UH Swimming and Diving Takes Second at C-USA Championships

HOUSTON, TEXAS (February 28, 2009) The University of Houston swimming and diving team finished second at the 2009 Conference USA Swimming and Diving Championships which concluded Saturday evening at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center (CRWC) Natatorium.

The Cougars earned the silver medal with 623 points followed by Rice's 595 points. SMU grabbed first place with 857.5 points. Houston's second place finish was their highest finish ever at the C-USA Championships. Their previous best was a third place finish at the 2006 Championships.

Houston swept the meet's specialty awards. Head coach Mark Taylor earned his first C-USA Championship Swimming Coach of the Meet award, snapping SMU's Steve Collins' two-year stint, while head diving coach Jane Figueiredo earned her eighth consecutive Diving Coach of the Year award.

In the only women's diving event of the evening, Anastasia Pozdniakova earned the top spot in platform diving with a final score of 277.55. With her win on Saturday, Pozdniakova became the first diver to win all three events since former Cougar Tania Cagnotto in 2006.Pozdniakova was named the 2009 Championship Diver of the Meet, her second C-USA Diver of the Meet award.

Courtney Forcucci finished in third place with 234.75 points and Jessalyn Almond placed fourth with 170.60 points.

Sasha Schwendenwein set a C-USA Championship meet record on Saturday morning in the women's 200-yard butterfly event in a preliminary heat with a time of 1:58.87. She later surpassed her own record with a 1:56.48 to capture the gold Saturday evening with an NCAA `B' time. Schwendenwein completed the Cougar award sweep with Championship Swimmer of the Meet honors.

Andrea Kells (2:02.43) placed seventh and Lubbers (2:11.13) finished 16th to join Schwendenwein in the 200-yard butterfly final.

Andrea Pa'lmai and Kim Eason put up top performances in the first event of the night, earning the gold and silver medals in the 1,650-yard freestyle. Pa'lmai's time of 16:38.87 gave her a spot in the UH record books. Pa'lmai shattered the previous school record of 16:51.88 which was set in 1978 by Cyndi McCullam.

Natalie Newcomb finished in the 15th place with a time of 17:35.15, while Danica Lubbers (18:33.21) followed in 17th place and Rachel Holcomb (18:42.20) finished 23rd.

Jess Shamburger (2:01.82) earned fourth place in the women's 200-yard backstroke and Pa'lmai's time of 2:05.06 was good enough for seventh in the event. Paige Bissett finished first in the consolation final with a time of 2:02.63.

Beccy Hillis (2:14.78) brought in a fourth place finish for the Cougars in the 200-yard breaststroke. Natalie Newcomb placed 15th in the event, receiving a time of 2:25.01.

Hillis also finished in fifth place in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:03.44.

To wrap up the meet, the Cougars (Sasha Schwendenwein, Andrea Pa'lmai, Paige Bissett, Kimberley Eeson) finished the 400-yard freestyle relay with a time of 3:26.12 to finish in fifth place.

Home Energy Solutions to Introduce Turfcats at Kite Day

AUSTIN, TEXAS (February 28, 2009) Friends and families are invited to Zilker Park to attend Kite Day Sunday where Home Energy Solutions and BMC West will introduce the public to Austin’s newest professional sports team: the Austin Turfcats of the Southern Indoor Football League.

More than 5,000 special inaugural postcards will be handed out by the Travis County Sherriff’s Department.

“We are very excited to be a part of bringing the Turfcats to Austin,” said Steve Rosenbaum of BMC West. “Kite Day is always a lot of fun, and we look forward to telling everybody about the Turfcats. Make sure to come by the Sherriff’s booth. We’ll have Turfcats postcards and other neat giveaways!”

Opening day for the Turfcats is April 18 versus the Acadiana Mudbugs. Affordable sponsorship opportunities are still available to local businesses and are a great way to associate your company with a professional sports team.

