University of Houston
LSU
Pakhalina Leads Cougar Swimming & Diving Team at LSU Meet
10/14/2001 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Oct. 14, 2001
BATON ROUGE, La. - The University of Houston diver Yulia Pakhalina certainly wasted little time Friday in displaying the form that made her a two-time NCAA national champion a year ago.
In the Cougar divers' first performance of the 2001-02 season, Pakhalina captured first place in both the one-meter and three-meter diving competitions during a dual meet against LSU at the LSU Natatorium. In addition, the sophomore set two pool records with a score of 358.50 in the three-meter competition.
Unfortunately, it would not be enough as LSU took a 156-84 win over the Cougars. With the loss, UH falls to 0-2 in dual meets this season after falling at third-ranked Texas last week to open the year.
Pakhalina won the three-meter with a 70-point advantage over her closest competitor and captured the one-meter crown with a 26-point lead over second place Jamie Watkins of LSU
In the 1,650-yard freestyle, senior Elissa Nelson also took first place with a time of 17:17.44, just edging out the Tigers' Alice Hardesty. Nelson also finished third in the 500-yard freestyle after finishing the competition in 5:08.50.
Lucille Turpin finished third in the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 4:34.98 and garnered second-place in the 500-yard freestyle with a mark of 5:08.50.
In other events, the Cougars owned both the 100-yard backstroke and the 100-yard breastroke, capturing second, third, fourth and fifth places in each event. Junior Jessica Blake led the way for the UH backstrokers with a time of 1:02.44 to finish second, and Rory Linn placed third with a time of 1:03.98.
In the breastroke, senior Stacey Ebeling led Houston with a time of 1:07.38, with sophomore Corrie Phares finishing a close third at 1:11.23.
Freshman Jessica Dewitt posted a time of 59.88 to finish third in the 100-yard butterfly. In the team relays, the Cougar squad of Nelson, Kristin Bay, Kristin Eaves and Shawna Rathburn placed second with a time of 1:46.54.
Houston returns to action Saturday when it hosts North Texas in a 1 p.m. dual meet at UH Natatorium. That will be the first of five home events for the Cougars in their own facility.
