Sept. 19, 2006

Fresh off its sixth straight season among the Top 25 leaders at the NCAA Championships, the University of Houston Swimming & Diving program looks to rise even higher in 2006-07.

A year ago, the Cougars earned 34 points at the NCAA Championships to finish in a tie for 23rd place.

Cougar swimmers broke six school records and saw four student-athletes record 10 provisional qualifying times for the NCAA Championships. Everyone in that swimming group is back this season a little older and much stronger.

Combined with one of the nation's premier diving programs, it is little wonder that head coach Mark Taylor, diving head coach Jane Figueiredo and the 2006-07 Cougars are looking to move even higher at the NCAA Championships.

"We have turned the corner," Taylor said. "We want to keep it going and go to the next level which would be taking swimmers to the NCAA Championships."

Nine letterwinners return from a year ago and will be looked to for leadership from six newcomers.

"We are a very young team if you look up and down our roster. We are starting to bring in more depth, and the team is really improving," Taylor said.

Last season's freshmen class helped ignite the program, etching its name among the team's fastest times ever. With a year of experience under their belt, those freshmen are now some of the leaders of the 2006-07 team and will face a challenge from Taylor.

"We are looking for them to become leaders and change the mentality of our program from an average competitive Division I to an upper-echelon program by encouraging the work ethic among the team, encouraging their classroom attendance and the importance of grades," Taylor said. "We want them to instill in the freshmen (this season) to be just like this last group was."

SPRINT FREE
Sophomore Sasha Schwendenwein made an immediate impact during her first collegiate season. The Randburg, South Africa native posted the team's fastest times in the 50- and 100-yard events.

Another talented sophomore, Lauren VanCleave was equally impressive during her first collegiate season. The New Caney, Texas, native ranked among the Cougars' Top Two individual leaders in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events.

VanCleave and Schwendenwein each swam the final two legs of the Cougars' 200- and 400-yard medley relay teams which set school records in each event during the 2006 C-USA Championship.

Nicole Vaiana returns for her junior season after setting a career-best with a time of 26.16 in the 50-yard freestyle against Nevada and New Mexico State in January 2006.

Freshmen Doreen Polotzek and Jessica Shamburger also should compete in this event during the season.

DISTANCE FREE
In addition to her duties in the sprint events, Schwendenwein should be a leader in the distance freestyle events this season. A year ago, Schwendenwein added UH season-best times in the 200- and 500-yard events, provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Championships in the former event.

Senior Alejandra Salazar is one of only two three-year letterwinners among the swimmers and enters this season after setting career-best times in two different events a year ago.

Vaiana and sophomore Andrea Pa'lmai also should see considerable time in the water during these events in 2006-07.

Freshmen Linda Fox and Maryanne Ortiz will be regular competitors in the distance freestyle events during the 2006-07 campaign.

BREAST
Szintia Szanto returns for her senior season after an electrifying junior campaign in 2005-06.A native of Budapest, Hungary, Szanto is one of four 3-year letterwinners on the Cougar team this season and is one of only two swimmers in that group.

A year ago, she set school records in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke, breaking records that had previously stood for at least 18 years.However, her accomplishments reach into the classroom as well. There, Szanto has received the C-USA Academic Medal -- given for students with grade point averages of 3.75 or higher -- for each of the last three seasons.

As the first student-athlete that to whom Taylor offered a scholarship, Szanto has quickly emerged as the unquestioned leader of the 2006-07 team because of her many talents in and out of the water.

"I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to coach Szi Szi. She is certainly a gifted athlete who is multi-faceted as a student," Taylor said. "She is a pleasure to coach. She is very intense and has a strong desire to succeed and reach her goals in anything."

Szanto also was a member of the Cougars' 200- and 400-yard medley relay teams which set school records in each event during the 2006 C-USA Championship.

In addition to Szanto, Polotzek and fellow newcomers Harmony Lynn D'Antoni and Donna MacLeod should see time in the water during this event.

BACK
Andrea Pa'lmai begins her sophomore season during the 2006-07 season after an award-winning freshman campaign. Last season, Pa'lmai led the Cougars in both the 100- and 200-yard backstroke. The Budapest, Hungary, native recorded the team's seven fastest times in each event. Pa'lmai swam the leadoff leg of the Cougars' 200- and 400-yard medley relay teams which set school records in each event during the 2006 C-USA Championship.

Vaiana set a pair of career-best times in both events in 2005-06, while sophomore Michelle Hall will add depth for the Cougars in this event.The backstroke corps also will be bolstered by the addition of freshmen Fox, Shamburger and Kristine Kelly.

