Nov. 8, 2006
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IRVING, Texas - East Carolina, Houston, Marshall and Rice all participated in Conference USA swimming and diving events last weekend. ECU improved to 7-1 with quad-meet wins over Duquesne and league foe Marshall, while falling to West Virginia. Rice claimed its first Conference USA Swimmer of the Week award in 2006 after sophomore Diane Gu had a solid showing at the Phill Hansel Duals. Houston's Anastasia Pozdniakova, another sophomore, won her second consecutive Diver of the Week award.
SWIMMER of the Week (11/8)
DIANE GU - Rice
So., Orlando, Fla. (Lake Mary)
Rice sophomore Diane Gu won two individual events and anchored a pair of winning Owl relays at the Phill Hansel Duals over the weekend. The sprinter from Orlando, Fla., led a one-two Rice finish, respectively, in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events. Gu won the 50 over a field of 22 other competitors with a season-best time of 23.91. She also won the 100 with a season-best mark of 51.81. Gu served as the anchor on Rice's meet-winning 200-free relay that posted the best time in the conference so far (1:35.31). She anchored the second-best 200-medley in the league (1:46.66) so far and the Owls' meet-winning 400-free relay (3:28.41).
Diver of the Week (11/8)
ANASTASIA POZDNIAKOVA - Houston
So., Elektrostal, Russia (Secondary General Education School No. 16)
Pozdniakova helped lead the Cougars to dual-meet wins over Conference USA rival Rice, Trinity, New Orleans and Mesa State during the Phill Hansel Duals. The sophomore swept both the one- and three-meter diving competitions and was the only diver to score 300 points in either event. She finished with 377.55 points in the three-meter event, more than 80 points ahead of her closest competitor. Pozdniakova set a Campus Recreation & Wellness Center Natatorium record with her total in that event. The native of Russia scored 336.90 points on the one-meter springboard.
2006-07 C-USA TOP TIMES
For a list of C-USA Women's Swimming Top Times, please go to: https://secure.sportssystems.com/ScoreReporting/cusa/sportID/1/g/W
WEEKLY RELEASE
The Conference USA media relations staff will produce a weekly release each Tuesday throughout the season, including Athlete of the Week selections and updated standings. Complete league statistics will be updated daily throughout the season via the conference web site.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Conference USA will name an Swimmer and Diver of the week throughout the regular season. The Athlete of the Week awards are selected by the C-USA media relations department and announced every Tuesday throughout the season.
OTHER NOTABLE PERFORMANCES (10/31 - 11/5)
KATE GORDON - East Carolina
Gordon won the 100-yard butterfly in a quad-meet with Duquesne, Marshall and West Virginia with a time of 56.90. She placed second in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:06.62.
CHRISTIE ICENHOWER - East Carolina
Icenhower won both the one-meter and three-meter dives with scores of 255.55 (1-meter) and 258.05 (3-meter).
ANDREA PA'LMAI - Houston
Pa'lmai helped the Cougars to dual-meet wins over Conference USA rival Rice, Trinity, New Orleans and Mesa State during the Phill Hansel Duals last weekend. She earned three first-place finishes to lead all Cougar swimmers. Pa'lmai also captured first-place in the 1,000-yard free (10:07.44), the fifth-fastest time in UH history. The sophomore also won the 200-yard back with a time of 2:04.72, more than two seconds ahead of her closest competitor. Pa'lmai also claimed the 400-yard IM in 4:27.57.
BRIANA BURNS - Marshall
Burns, a freshman, recorded her first career victory Saturday, winning the 100-yard freestyle in a season-best time of 50.93. It was one of only two individual victories for the Herd during its home quad-meet.
