University of Houston
SMU
Cougars Win Six Events Friday vs. No. 21 SMU
10/30/2015 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Complete Results | Photo Gallery 
HOUSTON - The University of Houston Swimming & Diving Team competed in their first dual meet action Friday night and produced six event champions, including sweeping three events. The Cougars took No. 21 SMU to the wire before falling, 158-142, at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Natatorium.
Five different Cougars won six events Friday: Delia Weber (1,000-yard freestyle), Eleanna Koutsouveli (100-yard backstroke, 200-yard backstroke), Sharo Rodriguez (200-yard butterfly), Danielle Shedd (1-meter dive) and Micaela Bouter (3-meter dive) each won an event against the 21st-ranked Mustangs.
"I couldn't be more proud of our attitude and how we raced," head coach Ryan Wochomurka said. "We raced very aggressively, and we raced with confidence. We took the 21st-ranked team in the country to the wire, and I am very pleased with that."
The Houston divers swept both the 1-meter and 3-meter dives. In the 1-meter, Danielle Shedd netted a score of 305.18. Teammate Micaela Bouter finished second (277.35), and Taylor Olanski placed third (260.48). Bouter, who was named the American Athletic Conference Female Diver of the Week Oct. 26, grabbed first in the 3-meter dive with a score of 351.90. Olanski placed second (307.80) and Shedd rounded out the podium (279.08).
In the first race of the day, the Cougars grabbed two podium finishes in the 200-yard medley relay. The team of Koutsouveli, Ashley Grijalva, Rodriguez and Doroteja Bednjanec finished second with a time of 1:44.63, a season best. The Houston team of Jenny Penneck, Cameron Balkom, Taylor Derevyanik and Caitlin Horner placed third in a time of 1:48.36.
Freshman Weber won her first collegiate individual meet in the 1,000-yard freestyle, with a time of 10:11.18. She was followed by freshman Hannah Herbst in second, swimming a time of 10:21.98. Rounding out the podium was freshman Conor Glenn, swimming the race in a time of 10:35.54.
In the 200-yard freestyle, sophomore Emma Moore finished third with a time of 1:55.68, a team season best. Moore eclipsed Houston's previous top time of the year by just .33 seconds.
In the 100-yard backstroke, Koutsouveli won the event in a time of 57.27, a collegiate personal best. Junior Taylor Derevyanik nabbed third place with a swim of 59.29.
Grijalva finished second in the 100-yard breaststroke in a time of 1:05.54, notching another podium for the Coogs.
In the 200-yard butterfly, Rodriguez won her first event of the season after swimming a season-best 2:03.05. Herbst placed third with a time of 2:09.79, right on the heels of the 2015 All-American Athletic Conference performer.
Horner grabbed a third place finish in the 50-yard freestyle, with a time of 24.19. She followed that up with the 100-yard freestyle, where she recorded a personal best, placing second with a time of 52.49. She was followed in the 100 free by Moore, who posted a time of 52.66 to round out the podium.
Koutsouveli won her second event of the night in the 200-yard backstroke, setting a personal collegiate best in a time of 2:04.07.
"Delia and Eleanna are extremely talented swimmers," Wochomurka said of his freshmen, who accounted for three of the team's event wins. "For them to get victories in their first career dual meet should give them a lot of confidence going forward."
In the 200-yard breaststroke, Grijalva placed third with a time of 2:21.83. It was her second podium finish of the evening.
Weber finished second in the 500-yard freestyle in a time of 5:00.00, setting a personal collegiate best. Herbst followed her with a time of 5:07.02 for a third place result.
Rodriguez grabbed another podium finish in the 100-yard butterfly, placing second with a time of 56.59, a personal collegiate best.
In the last of event of the night, the Cougars placed second in the 400-yard freestyle relay finishing in a season best time of 3:31.33. Horner, Moore, Bednjanec and Julie Gibson recorded the final top-3 finish of the evening for Houston.
"I am excited for what tonight's performance means for tomorrow," Wochomurka added. "We got a little bit better today, and we need to learn from this experience."
POINTS EARNED
OVERALL
SMU - 158
Houston - 142
200 Medley Relay
2. Houston A - 1:44.63^
(Koutsouveli, Grijalva, Rodriguez, Bednjanec)
3. Houston B - 1:48.36
(Penneck, Balkom, Derevyanik, Horner)
1,000 Free
1. Delia Weber - 10:11.18
2. Hannah Herbst - 10:21.98
3. Conor Glenn - 10:35.54
200 Free
3. Emma Moore - 1:55.68*
4. Maya Owens - 1:57.31
6. Leah Ortiz - 2:00.33
100 Back
1. Eleanna Koutsouveli - 57.27*^
3. Taylor Derevyanik - 59.29
5. Jenny Penneck - 59.40^
100 Breast
2. Ashley Grijalva - 1:05.54^
4. Cameron Balkom - 1:06.34
5. Rachel Hobbins - 1:10.02*
200 Fly
1. Sharo Rodriguez - 2:03.05^
3. Hannah Herbst - 2:09.79*
7. Holly Criscuolo - 2:19.09
1M Dive
1. Danielle Shedd - 305.18
2. Micaela Bouter - 277.35
3. Taylor Olanski - 260.48
100 Free
2. Caitlin Horner - 52.49*^
3. Emma Moore - 52.66
4. Doroteja Bednjanec - 53.64
200 Back
1. Eleanna Koutsouveli - 2:04.07*^
4. Jenny Penneck - 2:08.26*
6. Victoria Rayol - 2:12.49
500 Free
2. Delia Weber - 5:00.00*^
3. Hannah Herbst - 5:07.02
6. Conor Glenn - 5:13.04*
100 Fly
2. Sharo Rodriguez - 56.59*^
6. Taylor Derevyanik - 58.26
7. Maya Owens - 58.50
3M Dive
1. Micaela Bouter - 351.90
2. Taylor Olanski - 307.80
3. Danielle Shedd - 279.08
200 IM
4. Sharo Rodriguez - 2:10.34^
5. Eleanna Koutsouveli - 2:11.56
7. Ashley Grijalva - 2:14.12
400 Free Relay
2. Houston A - 3:31.33^
(Horner, Moore, Bednjanec, Gibson)
4. Houston B - 3:34.31
(Herbst, Weber, Owens, Derevyanik)
* - Personal Collegiate Record
^ - Houston Season Best
UP NEXT
Houston is back at the CRWC Natatorium Saturday morning, when they face off with North Texas. The dual meet begins at 11 a.m. and is part of a packed day in Cougar Athletics, with the Men's Basketball scrimmage scheduled for 3 p.m. at Hofheinz Pavilion and the Football game vs. Vanderbilt booked for 6 p.m. at TDECU Stadium. Fans are encouraged to join Wochomurka's club at the Natatorium to start a full day of cheering on the Coogs.
COUGARS TO HOST AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Houston will host the American Athletic Conference Championships for the first time as the best swimmers and divers in the league visit the CRWC from Feb. 17-20, 2016. Following the conference meet, the Cougars will look to close the season at the NCAA Championships, to be held March 17-19, 2016 in Atlanta.
FOLLOW THE COUGARS!
Fans can keep up with the latest in University of Houston Cougar athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook.com/HoustonAthletics), Twitter (@UHCougars), Instagram (houstoncougars) and YouTube.com (Youtube.com/UHAthletics). In addition, the swimming & diving team has established its own official Facebook (Facebook.com/HoustonCougarSwimmingDiving) and Twitter pages (@UHCougarSwim), which provide regular updates on the team and live results during home meets.
--UHCougars.com--
Players Mentioned
