University of Houston Athletics
University of Houston
vs. New Mexico State
Swimming & Diving Splits with Nevada and New Mexico State
1/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Jan. 21, 2006
RENO, Nev. - University of Houston swimmers Szintia Szanto, Andrea Pa'lmai and Sasha Schwendenwein each earned a pair of individual first-place finishes to help lead the Cougar swimming and diving program in an NCAA double-dual meet against Nevada and New Mexico State at the Lombardi Pool.
Divers Anna Kiess and Tania Cagnotto teamed up to sweep the top two places in both diving events for the second straight weekend. The two Cougar divers were the only performers to crack 300 points in either event.
The Cougars took a convincing 180-110 win over New Mexico State but were edged by host Nevada 155-139. With the split, the Cougars improved to 8-8 in dual meets this season.
Szanto won the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:05.21, the fifth-fastest time in school history, and earned a similar finish in the 200-yard breaststroke with a clocking of 2:21.47. The Budapest, Hungary native also finished second in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:11.45.
Pa'lmai, who already has provisionally qualified for the 2006 NCAA Championships in two events this season, won the 1,000-yard freestyle with a time of 10:28.57, nearly six seconds faster than her closest competitor. She also captured top honors in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:06.56, nearly five seconds faster than the second-place finisher.
The Budapest, Hungary, native also finished second in the 100-yard backstroke.
Schwendenwein won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:54.00 and led all performers in the 500-yard freestyle with a clocking of 5:12.23.
Freshman Lauren VanCleave wont he 100-yard butterfly with a time of 58.81 and finished second in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:11.75.
On the diving side, Kiess, the NCAA national runner-up on the platform, won the 3-meter competition with 323.75 points, while Cagnotto finished second in the event with 305.30 points.
The two divers traded places in the 1-meter event with Cagnotto taking top honors with 333.50 points. Kiess finished second with 316.60 points.
The Cougars return to action at 11:30 a.m., Saturday when they play host to Conference USA rival Tulane at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Natatorium on the UH campus.
That meet was recently added to the 2006 Cougar schedule after continuing rebuilding efforts in New Orleans from the effects of Hurricane Katrina forced the cancellation of the meet in New Orleans.
Players Mentioned