Great locations are still available for the 2009 season! Act now to reserve the best seats. Call a Season Sales Representative today at 866-969-8228 (TCAT) to reserve your seats today. The Austin Turfcats are committed to being a premier team in the Southern Indoor Football League and being involved in the community for which we serve.

For more information or get photos for media outlets or to get your 2009 Austin Turfcats season tickets, contact the Turfcats office at (866) 969-8228 (TCAT) or by electronic mail at roswalt@turfcats.com

UH's Turner, McPherson Grab Gold on Day 1 of C-USA Championships

HOUSTON, TEXAS (February 27, 2009) Sophomore Ed Turner claimed his second straight Conference USA long jump championship on Friday, as the Cougars swept the top three places in the event on the first day of competition at the 2009 C-USA Indoor Championships.

At the end of day one, the Cougar men look to be in good shape to contend for their third-consecutive team title, leading the pack with 42.50 points. Rice stands in second with 40 points, while Tulsa rounds out the top three with 32 points.

The women's team also stands atop the championship leaderboard with 31 points and will look to clinch its first title since 2006 on Saturday. Rounding out the top three are Rice with 30 points and UCF with 27 points.

The 2008 C-USA Indoor Freshman of the Year and indoor long jump gold medalist, Turner set a NCAA provisional qualifying mark with a season-best leap of 7.56m (24-09.75) to defend his conference title.

Joining Turner on the awards podium were junior Lamar Delaney and freshman Isaiah Sweeney. Delaney cleared a season-best 7.26m (23-10.00) to take silver, while Sweeney posted a mark of 7.17m (23-06.25) to take bronze.

Junior Quin'shundolyn McPherson claimed her first individual conference title, winning gold in the long jump with a personal best clearance of 5.99m (19-08.00). Senior Dayo Ogunniyi finished fourth with a leap of 5.88m (19-03.50), while freshman Tai'shea Reese took sixth with a mark of 5.75m (18-10.50).

Sophomore Bryan Brown grabbed the Cougars' first medal of the day, taking silver in the men's pole vault competition. Brown's clearance of 4.76m (15-07.25) set a new personal best and currently ranks third in conference this season.

Currently ranked fourth in the nation in the 60-meter hurdles, senior Seun Adigun turned in the second fastest time in qualifying to advance to Saturday's finals with a time of 8.26. Adigun briefly held the conference meet record with the mark before UCF's Jackie Coward snatched it back from her with an 8.19 finish.

Junior Steven Jones posted the fastest mark in the 60m hurdle prelims with a personal best time of 8.03. Also qualifying for the men was freshman D'Korian Ford (8.27) and junior Darryl Cloud (8.41).

After the first day of competition in the heptathlon, senior Morgan Floyd sits in second place behind Leonard McLeggon of Southern Miss.

Floyd racked up a total of 2,961 points during the first four events, finishing in the top three in each. He trails by just over 110 points with three events still remaining on Saturday.

In the 60-meter dash, Sweeney turned in the top time in the prelims with a season best finish of 6.81. Also qualifying for the finals with season-best marks were sophomore Tyron Carrier (6.91) and Turner (6.91).

Freshman Kevin Hobson (6.97), Jones (6.97) and Ernest Imade (7.00) also ran in the 60m prelims and each, too, set season best times.

Entering the championships atop the conference standings in the 60m, sophomore Christie Jones turned in a provisional qualifying time of 7.43 in the prelims to advance to the finals. Also advancing were senior Seun Adigun, sophomore Kalyn Floyd and freshman Grecia Bolton.

Freshmen Doug Kelley and Joe Irabor both qualified for the 400m finals, turning in times of 48.53 and 49.39, respectively. Irabor's mark set a season best.

For the women, freshman Whitney Harris also qualified for the finals with a mark of 56.05.

