University of Houston
Puerto Rico Invitational
Swimming and Diving Winter Training Recap
1/20/2009 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Jan. 20, 2009
HOUSTON - The University of Houston swimming and diving team traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico on Jan. 1-13, 2009 for the team's winter training session. During the trip the Cougars also competed in two meets and a diving dual.
On Jan. 5, UH competed in the 5th Copa Coqui Puerto Rico Invitational hosted by the Puerto Rican Swimming Federation. It was a meet of 12 college teams, which saw the Cougars finish third with 10 points. The meet also took place on a 50-meter long course pool, an Olympic size pool not used in collegiate competition.
The meet was highlighted by four Top Four finishes for the Cougars. Beccy Hillis finished second in the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1:17.61, and Sasha Schwendenwein was also second in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 1:00.21.
Houston's 200-meter medley relay team of Jessica Shamburger, Hillis, Kimberley Eeson and Schwendenwein finished fourth with a time of 2:08.49. Eeson, Shamburger, Schwendenwein and Andrea Pa'lmai also combined to finished third in the 400-meter freestyle relay with a time of 4:15.30.
"The meet took place during the middle of our hardest training," head swimming coach Mark Taylor said. "It is hard to swim against those teams but we are required to compete on our training trip. On a course not familiar to our team, our girls did a good job and I am pleased with the results. We are on target for our end of the year expectations."
On Jan. 8, the Cougars also competed in a four-way relay dual meet against Ithaca College, Mount Saint Mary's and Augsburg. The dual was also a 50-meter long course competition.
The Cougars recorded five relay wins and a third place finish. UH finished first in the 400-meter medley relay with a time of 4:39.00. Members of the relay included Shamburger, Hillis, Schwendenwein and Eeson.
Eeson, Schwendenwein and Andrea Kells combined for the top time of 1:33.66 in the 150-meter butterfly relay while Pa'lmai, Shamburger and Hillis finished first in the 150-meter backstroke relay with a time of 1:41.00.
In the 150-meter breaststroke relay, Hillis Olga Bordatcheva and Natalie Newcomb combined to finished first with a time of 1:53.52. Markee Johnson, Schwendenwein, Danica Lubbers and Anne Stone took home the final first place finish with a time of 5:41.50 in the 500-meter freestyle relay.
The Cougars lone third place finish came when Pal'mai, Markee Johnson and Bordatcheva finished with a time of 1:31.91 in the 150-freestyle relay.
"The meet was a fun meet that gave the team another opportunity to compete in Puerto Rico," Taylor said.
On the diving side, the Cougars competed in a 3-meter diving challenge against Notre Dame. The Cougars were led by Anastasia Pozdniakova, who finished first with 301.80 points. She was the only diver to surpass 300 points. Courtney Forcucci finished fourth with 257.70 points and Jessalyn Almond was fifth with 248.25 points.
Players Mentioned
