University of Houston Athletics
Wochomurka Announces 2016-17 Schedule
8/29/2016 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
HOUSTON - Head Coach Ryan Wochomurka is proud to release the 2016-17 University of Houston Swimming & Diving schedule. The Cougars will compete in 15 events beginning in September and running through the NCAA Championships in March, including five separate competitions at the Campus Recreation & Wellness Center Natatorium.
"I am eager to start the 2016-17 season and excited about the challenging schedule we have ahead of us," said Wochomurka. "We're road heavy and as a young team, we will certainly be tested early. There are a couple new events for us, and the addition of the Missouri State Invite where we're hopeful to swim extremely fast in October."
Houston fans will first be able to check out the 2016-17 Cougars in action as they kick off their season on Sept. 22 as the team hosts its annual Red & White Meet. The intra-squad event is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. at the CRWC.
To wrap up the month of September, Wochomurka and squad will hit the road for the UNT Relays in Denton, Texas, to face North Texas, SMU and Oklahoma Baptist. This will be the Cougars' fifth consecutive season competing at the UNT Relays and will be one of two trips to Denton to face the Mean Green.
The Cougars open the month of October at home, facing Bayou City foes Rice in a pentathlon meet on Oct. 7. This will be the first of five meetings between the Cougars and Owls during the 2016-17 season.
For the remainder of October the Cougars are on the road. First, Houston travels north to Missouri for the Missouri State Invite to face Missouri State, Northern Iowa, Illinois State, Rice and Southern Illinois at 9 a.m., Oct 8. The Cougars will then head to Dallas for their first dual meet of the season to face defending American Athletic Conference Champions SMU on Oct. 28. The following day, the Cougars return to Denton for the second time this season to face North Texas, in dual-meet fashion. Closing out the month, the Cougars travel across town for the Rice Invitational, held Oct. 23-24 at the Aquatics Center Natatorium on the Rice campus to face Rice, Air Force and Loyola (New Orleans).
Houston hosts the annual Phill Hansel Invitational on Nov. 18-20 at the CRWC. This year's event features 10 teams, as UC Davis, Colorado State, Idaho, North Texas, New Mexico State, Oregon State, Rice, Tulane and Vanderbilt are scheduled to participate.
The 2016 calendar year concludes as the Cougars send a select group of swimmers to the AT&T Winter Nationals, held Dec. 3-5 in Atlanta, Ga. Last season, the Cougars were well represented at the prestigious national championship with two UH student-athletes taking the pool.
Houston opens the second half of its schedule when they travel to San Antonio, Texas for a dual meet against Incarnate Word, on Jan. 10, 2017. The Cougars travel to Arkansas for a meet to be held Jan. 22 & 23 for the second consecutive. The Cougars will compete against Razorbacks and Vanderbilt in both swimming and diving and against Clemson in diving only.
The regular season concludes on the road, as the Cougars head to Baton Rouge, La. to face LSU, Tulane and Rice in a Quad Meet taking place Jan. 27 & 28. This will be the eighth consecutive season that the four programs have squared off in a late-season Quad Meet.
Houston's swimmers will have an opportunity to book a spot in the NCAA Championships at the Houston First Chance Meet, held Feb. 11 at the CRWC. The event serves as an opportunity for swimmers to lock in a time that meets the NCAA's postseason standards.
The highlight of the home schedule is set for Feb. 15-18, as the Cougars host the 2017 American Athletic Conference Swimming & Diving Championships. This will be Houston's second consecutive year hosting The American's season-ending championship event.
Houston is returning six of the seven student-athletes from the 2016 All-American Conference Team. Sophomore Eleanna Koutsouveli swept the backstroke events and podiumed in the 400 IM at the 2016 American Championships. Fellow Sophomore Hannah Herbst won the 500-yard freestyle and placed third in the 1,650-yard freestyle. On the boards divers Taylor Olanski will look to four-peat in the platform while Micaela Bouter looks to defend her 3-meter crown. Back in the pool, junior Ashley Grijalva won bronze in the 100-yard breaststroke and senior Jasmine Williams earned a bronze medal in the 100-yard backstroke.
"It's a great honor to host The American Championships back-to-back years here in Houston, and I am thrilled that our fans will have the opportunity to witness four days of extremely competitive swimming and diving," said Wochomurka. "We are eager to fight for a championship in our own pool and in front of a home crowd. We are hopeful being at home will be a great benefit in order to position ourselves to be represented at the NCAA Championships in March."
Houston's divers will compete in the Zone D Championships, held March 6-8 in Columbia, Mo. The regional event serves as the final step on the road to the NCAA Championships with the top divers in the region earning a spot at the national meet.
The 2017 NCAA Division I Swimming & Diving Championships will be held March 15-18 in Indianapolis, Ind.,
Houston student-athletes have captured 11 individual national titles at the NCAA Championships. Diver Yulia Pakhalina won five NCAA crowns, swimmer Diane Johannigman won four titles and diver Anastasia Pozdniakova took two titles.
Fans can keep up with the latest in University of Houston Cougar athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook.com/HoustonAthletics), Twitter (@UHCougars), Instagram (houstoncougars) and YouTube.com (Youtube.com/UHAthletics). In addition, the swimming & diving team has established its own official Facebook (Facebook.com/HoustonCougarSwimmingDiving) and Twitter pages (@UHCougarSwim), which provide regular updates on the team and live results during home meets.
--UHCougars.com--
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