March 16, 2003

AUSTIN, Texas - University of Houston diver Azul Almazan qualified for her second event at the NCAA Championships with a second-place finish on the platform at the Zone D Diving Meet on Sunday.

With that performance, the Cougars will be well represented at the NCAA Championships in Auburn, Ala., on March 20-22. Almazan will compete in the platform and 3-meter competitions, while senior Yulia Pakhalina, a three-time NCAA national champion, will perform on the 1-meter and 3-meter springboards.

A native of Mexico City, Mexico, Almazan finished with 387.40 points in the platform event. Nicole Pohorenec of Iowa State captured first place with 456.80 points, while SMU's Liz Pike finished third with 361.00 points.

Almazan also finished the optionals as the second-highest scorer with 248.35 points earlier in the day.