Qualifying for the Cougars for the 200m finals was Carrier and Hobson for the men's team with times of 22.30 and 22.31, respectively. For the women, Floyd (24.15), McPherson (24.51) and Jones (24.57) swept the top three spots to advance. Floyd and McPherson marks also set season bests.

Junior Brandon Hubbard set a new season best in the weight throw to finish in sixth with a mark of 16.14m (52-11.50). Fellow junior Amanda Villanueva competed for the women and finish with a heave of 14.99m (49-02.25).

In the 800-meter run prelims, freshmen Jesse Rodriguez and Nate Pineda qualified for the finals, turning in times of 1:57.16 and 1:57.92, respectively. Pineda's mark set a season best. Also running was freshman Anthony Jordan who also finished with a season best time of 1:58.26.

Freshman Stephanie Aldea turned in a solid anchor leg to help lead the women's distance medley relay team to a second place finish with a time of 11:53.32. Joining Aldea were junior Erica Hannemann, sophomore Lindsey Marshall and freshman Ciera Johnson.

The men's distance medley team of Pineda, Cloud, Jordan and Rodriguez finished in fifth place with a time of 10:24.06.

Sophomore Laura Allred tied her season best in the high jump clearing 1.65m (5-05.00) to finish in fourth.

For the women, Hanneman set a new personal best with a time of 2:18.05 in the 800m.

In the women's pentathlon competition, senior Kim Brown placed 11th for the Cougars. Brown finished with a total of 3,078 points.

Single-day tickets are available for $10 for adults and $5 for students with ID. All students from Conference USA schools are admitted free with a valid student ID.

Fans who can't attend can follow all the action live on the web by logging on to www.FlashResults.com/FlashTexas.

Competition resumes on Saturday begining with the conclusion of the heptathlon competition with the final three events slated to start at 11 a.m. The men's shot put starting at 1 p.m. will lead off the field events, while running events get under way with the men's mile at 3 p.m.

Baseball Drops Opening Game of College Classic to Baylor, 3-2

HOUSTON, TEXAS (February 27, 2009) The University of Houston baseball team lost its opening game of the Houston College Classic 3-2 to Baylor Friday afternoon at Minute Maid Park.

Both teams were held scoreless until the fourth inning, when junior Zak Presley hit a home run to left field to open the inning, his first home run of the season.

Baylor would answer the score with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning. Dustin Dickerson singled to left center and he would score on a single up the middle from Aaron Miller.

The Bears added another run in the bottom of the sixth inning before Houston would tie the ball game in the seventh inning. Junior Chris Wallace started the inning off with a double to right center and he would score on sophomore Caleb Ramsey's double to left field.

But once again Baylor answered the Cougars score with one of their own. In the bottom of the seventh inning Baylor scored its final run off a double from Adam Hornung.

With the loss, Houston falls to 2-4 on the season. The Cougars are now 60-85 all-time against the Bears.

Houston will be back in action tomorrow afternoon for a noon game against UC Irvine at Minute Maid Park. The Tournament will conclude on Sunday at 6 p.m. against Texas A&M.

UH Swimming and Diving Team Continues to Break Records

HOUSTON, TEXAS (February 23, 2009) The University of Houston swimming and diving team stands in second place with 419 points at the end of competition on day three of the Conference USA Swimming and Diving Championships at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center.

Kicking off the night Kim Eeson, Sasha Schwendenwein, Jessica Shamburger and Paige Bissett finished in fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle relay breaking a school record with a time of 1:33:14.

In the 1-meter diving competition Anastasia Pozdniakova won with a final score of 346.10, beating her own personal best of 338.40. Following behind her in second place was Courtney Forcucci with a final score of 283.10, while Jessalyn Almond finished in sixth place with a final score of 239.45.

Andrea Pa'lmai won the 400-yard IM, beating her personal best and breaking a school record with a time of 4:19:52. Beccy Hillis followed in third place with a time of 4:22:56.

