Cougar Divers Set for Texas Invitational
12/1/2010 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Dec. 1, 2010
HOUSTON - The University of Houston diving team will begin competing at the Texas Invitational hosted by the University of Texas on Thursday.
Head diving coach Jane Figueiredo classified the Cougars' only December meet as the most important of her team's fall season. This will serve as one of her diving duo's primary opportunities to put themselves in good position for both the Conference USA and NCAA Championship qualifying.
"All the top schools will be diving at Texas," Figueiredo said. "This is the meet that we're peaking for."
Competing without the swim team for the first time this season, the divers head into Thursday's opening round of competition after a strong showing their last time out.
Senior All-American Lacey Truelove took first-place honors in both the 3-meter and platform events at the Phill Hansel Cougar Classic Invitational, Nov. 18-20. The London, Ontario native sailed past her previous personal best in the 3-meter springboard by posting a 366.45. Conference USA named her the Diver of the Week for her performance.
Sophomore Julia Lonnegren also posted a solid weekend at the Cougars' home invitational. The Forolund, Sweden native took third in the platform diving event and narrowly missed winning the 1-meter contest as she finished in second place by less than four points.
As Figueiredo pointed out, the Cougars will face a powerful list of competition, led by the host team who enters the meet with a No. 3 national ranking. Texas will likely be paced by two-time All-American Shelby Cullinan and sophomore Mauren Taylor, who collected a Big 12 Conference Diver of the Week award earlier this season.
The field also includes No. 5 California, No. 24 UCLA, Boston University, Harvard, Purdue, TCU, Miami (Fla.), Wyoming and North Texas. Miami (Fla.), Harvard and Wyoming all received votes in the College Swimming Coaches' Association of America (CSCAA) poll. Houston also received votes in the latest poll.
The Cougars will kickoff competition with the preliminary round in the 3-meter event Thurs., at 2:30 p.m. in the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center.
Live results can be found at DiveMeets.com.
Schedule of Events:
Thursday - 3-meter
2:30 p.m. - Preliminaries
6:15 p.m. - Finals
Friday - 1-meter
12:30 p.m. - Preliminaries
5:15 p.m. - Finals
Saturday - Platform
12:30 p.m. - Finals (No preliminary round)
Players Mentioned
