University of Houston Athletics
Swimming & Diving Ready for C-USA Championships
2/16/2002 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Feb. 16, 2002
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - After 13 NCAA dual meets, two non-scoring meets and a diving competition, it all comes down to a three-day span for the University of Houston swimming and diving team.
The Cougars are set to compete at the 2002 Conference USA Championships, beginning Sunday in Indianapolis, Ind., at the IU Natatorium. The event continues through Tuesday with UH, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Louisville, Saint Louis and TCU competing in the first-ever league championship.
UH is led by sophomore diver Yulia Pakhalina, the reigning NCAA national champion in both the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard events. In just more than one season, the Penza, Russia, native has reeled off 31 consecutive diving event victories and never lost a collegiate diving event in which she has entered.
This season, she has won 21 consecutive events and been honored as the C-USA Diver of the Week a league-best five times.
While Pakhalina is leading the team in the diving competition, a pair of seniors is topping the team in the swimming events. Elissa Nelson has posted team season bests in the 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 800 freestyle, 1000 freestyle and 1,650 freestyle. Her times of 10:24.03 in the 1000 freestyle 17:11.99 in the 1,650 freestyle are the second fastest in the league this season.
Stacey Ebeling has recorded the team's fastest times in all three breaststroke events, including the third-fastest time in C-USA this season in the 100-yard event. In addition, she was the league's first-ever Swimmer of the Week.
This will be the first action for the Cougars since falling at Texas A&M on Feb. 1.