Beating a personal best in the 100-yard butterfly, Andrea Kells finished sixth place with a time of 55.28. Following in 14th place, Doreen Polotzek also set personal best with a time of 56.99.

Schwendenwein yet again etched her name in the school record book on Friday, this time in the 200-yard freestyle with a program best time of 1:45.79, setting a NCAA `B' qualifying time. Eeson came in fourth with a time of 1:48:54.

Hillis took fifth place in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:03:44 and Polotzek bested her personal best with a time of 1:06:47 and to take 14th.

Shamburger finished in third place in the 100-yard backstroke breaking a school record and a personal best with a time of 55.14. Bissett also broke a personal best, finishing in tenth place with a time of 57.23.

Competition will continue Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. with women and men's 200-yard backstroke, women and men's 100-yard freestyle, women and men's 200-yard breaststroke, women and men's 200-yard butterfly, and women and men's 1,650-yard freestyle event prelims, while the finals are scheduled for a 6 p.m. start.

UH Swimming and Diving Team Continues to Break Records

HOUSTON, TEXAS (February 27, 2009) The University of Houston swimming and diving team stands in second place with 419 points at the end of competition on day three of the Conference USA Swimming and Diving Championships at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center.

Kicking off the night Kim Eeson, Sasha Schwendenwein, Jessica Shamburger and Paige Bissett finished in fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle relay breaking a school record with a time of 1:33:14.

In the 1-meter diving competition Anastasia Pozdniakova (above, left)won with a final score of 346.10, beating her own personal best of 338.40. Following behind her in second place was Courtney Forcucci with a final score of 283.10, while Jessalyn Almond finished in sixth place with a final score of 239.45.

Andrea Pa'lmai won the 400-yard IM, beating her personal best and breaking a school record with a time of 4:19:52. Beccy Hillis followed in third place with a time of 4:22:56.

Beating a personal best in the 100-yard butterfly, Andrea Kells finished sixth place with a time of 55.28. Following in 14th place, Doreen Polotzek also set personal best with a time of 56.99.

Schwendenwein yet again etched her name in the school record book on Friday, this time in the 200-yard freestyle with a program best time of 1:45.79, setting a NCAA `B' qualifying time. Eeson came in fourth with a time of 1:48:54.

Hillis took fifth place in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:03:44 and Polotzek bested her personal best with a time of 1:06:47 and to take 14th.

Shamburger finished in third place in the 100-yard backstroke breaking a school record and a personal best with a time of 55.14. Bissett also broke a personal best, finishing in tenth place with a time of 57.23.

Competition will continue Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. with women and men's 200-yard backstroke, women and men's 100-yard freestyle, women and men's 200-yard breaststroke, women and men's 200-yard butterfly, and women and men's 1,650-yard freestyle event prelims, while the finals are scheduled for a 6 p.m. start.

Aggies Drives UC Irving, 9-2, at Houston College Classic

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2009 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (February 27, 2009) In the first game of the 2009 Houston College Classic, action got underway with top ranked Texas A&M Aggies facing off against # 5 University of California at Irvine.

The Aggies (6-1), showed why they are rank number one in the country by Baseball America, exploding for seven hits in the top of the sixth inning, to defeat UC Irvine 9-2 to give the Anteaters their second loss of the season.

The Aggies’ slug fest were lead by Luke Anders who when 3-5 with one run and four RBIs to raise his average for the season to .385. Nick Anders, Luke’s younger brother, also added to the offensive production, going 2-4 with two runs.

UC Irvine starting pitcher Daniel Bibona had trouble on the mount, giving up seven hits and five runs, all earned, while striking out six and walking two. He was pulled, after 5 1/3 innings of work and replaced by Matt Dafour who did not fair much better. He pitched 2/3 innings, giving up three hits, 3 earned runs while walking two.

Brooks Raley was credited with the win for the Aggies, raising his season record to 2-0. He gave up five hits, two earned runs, while striking out two and walking four. He finished the day with a 2.25 ERA.

