Swimming and Diving Concludes Competition at Cougar Classic Fall Invitational

Nov. 22, 2009

HOUSTON - The University of Houston swimming and diving team wrapped up competition on Sunday evening at the Cougar Classic Fall Invitational at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Natatorium.

The Cougars finished in fourth place with 465 points. Texas A&M won the meet, finishing with 1,523 points.

"It was an incredible meet," head coach Mark Taylor said. We have never swum this fast this early in the season. There were so many girls close to breaking records and the meet had fast performances by all the teams (in attendance) and we fit in really well with them."

We competed head to head and we had many swimmers in the "A" finals. We now have a long break before the season resumes in January and the team will face the hardest training of the year in the time period."

Sophomore Beccy Hillis led the way for the Cougars on the final night, notching an NCAA "B" cut time of 2:15.68 in the 200-yard breaststroke. It was good for the second fastest time in school history.

"Beccy was the star of the meet with her 100 breast time and her 200 breast time," Taylor said. "She improved her NCAA B cut time and we hope it is enough to get her to the NCAA Championships even though I expect her to improve that time (in the spring)."

Freshman Reka Kovacs turned a fourth place finish of 2:18.72 in the 200-yard breaststroke. Bordatcheva followed in 14th (2:28.80), freshman Holli Pisarski was 15th (2:29.62) and freshman Catherine Finley was 23rd (2:44.67).

Kovacs also had an 11th place finish in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:03.20. It goes in the Cougar record books as the seventh fastest time in school history. Following in 12th place, senior Jessica Shamburger tied the eighth fastest time school history, which she holds with a 2:03.43 finish. Freshman Kimmy Ballo added a 13th place finish (2:05.39) and sophomore Rachel Johnson was 26th (2:25.38).

"As a freshman Reka has really stepped up in this meet," Taylor said. "For a freshman, coming to this country for the first time and dealing with homesickness and a different style of training, she has stepped up and set an example for all the freshman on the team."

Sophomore Kimberley Eeson started off the conclusion of the finals with an eighth place finish in the 1,650-yard freestyle. She turned in a time of 17:33.93. Following in ninth place was sophomore Beccy Hillis (17:34.07) and sophomore Natalie Newcomb 10th in 17:38.93. Sophomore Olga Bordatcheva and sophomore Rachel Holcomb rounded out the Cougar field in 11th (17:52.08) and 19th (19:13.37), respectively.

In the 200-yard butterfly, junior Andrea Kells turned in a seventh place finish with a time of 2:06.41. Coming in 14th was sophomore Natalie Newcomb (2:09.86) and sophomore Rachel Holcomb was 28th (2:30.12). The Cougars lone competitor for the Cougars in the 100-yard freestyle final was freshman Christine Salinas. She turned in a 31st place finish of 54.57.

Houston concluded the meet with an eighth place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay. The "A" team of Eeson, Salinas, Shamburger and Kells, combined to finish the event in 3:30.16. The "B" team of Kovacs, Bordatcheva, Ballo and Hillis finished 13th with a time of 3:36.71.

Houston will return to the pool on Jan. 22 for a dual at North Texas. They will then travel to SMU on Jan. 23 before returning to the CRWC Natatorium for duals against Rice, LSU and Tulane on Jan. 29-30.

Although the divers did not compete on the final day of the competition, head diving coach Jane Figueiredo was please with the pairs overall performance over the weekend. Senior Anastasia Pozdniakova took home top honors in both the 1- and 3-meter events, while Jessalyn Almond was seventh and eighth, respectively.

"Anastasia was great as usual but we have some tough competition this year so we have to continue to improve," Figueiredo said. "Jessalyn also had a good performance but we need to be better, and with our two additions in January we should be getting better."

NOTES FROM THE PRELIMS
- Freshman Christine Salinas set a personal best with a 53.81 finish in the 100-yard freestyle. She also had a personal best of 2:42.44 in the 200-yard breaststroke.
- Freshman Haley Weathers also recorded a personal best in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 58.49.
- Sophomore Olga Bordatcheva recorded a personal best with a time of 2:27.91 in the 200-yard breaststroke.
- Junior Andrea Kells swam a personal best 2:05.35 in the 200-yard butterfly.
- Sophomore Natalie Newcomb turned in a personal best of 2:08.19 in the 200-yard butterfly.
-With her 2:12.84 finish in the 200-yard butterfly, sophomore Kimberley Eeson set a personal best.

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