University of Houston Athletics
Cougars Take Fourth in Inaugural Championships
2/19/2002 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Feb. 19, 2002
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.-In the first-ever Women's Conference USA Swimming and Diving Championships, the University of Houston stayed close to the top for the better part of the three-day event, but in the end the Cougars finished in fourth place here at the IUPUI Natatorium on the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis.
Cincinnati captured the inaugural women's championship, followed by East Carolina and TCU. Louisville and Saint Louis both trailed the fourth-place Cougars.
Junior All-American Yulia Pakhalina was awarded both the Women's Diver of the Year and Women's Diver of the Meet awards after sweeping the three diving events in a three-day span. After winning the one-meter on Sunday and the three-meter yesterday, Pakhalina made it three-for-three with a winning performance in the platform diving-an event she has not competed in as a Cougar.
Joining Pakhalina on the victory stand was freshman Lindsey Harvey and sophomore Veronica Smith, who captured third and fifth, respectively, in the platform event. Like Pakhalina, it was Harvey and Smith's first attempt at platform diving this season. Harvey was honored for her outstanding performance in her initial college campaign, when she was named the Women's Freshman Diver of the Year.
Pakhalina continued her march toward defending her NCAA titles in the one- and three-meter events, running her diving winning streak to an impressive 34 first-place finishes. The native of Penza, Russia, is undefeated in her UH career.
For the success of Pakhalina, Harvey and Smith, UH Diving Coach Jane Figueiredo was named the Women's Diving Coach of the Year. This is the third time Figueiredo has garnered coach of the year honors, and the former Houston standout also was named the 2001 NCAA Diving Coach of the Year.
In her final meet as a Cougar swimmer, senior Elissa Nelson finished third in the mile, clocking a 17:14.61 time in the 1650-yard event. In the consolations finals of the mile, two other seniors, Agustina Foglietta (18:19.57) and Linda Osborne (18:29.56) wrapped up 12th and 15th, respectively, while freshman Megan Wien timed 18:28.40 to capture 13th. Wien shaved over 27 seconds on her previous personal best of 18:53.65.
In the 200-yard breaststroke, senior Stacey Ebeling finished her career in fine fashion, clocking a sixth-best place time of 2:23.77, which was a half second off her personal best of 2:23.48 set on December 1 at the Arkansas Invitational. Sophomores Corrie Phares (11th, 2:30.22) and Laura Starr (14th, 2:34.39) rounded out the Cougars scoring in this event.
Sophomore Lucile Turpin took eighth place in the 200-yard butterfly, coming within a half second of breaking her personal best of 2:08.63 posted against Rice in a dual meet on January 19. Turpin swam a 2:08.95 and was edged out for seventh place by Cincinnati's Elizabeth Weis (2:08.85) and East Carolina's Katie Kochman (2:08.92). Freshman Kristen Eaves placed ninth in the consolations with a time of 2:12.81, while Osborne concluded her career with a 2:22.62 timing for 14th.
As for the 100-yard freestyle, all three Cougars competed in the consolation portion of the event. Junior Falon Hopkins took the consolation championship with a ninth-place finish of 53.04, while a pair freshmen, Kristin Douglass and Kristin Bay, finished 12th (54.32) and 16th (55.28).
Finally, in the 200-yard backstroke junior Jessica Blake took ninth with a time of 2:08.06. Freshman Victoria Blocker was on Blake's heals, finishing 10th with a clocking of 2:09.47, while sophomore Brittney Dye rounded out the UH scoring in this consolation event, recording a 14th-place finish with a time of 2:17.33.
Up next for the Cougars is the NCAA Diving Zone Qualifiers in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on March 15-16. The NCAA Championships are set for March 21-23, and will be hosted by the University of Texas in Austin.
-UHCougars.com-
Results for Tuesday, February 19, 2002
1650-yard Freestyle
1. Maria Oberg, UC 16:26.62
3. Elissa Nelson, UH 17:14.61
12. Agustina Foglietta, UH 18:19.57
13. Megan Wien, UH 18:28.40
15. Linda Osborne, UH 18:29.56
200-yard Backstroke
1. Jamie MacCurdy, TCU 2:01.23
9. Jessica Blake, UH 2:08.06
10. Victoria Blocker, UH 2:09.47
14. Brittney Dye, UH 2:17.33
100-yard Freestyle
1. Marein de Jong, UC 50.67
9. Falon Hopkins, UH 53.04
12. Kristin Douglass, UH 54.32
16. Kristin Bay, UH 55.28
200-yard Breaststroke
1. Jamie Robinson, TCU 2:19.75
6. Stacey Ebeling, UH 2:24.77
11. Corrie Phares, UH 2:30.22
14. Laura Starr, UH 2:34.39
200-yard Butterfly
1. Louise Gowens, UC 2:02.99
8. Lucile Turpin, UH 2:08.95
9. Kristen Eaves, UH 2:12.81
14. Linda Osborne, UH 2:22.62
400-yard Freestyle Relay
1. TCU 3:26.27
4. UH 3:36.72 (Elissa Nelson, Stacey Ebeling, Kristen Douglass, Kristen Bay)
Platform Diving
1. Yulia Pakhalina, UH 371.05
3. Lindsay Harvey, UH 279.05
5. Veronica Smith, UH 266.15
2002 C-USA Awards
Women's Diver of the Meet-Yulia Pakhalina, Houston
Women's Swimmer of the Meet-Maria Oberg, Cincinnati
Women's Freshman Swimmer of the Meet-Dianne Parker, East Carolina
Women's Freshman Diver of the Meet-Lindsey Harvey, Houston
Women's Swimmer of the Year-Maria Oberg, Cincinnati
Women's Diver of the Year-Yulia Pakhalina, Houston
Women's Swimming Coach of the Year-Marty Booker, Cincinnati
Women's Diving Coach of the Year-Jane Figueiredo, Houston
