University of Houston Athletics
Swimming and Diving Back From Hawai'i Training
1/17/2012 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Jan. 17, 2012
HOUSTON - The University of Houston swimming and diving team completed their Holiday Training trip to Hawai'i last week. For the second year in a row, the team trekked out to the islands as they ramped up their conditioning to get ready for the stretch run of the 2012 season.
For most student-athletes, ten days at the beach would be seen as an opportunity to get some rest and relaxation in but that wasn't quite the same for the UH swimming and diving team. The new environment presented the team with new and challenging ways to train.
"The weather and experience was absolutely beautiful and awesome, it's just gorgeous out there," said head coach Augie Busch.
Well, maybe not that challenging conditions. But the team was able to bond and get some strenuous work done amidst picturesque settings.
"We got a lot of great training in and organized a lot of extracurricular activities for the girls. We had our bases covered in that we got the girls out here and worked them hard but also had all the fun. With all the fun they had, I'm not sure they realized all the work they put into it."
The team arrived on Jan. 1 and departed Jan. 11. Besides the travel days, the teams practiced twice each day in the morning and evening, with breaks in the middle of the day to see what the island had to offer. Some of those activities included a luau, snorkeling, visits to the Pearl Harbor Memorial and North Shore, and of course, plenty of time on the beach.
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With UH having one of the top natatoriums in the nation, most schools try and come to Houston for their away meets, which precludes the Cougars from needing to travel too much. This Holiday Training trip serves in lieu of those road contests where the Cougars were able to get out of the comfort zone and experience some training in a different environment. While on the trip, the team practiced at the University of Hawai'i.
"It's good that we did a lot of long course work, did some training outdoors and did a lot of work outside our comfort zone of Houston. Now we get back to our own home pool, and we're going to be in there a lot during the stretch run to the championships."
With Conference USA Championships occurring Feb. 15-18 at the Houston Campus Recreation & Wellness Center Natatorium, coach Busch saw this opportunity coming at just the right time.
"We're just weeks away from the conference meet and right now we're trying to get some good work in before then. We really pushed ourselves hard out there, it wasn't just all fun in the sun.
HAWAII DIVING INVITATIONAL
The divers were able to compete at the 2012 Hawaii Diving Invitational while on the trip and freshman Natasha Burgess was named the Conference USA Diver of the Week following her showing on the boards.
Burgess finished as the runner up in the 1M (274.05) and took third in the 3M (277.10) while junior Julia Lonnegren took runner up in that event.
RESULTS
3M
2. Julia Lonnegren Houston 279.85
3. Natasha Burgess Houston 277.10
8. Torri Olanski Houston 242.05
1M
2. Natasha Burgess Houston 274.05
4. Torri Olanski Houston 253.65
7. Julia Lonnegren Houston 239.35
UP NEXT
The Cougars return to the water this weekend as they host SMU in a dual meet on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Players Mentioned