BUTTERFLY
VanCleave should be a regular competitor in both events this season after posting the team's fastest times in each a year ago. She posted the team's seven fastest times in the 100-yard event and two of the Top Three in the 200-yard contest.

Szanto also should see considerable time in the butterfly events during the 2006-07 season. A year ago, she emerged as the team's second-fastest performer in both events.

Schwendenwein, Hall and Polotzek also should compete in the butterfly in addition to their duties in other events.

INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
The Cougars could be dominating in the individual medley events as Szanto, Pa'lmai and VanCleave return with a year of experience under their belts.

Combined, this trio already has recorded nine of the program's 10 fastest times in the 200-yard event and six of the Top 10 in the 400-yard IM.

Szanto should be the leader for the Cougars in this event after a record-setting junior season.She already has recorded the Top Three fastest times in school history, including a school record time of 2:02.05 in the 200-yard event during the 2006 C-USA Championship.That mark was a provisional qualifying time for the NCAA Championships.

Pa'lmai was just as dazzling during her first collegiate season, setting a school record with a clocking of 4:22.11 in the 400-yard IM during the C-USA Championship. It was the first of her five times to lead the Cougars in that event last season.

She would go on to record the eighth-fastest time in the 200-yard IM and has etched her name in the UH records book four times in the 400-yard event.

VanCleave has posted two of the program's Top 10 fastest times in the 200-yard event and will challenge for additional places among the all-time Top 10 leaders in 2006-07.

D'Antoni, Kelly and MacLeod will add considerable depth to the Cougars in the individual medley events.

DIVING
Under Figueiredo's leadership, the Cougar diving program has established itself as one of the nation's best, year in and year out. The 2006-07 campaign should be little different with seniors and three-year letterwinners Anna Kiess and Rachel Gitelson returning to lead the group.

"Jane Figueiredo is the best diving coach in the world, and she continues to place people at the highest level they can be," said Taylor about the five-time defending C-USA Diving Coach of the Year.

Kiess, the 2005 NCAA national runner-up on the platform, was one of two qualifiers to the NCAA Championships a year ago. The Hanover, Germany, native finished eighth on the platform to earn All-America honors.

Gitelson was a steady performer for the Cougars throughout the season and should rank among the team leaders in 2006-07. Last season, she finished second on the platform at the NCAA Zone D meet. That came a year after the Glendale, Ariz., native received All-America honors on the platform.

Sophomore Anastasia Pozdniakova enjoyed tremendous success during her first collegiate season a year ago, with more of the same expected this season. Last season, Pozdniakova finished second in all three diving events at the C-USA Championship and was recognized as the league's Freshman Diver of the Year.

Junior Ginni van Katwijk joins the Cougars for the 2006-07 season after an award-winning season at Wyoming a year ago.

SCHEDULE
Never one to pad their schedule with easy wins, the Cougars will face some of the nation's top swimming and diving programs during the 2006-07 season.

The Cougars will meet Conference USA rival SMU, Oregon State, North Texas, New Mexico State, Florida International, Texas A&M and Miami (Fla.) during home dual meets at the Campus Recreation & Wellness Center Natatorium.

"We have a very strong schedule," Taylor said. "We show that we don't shirk and look for easy wins. We take on any and all comers. If they want to swim us, we will find a day to do it."

In addition to their home dual meets, the Cougars also will welcome five teams to the CRWC Natatorium for the Phill Hansel Duals Weekend on Nov. 3-4. Rice, Nevada, New Orleans, Trinity and Colorado College are slated to compete in the two-day event.

Hansel, the Father of UH Swimming and Diving, led the Cougar program from 1975-96 and continues to hold the school record with 70 dual-meet wins during that time.

"We are just trying to find ways to honor someone who has done so much for our program," Taylor said.

UH opens the season with a double-dual meet at New Mexico State and against Northern Colorado on Oct. 13-14. In addition, the Cougars will meet LSU, Conference USA rival Rice and New Orleans in road meets. The swimmers also will compete at the Miami (Ohio) Invitational on Nov. 30-Dec. 2 and at the Hawai'i Relay Meet on Dec. 30.

The diving squad will take part in the Texas A&M Invitational on Nov. 17-19.

For the fourth consecutive season, the Cougars will play host to the Conference USA Women's Swimming and Diving Championship and Men's Invitational at the CRWC Natatorium on Feb. 14-17.

"We have one of the fastest and best pools in the country. People are finding out what a fabulous facility and what a world-class competition venue it is," Taylor said. "Because we can play host to these competitions on campus, we are able to showcase our University as the fine institution that it is."