Jan. 20, 2006

RENO, Nev. - The University of Houston swimming and diving team looks to return to its winning ways this weekend when it meets New Mexico State and host Nevada in an NCAA double-dual meet at the Lombardi Pool.

The Cougars (7-7) come into this weekend's meet after being swept at the Campus Recreation & Wellness Center Natatorium last weekend by LSU and new Conference USA rival Rice. Those losses snapped a four-meet winning streak for the Cougars.

This weekend's meet will be the last road dual meet of the season for the Cougars, who will play host to C-USA rival Tulane at 11:30 a.m., Jan. 28 at the CRWC Natatorium.

On the diving side, junior Anna Kiess leads the way after being named C-USA Diver of the Week for her efforts against Rice and LSU last weekend. The Cougar diving corps have dominated that award this season, with freshman Tania Cagnotto winning five times and redshirt freshman Anastasia Pozdniakova claiming the accolade twice in 2005-06.

Junior Szintia Szanto and a group of talented freshman lead the Cougar swimmers this season. Szanto, a native of Budapest, Hungary, has topped the Cougars in three different events and currently owns six of the school's fastest 10 times in the 200-yard breaststroke.

Freshman and native Hungarian Andrea Pa'lmai has posted the team's best times in six different events and provisionally qualified for the 2006 NCAA Championships in both the 1,650-yard freestyle and the 400-yard individual medley. She became the first swimmer since Alexandra Heyns (200-yard freestyle) in 1996 to qualify for the NCAA meet.

Her time of 4:23.21 in the latter event set a new school record, beating former Olympian Michelle Smith's record that stood for nearly 15 years.

Freshman Sasha Schwendenwein, a native of Randburg, South Africa, has posted the team's fastest times in three different events, while New Caney, Texas, native Lauren VanCleave owns UH' s season-best times in two events, including the 50-yard freestyle.