Cole’s nominees to military academies include Lawton, Elgin residents

Washington, D.C. – Three students from Lawton and Elgin are among students from Oklahoma’s Fourth Congressional District nominated by U.S. Congressman Tom Cole for entry into one of the nation’s military academies.

Cole’s nominees include:

U.S. Military Academy at West Point: Luke Blackmon, Fort Sill, MacArthur High School.

U.S. Naval Academy: Matthew Aguilar, Lawton, MacArthur High School; and Sadie Garnett, Elgin, Elgin High School.

Applicants in the competitive process are evaluated on academic performance, including class rank, SAT/ACT scores and school records. However, Cole also takes other criteria into account when selecting his nominees, including athletics, physical fitness, extracurricular activities, recommendation letters and leadership potential.

“Those who answer the call to serve are some of America’s finest and are deserving of all our respect and appreciation,” Cole said. “I am so proud of these nine young Oklahomans for answering this call and making plans to attend one of America’s esteemed military academies. These students are truly some of the best and brightest, and they are inspiring to us all.”