University of Houston Athletics
Pakhalina Stretches Unbeaten Streak to 33 Straight
2/18/2002 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Feb. 18, 2002
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.---The string now stands at 33 straight, as junior All-American Yulia Pakhalina captured her fourth conference title and second during this inaugural Conference USA Swimming and Diving Championships held here at the Indiana University Natatorium on the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis (IUPUI). Pakhalina dazzled the crowd in the three-meter competition, taking first-place with a remarkable score of 704.05 which was sprinkled with an array of 9.5 and perfect 10 scores from the judges, including her signature dive, the reverse 2.5 somersault.
"I have a will to win," commented Pakhalina. "This is the pride of my life, and I need to feel good about it. Plus, I like doing this for my teammates, my coaches and my school. (My teammates) cheer for me all the time. It is awesome.
"In two weeks I have to go to the NCAA Diving Zones, and I will qualify. My goal is to win the NCAAs again."
The Cougars also received outstanding performances from sophomore Veronica Smith and freshman Lindsay Harvey in the same event. Smith grabbed second place on the strength of her final dive, while Harvey continued to show her skills with a fifth-place showing.
After two days the Cougars hold down fourth place, trailing first-place East Carolina, Cincinnati and TCU. Louisville and Saint Louis trail UH.
Senior Stacey Ebeling is closing out her final season in style. In the 100-yard breaststroke, Ebeling clocked a personal-best 1:05.23 to take third place-just a second-and-a-half off the first-place finish of East Carolina's Diane Parker. The heirs apparent to Ebeling's breaststroke prowess, sophomore Laura Starr and freshman Carolina Burakowski, finished 14th and 16th, respectively, in the consolation finals of the event.
The Cougars began the evening competition by taking fourth in the 200-yard Medley Relay. The quartet of Kristen Bay, Ebeling, Falon Hopkins and Kristen Douglass registered a 1:50.02 in the event, which is the second-best performance by UH this season behind the 1:49.24 scored on November 30 at the Arkansas Invitational. In the 800-freestyle relay, Houston finished fifth with a time of 7:51.91.
Despite a sore shoulder, Hopkins still placed high in the 100-yard butterfly, taking home fifth-place with a time of 57.11-a season-best time in spite of the injury (57.96 at the Arkansas Invitational). Freshman Kristen Eaves finished 10th (59.44) and sophomore Corrie Phares grabbed 16th (1:01.40) to round the Cougars' scoring in this event.
Other scoring for the Cougar swimmers included Douglass and Jessica Blake in the 200-yard freestyle. In the consolation finals Douglass took 13th in a time of 1:57.84, while Blake finished 16th in 2:07.28. For Douglass her time was a personal best, eclipsing the 2:00.21 she swam against Texas A&M earlier this month.
In the 100-yard backstroke, which was the final individual contest of the evening, Blake and Bay went seven-eight, clocking 1:00.57 and 1:00.88, respectively. Bay's time was a new personal best, as she shaved almost three seconds off her former top time of 1:03.86 posted in a dual meet with Arkansas back on November 2. In the consolations Victoria Blocker clocked a 1:03.78 for 13th, while Brittney Dye took 14th (1:05.42).
Finally, in the 400-yard individual medley, the Cougars grabbed five scoring spots over the finals and consolations. Sophomore Lucille Turpin finished fifth with a personal-best 4:31.20, while Blocker garnered additional points for UH with her eighth-place clocking of 4:37.95, a personal record for the freshman. Rounding out the scoring for the Cougars in this even were seniors Elissa Nelson (10th, 4:36.36) and Linda Osborne (13th, 4:52.98) and Dye with a 14th-place finish at 4:54.15.
The Cougars are back in the pool beginning at 10 a.m. EST with the final day of events. Included in tomorrow's activities are the 200-yard backstroke, the 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard breaststroke, 200-yard butterfly, 400-yard freestyle relay, 1,650-yard freestyle and the platform diving.
-UHCougars.com-
Results of Monday, February 18, 2002
200-yard Medley Relay
1. East Carolina 1:45.09
4. Houston 1:50.02 (Kristin Bay, Stacey Ebeling, Falon Hopkins, Kristen Douglass)
400-yard Individual Medley
1. Jamie MacCurdy, TCU 4:23.91
5. Lucile Turpin, UH 4:31.20
8. Victoria Blocker, UH 4:37.95
10. Elissa Nelson, UH 4:36.36
13. Linda Osborne, UH 4:52.98
14. Brittney Dye, UH 4:54.15
100-yard Butterfly
1. Marein de Jong, UC 55.07
5. Falon Hopkins, UH 57.11
10. Kristen Eaves, UH 59.44
16. Corrie Phares, UH 1:01.40
200-yard Freestyle
1. Maria Oberg, UC 1:48.75
13. Kristin Douglass, UH 1:57.84
16. Jessica Blake, UH 2:07.28
100-yard Breaststroke
1. Diane Parker, ECU 1:03.46
3. Stacey Ebeling, UH 1:05.23
14. Laura Starr, UH 1:10.81
16. Carolina Burakowski 1:11.73
100-yard Backstroke
1. Marisa Schenke, TCU 56.89
7. Jessica Blake, UH 1:00.57
8. Kristin Bay, UH 1:00.88
12. Brittney Dye, UH 1:00.62
14. Victoria Blocker, UH 1:02.17
800-yard Freestyle Relay
1. Cincinnati 7:30.24
5. Houston 7:51.91 (Elissa Nelson, Lucile Turpin, Kristen Eaves, Kristen Douglass)
3-meter Diving
1. Yulia Pakhalina, UH 704.05
2. Veronica Smith, UH 452.45
5. Lindsay Harvey, UH 408.45
