came to us by way of (Aggie golfer and PGA Tour member) Martin Piller. He was out in Los Angeles for a photo shoot, and had the opportunity to play with Charlie at LA Country Club. He gave me a call and told me he'd be a really good player for us and a good fit. Charlie came out to Texas, played in a couple of tournaments and while he was doing that he made a visit and really liked it. He hit it off with us and the team. He's an awesome kid, has great character, is a fantastic student and comes from a great family and great school. I think he was really attracted to the values of A&M and all we stand for. He's just another really good fit."
"I chose Texas A&M because it is truly a special place with great academics and an amazing golf program," Benell said. "From my first visit to Texas A&M I felt welcomed. Everyone I met was very friendly. The facilities for the golf team are fantastic and they will help me to become the best golfer I can be. I am most excited about joining the A&M golf team because it feels like family. Everyone on the team is welcoming and supportive. The golf team and the whole student body are a community and that is what I was looking for in a school. It means a lot to me to be an Aggie golfer. It means competing for a National Championship every year and being part of one of the best golf teams in the country."
Ben Crancer, the son of Ralph and Robyn Crancer of Kirkwood, Mo., is entering his senior year at Kirkwood High School. He qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur at the age of 15, advancing into match play, and returned to the match play round of the event two years later. Crancer has multiple top finishes under his belt, including a 12th-place showing at the 2011 Southern Junior, a 16th-place effort at the 2011 Western Junior and earned a runner-up finish at the St. Louis Metropolitan Amateur Championship earlier this year. Crancer has five career hole-in-ones, three coming in the same year (2007).
"I think Ben is probably one of the most talented and underrated players in the country," Higgins said. "He's got a fantastic golf swing and is really athletic. He plays other sports besides golf so he doesn't get quite the national attention because he's not solely on the golf course. I think he will do really well on the college golf scene. He's a really tough kid, mentally strong and fundamentally sound. I just don't see any weaknesses in his game. He's another that can come in and make an impact right away."
A success in the classroom as well, Crancer has maintained a strong GPA throughout his time at Kirkwood High School. He will be a four-year letterwinner for the Pioneers' basketball team and averaged 7 points and 2.5 rebounds last winter.
"Texas A&M had many great qualities," Crancer said. "Academically they are top-notch. Coach J.T. Higgins and Coach Anderson are both great down-to-earth guys with great integrity. They really know how to put together not only a great team but a great group of guys. All of them made me feel right at home and were easy to talk to. The golf facility has everything you could ask for. To be an Aggie golfer means the world to me. A&M has great golf history and a great golf team. It's very special to now be a part of such a great team. It's also an honor to be able to play for A&M and represent the school. It's been my dream since I was little to play golf at a Division I golf powerhouse school, and I have found that at Texas A&M."
2011-12 TEXAS A&M GOLF SIGNING CLASS (3)
Name                        Ht.      Wt.     Cl.      Hometown (High School)
Adrià Arnaus            6-0      180     Fr.       Barcelona, Spain (Instituto Joaquim Blume)
Charlie Benell            6-0      160     Fr.       Pacific Palisades, Calif. (Harvard-Westlake HS)
Ben Crancer              6-4      190     Fr.       Kirkwood, Mo. (Kirkwood HS)