University of Houston Athletics
Pakhalina Named Conference USA Diver of the Week
1/29/2002 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Jan. 29, 2002
HOUSTON, Texas - University of Houston diver Yulia Pakhalina was named the Conference USA Diver of the Week on Tuesday for a league-leading fourth time this season.
Pakhalina collected the 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th consecutive diving wins of her collegiate career in dual meets against Conference USA rival TCU and SMU at the UH Natatorium last weekend. She has never lost a collegiate diving event in which she has entered.
Against TCU, Pakhalina won the 3-meter competition by nearly 143 points and was almost as dominant in the 1-meter event with a 119.85-point win over the second-place diver. Her scores of 414.30 points on the 3-meter board and 357.98 points on the 3-meter board were Cougar season bests.
In addition, the Penza, Russia, native enjoyed some perfection during her dives against the Horned Frogs. On her fifth dive on the 3-meter board, Pakhalina was give a perfect 10 by TCU diving coach Wayne Chester on a 1 1/2 somersault.
Chester would later give Pakhalina that same mark on her sixth and final dive in the 1-meter competition, an inward 1 1/2 somersault.
One day later, Pakhalina added two more victories on the springboard with comfortable 100-point margins against SMU during UH's home finale.
The Cougars wrap up their regular season with a 3:30 p.m. dual meet at Texas A&M on Friday in College Station, Texas. The team then heads to Indianapolis, Ind., to compete in the first-ever Conference USA Championships on Feb. 17-19.
