University of Houston Athletics
University of Houston
New Mexico
Swimming and Diving Falls at New Mexico
1/10/2003 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Jan. 10, 2003
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The University of Houston diving program lived up to its reputation Friday afternoon, sweeping the top three spots in both the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard events.
However, it would not be quite enough as New Mexico claimed a 142-101 victory over the Cougar swimming and diving program at Armond H. Seidler Natatorium. With the loss, the Cougars dropped to 2-3 in NCAA dual meets this season.
UH's stay in New Mexico wraps up at 10 a.m. (CST) Saturday as the team faces New Mexico State in Las Cruces, N.M.
Senior Yulia Pakhalina, a three-time NCAA national champion, easily won both diving competitions, on the way to the 49th and 50th wins in her distinguished UH career. The Penza, Russia, native tallied 347.40 points on the 1-meter board, making her the only diver to top the 300-point mark.
She scored even higher on the 3-meter board with 378.52 points and was again the only competitor to tally more than 300 points.
Fellow senior Veronica Smith finished second on the 1-meter springboard with 249.73 points and earned a third-place mark in the 3-meter event with 251.55 points.
Redshirt freshman Azul Almazan placed second on the 3-meter board with 299.93 points and was third in the 1-meter competition with a final score of 248.47 points.
While the Cougars dominated the diving events, New Mexico (6-1) topped the Cougars in all but one swimming event. UH swimmer Meagan Wien was the only Cougar to place first, winning the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:13.45 - more than five seconds ahead of the second-place finisher.
Junior Kristina DeWitt made her UH debut after transferring from the University of Pittsburgh at the semester break. The older sister of Cougar swimmer Jessica DeWitt, she finished second in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:31.01 to set a new UH season best in that event and was fourth in the 200-yard individual medley at 2:17.69.
In addition to Kristina DeWitt, four other Cougar swimmers earned second-place finishes. Falon Hopkins posted a time of 24.51 in the 50-yard freestyle, while Shawn Toliver recorded a clocking of 1:59.49 in the 200-yard freestyle.
Jessica DeWitt equaled her older sister's feat with a time of 2:16.01 in the 200-yard butterfly, and Jessica Blake earned a similar finish in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:13.23.
The Cougars' also placed 1-2 in the 200-yard medley relay. Hopkins, Kristina DeWitt, Lucile Turpin and Kristin Bay led the way for UH with a time of 1:50.11.
