University of Houston Athletics
Swimming and Diving to Compete at Conference USA Championships
2/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Feb. 22, 2003
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The University of Houston swimming and diving program begins its most important meet of the season Sunday when they compete at the Conference USA Championships.
The three-day event, which will be held at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis, Ind., features the Cougars, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Louisville, Saint Louis and TCU.
Sunday's action features the preliminaries and finals of the 200-yard freestyle relay, 500-yard freestyle, 200-yard individual medley, 50-yard freestyle, 400-yard medley relay and 1-meter diving.
UH, which posted a 3-8 record in dual meets this season, is led by senior diver Yulia Pakhalina, who has established herself as one of the world's finest divers during her collegiate career, winning 29 consecutive events on the 3-meter board.
The Penza, Russia, native has won all but two of the 60 diving events in which she has competed as a Cougar and is the defending C-USA champion on the 1-meter and 3-meter springboards as well as the platform. In addition, she has been honored as the league's Diver of the Week an astonishing 11 times, including six times in 2002-03.
Senior Falon Hopkins ranks as one of the league's fastest swimmers in the 50-yard freestyle and should be in action Sunday in that event.
Freshman Stacey Williams, a two-time C-USA Swimmer of the Week honoree, is also slated to compete for the Cougars this week after posting UH season best times in the 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle. Junior Lucile Turpin also has emerged as a consistent performer for the Cougars, posting UH season best times in the 500-yard freestyle, 1,000-yard freestyle, 1,650-yard freestyle and both the 200-yard and 400-yard individual medley events.
Monday's action includes the preliminaries for the 200-yard medley relay, 400-yard individual medley, 100-yard butterfly, 200-yard freestyle, 100-yard breaststroke, 100-yard backstroke, 3-meter diving and 800-yard freestyle relay.
The event wraps up Tuesday with the preliminaries and finals of the 200-yard backstroke, 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard breaststroke, 200-yard butterfly, platform diving, 400-yard freestyle relay and the finals of the 1,650-yard freestyle.
