University of Houston Athletics
Swimming & Diving Opens Saturday against North Texas
10/10/2003 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Oct. 10, 2003
HOUSTON - The University of Houston swimming and diving program opens the 2003-04 season at noon, Saturday in an NCAA dual meet against North Texas at the Campus Recreation & Wellness Center on the UH campus.
The meet is free to the public, which is invited to attend.
After finishing 20th in the nation at the NCAA Championships a year ago, the Cougars return 12 letterwinners in 2003-04. Leading the way is sophomore diver Azul Almazan, who earned at point at the NCAA Championships and captured the Conference USA platform diving championship.
The Mexico City, Mexico, native also was recognized as the C-USA Freshman Diver of the Year, the second straight season that a Cougar earned that honor.
On the swimming side, sophomore Stacey Williams is expected to continue her strong performances from her first collegiate season. In 2002-03, Williams was honored twice as the C-USA Swimmer of the Week and was a part of UH's C-USA-winning 200-yard medley relay team, the first-ever C-USA swimming championship by the Cougars.
Senior Kristina DeWitt and junior Kristin Bay also return from that championship relay group.
The Cougars also will be boosted by the addition of 15 newcomers, one of the largest incoming freshmen classes in program history. Freshmen Haley Menard and Szintia Szanto have been impressive during early practices.
UH enters the meet after competing in the annual Red-White intrasquad meet on Nov. 3. In that competition, the Red team rallied from a large deficit to win the meet's final relay event and force a 61-61 tie.
A year ago, the Cougars took a dominating 167-76 win over the Mean Green at the UH Natatorium in the season-opening dual meet.
The meet also marks the opening of the Campus Recreation & Wellness Center, located at the corner of Calhoun and University on the UH campus. At a cost of $53 million and covering more than 264,000 square feet, the new facility ranks as one of the finest in the nation.
At 70 meters by 25 yards, the new pool is expected to be the longest in the state of Texas.
The facility also features two 1-meter and two3-meter springboards as well as platform diving boards at 1-, 3-, 5-, 7.5- and 10-meter heights.
