Oct. 24, 2006

IRVING, Texas - Conference USA swimming and diving action continued last weekend with East Carolina, Houston and SMU all picking up wins. ECU downed both College of Charleston and Gardiner-Webb in a double dual. Houston won all nine individual events and both relays against Southwestern to improve to 5-0 for the first time in school history and add to the program's longest winning streak. No. 8 SMU took top honors at the 13th annual SMU Swim Classic. The Mustangs scored 327 points to defeat No. 14 Florida St., No. 13 Wisconsin, Alabama, Virginia Tech, and LSU.

EAST CAROLINA
The East Carolina women's swimming and diving team improved to 3-0 with wins over College of Charleston, 154-87, and Gardner-Webb, 142-97, at Minges Aquatic Center Saturday.

The Pirates swept nine of 13 events, including all four diving events. Christie Icenhower claimed first place scores on the one-meter and three-meter boards.

Freshman Jacquelynn Jones registered the fastest times in the both the 400-yard IM (4:29.31) and 500-yard freestyle (5:07.98) and junior Rebecca Perry remained unbeaten in the 50-yard freestyle (23.55) as did junior Megan Pulaski in the 1,000-yard freestyle (10:28.23).

Amanda Duncan touched first in the 200-yard butterfly, while Allison Miller recorded a first place finish in the 200-

ECU returns to dual meet competition on Friday, Oct. 27 at William & Mary.

HOUSTON
The University of Houston Swimming team won all nine individual events and both relays on the way to a dominating 105-63 win over Southwestern on Friday afternoon at the Roberts Center Natatorium.

Nine different Cougar swimmers combined to win the nine individual events and help lead the Cougars to their fifth straight win to open the 2006-07 season. In addition to the first 5-0 start in school history, it was the longest winning streak since UH won the final three dual meets of the 1983-84 season and the first three meets of the 1984-85 campaign.

Senior captain Szintia Szanto won the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 25.54, while fellow senior Alejandra Salazar took top honors in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:02.89.

In the 200-yard backstroke, junior Nicole Vaiana won by nearly 14 full seconds with a time of 2:14.68.

Sophomore Sasha Schwendenwein won the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:32.79, and sophomore Michelle Hall earned her first collegiate first-place finish in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:34.93.

Four freshmen also made their impact felt on Friday. Freshman Maryanne Ortiz claimed first place in the 200-yard butterfly with a clocking of 2:23.77, while Kristine Kelly won the 1,000-yard freestyle with a time of 11:21.20.

Linda Fox finished first in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 58.55, and Donna MacLeod finished first in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:35.07.

Kelly, MacLeod, Fox and Vaiana combined to win the 400-yard medley relay with a time of 4:17.54, while the Cougars' 400-yard freestyle relay team of Hall, Salazar, Schwendenwein and Szanto finished first with a time of 3:57.55.

The Cougars open their 2006-07 home schedule at 10 a.m., Oct. 28 at the CRWC Natatorium when they play host to Oregon State and C-USA rival SMU. Fans and media should note that that meet time was recently moved up to accommodate CSTV's national broadcast of the Cougars Football team's home game against C-USA rival UCF later that afternoon.

SMU
The No. 7 SMU women's swimming and diving team took top honors at the 13th annual SMU Swim Classic last weekend. With a total of 327 points the Mustangs were first with Florida St. in second (319 points), Wisconsin with 288 points in third, Alabama in fourth with 258 points while Virginia Tech had 253 points and LSU with 229 points.

On Friday in the first event of the night, the Florida St. 400 medley relay won with a time of 3:45.73 while Petra Klosova, Tamara Sambrailo, Angela San Juan Cisneros and Leane Darling clocked in second for SMU with a time of 3:45.73. In the 400 IM, Anja Carman placed second with a time of 4:23.32 while Jennifer Basel touched the wall for a time of 4:33.00 in tenth-place.

Candace Blackman took first-place in the 200 free with a time of 1:49.16, edging second-place by almost two seconds. Katie Roberts took seventh-place in the 200 free as she touched the wall at 1:52.36 inching by Tiffany Elias of Florida St. (1:52.73).

With a break in swimming action, the divers competed in the one-meter diving event. Kristin Schild compiled 247.35 points for third-place.

Touching the wall first in the 100 back event was Carman for a time of 56.28 and Klosova timed hers at 56.31 for a seventh place finish. Sambralio finished sixth in the 100 breast with a time of 1:06.00 while Basel clocked 1:06.45 for eleventh place. Blackman grabbed second in the 50 free with a time of 23.77 and Darling clocked 23.85 for a seventh-place finish.

Concluding the night of competition on Friday was the 800 free relay. The team of Klosova, Blackman, Roberts and Carman finished first with a time of 7:27.52, clocking in almost six second faster than the next team.

In the first event on Saturday, the Mustangs out-touched Florida St. in the 400 free relay for a time of 3:24.87. The relay consisted of Petra Klosova, Candace Blackman, Angela San Juan Cisneros and Leane Darling. Katie Roberts took third place in the 500 free with a time of 4:56.03 and Anja Carman swam in the consolation finals and timed in at 4:52.48 for seventh place.

Carman then turned around and took first-place in the 200 back with a time of 1:59.33 while Klosova clocked in 2:02.65 for seventh-place in the consolation finals. In the 200 breast, Tamara Sambrailo touched the wall for a time of 2:20.39 and fourth-place. Jennifer Basel timed her 200 breast at 2:21.44 for ninth-place in the consolation finals.

The three-meter diving event was tonight as Kristin Schild placed third with a score of 257.60. The swimming action continued with the 100 free as Blackman finished second with a time of 51.13 and Darling placed seventh in the consolation finals with a time of 51.31.

Klosova competed in the 200 IM and notched a time of 2:04.64 and third-place while Sambrailo finished tenth in the consolation finals and had a time of 2:10.25. The night and the Classic was concluded with the 200 free relay as the SMU relay team of Darling, Blackman, San Juan Cisneros and Roberts finished third with a time of 1:35.64.

The Mustangs will hit the waters again on the road Fri., Oct. 27 at 6:00 p.m. against C-USA foe Rice.