Bobina was given the loss and the Aggies’ Kyle Thebeau, after pitching three complete innings was credited with the save.

The Aggies will face off against the Rice Owls on Saturday night at 7:00 pm while the Anteaters will meet Houston in the 12 noon game on Saturday.

All action is played at Minute Maid Park, home of the 2005 National League Champion Houston Astros.

Swimming and Diving in Second After Day Two of C-USA Championships

(Sasha Schwendenwein sets school record in 500-yard freestyle-Photo courtesy of University of Houston Media Relations)

HOUSTON, TEXAS (February 26, 2009) The University of Houston swimming and diving team sits tied for second place with Rice with 214 points following the second day of competition at the Conference USA Swimming and Diving Championships at the Campus recreation and Wellness Center.

Sasha Schwendenwein started Thursday's final off for the Cougars with a win in the 500-yard freestyle, coming in with a school record time of 4:42.58. She was followed in second by teammate Kim Eeson, who turned in a time of 4:47.31. Both final times are NCAA `B' qualifying times.

Schwendenwein beat her school record time of 4:49.99 set earlier in the day during the prelims.

Anastasia Pozdniakova added to the Cougars' win total by taking top honors in the 3-meter competition with 397.20 points, setting a meet record. Her final point total is also the 10th best finish in school history and her highest point total this season.

Finishing second in the 3-meter competition was Courtney Forcucci with 330.65 points. Jessalyn Almond added a fifth place finish with 272.40 points.

Andrea Kells also set a personal best in the 200-yard IM with a time of 2:05.54 for a seventh place finish. Paige Bissett won the consolation finals with a time of 2:04.70.

In the final individual swimming event of the night, Jessica Shamburger won the consolation finals in the 50-yard freestyle with a personal best time of 23.54.It ranks as the seventh fastest performance in school history.

Houston's 400-yard medley relay team of Shamburger, Beccy Hillis, Schwendenwein, and Eeson finished second with a time of 3:41.65, setting a school record. The previous record of 3:46.18 was set in 2006. In the leadoff split, Shamburger's time of 54.71 was an NCAA `B' time.

Competition will continue through Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. each day with event prelims and the finals are scheduled for a 6 p.m. start.

During the first day of competition, the Cougars set three school records, including a record that was set 25 years ago.

In the 800-yard freestyle relay, the team of Schwendenwein, Kimberley Eeson, Olga Bordatcheva and Andrea Pal'mai finished third with a time of 7:21.60, setting a new school record. The previous record of 7:27.20 was set in 1983.

Schwendenwein's lead-off split in the 800-yard freestyle relay was also a school record performance. She turned in a time of 1:45.43 to improve on her own record of 1:47.55 set last season.

During the first event of the championship, Jessica Shamburger, Beccy Hillis, Andrea Kells and Paige Bissett combined to set a school record of 1:42.26 in the 200-yard medley relay. They finished fourth and erased the previous record of 1:44.30 set in 2006.

Track & Field Preps for C-USA Indoor Championships

HOUSTON, TEXAS (February 26, 2009) The University of Houston men's track team will eye a third consecutive Conference USA Indoor team championship this weekend when the Cougars return to action at the 2009 C-USA Indoor Championships.

Houston will host the two-day conference championships for the ninth-straight year and the 11th time in the last 13 seasons inside Yeoman Fieldhouse on Friday, Feb. 27, and Saturday, Feb. 28.

All-session tickets are available for only $15 for adults and $8 for youth. Single-day tickets are available for $10 for adults and $5 for students with ID. All students from Conference USA schools are admitted free with a valid student ID.

Last year, the Houston men's team collected 152 points, surpassing second place Rice with 116.5 to snatch its second-straight team title. UTEP finished third, scoring 104 points.
Leading the way for the Cougars were Ed Turner and Chris Carter, who grabbed gold medals in the long jump and triple jump, respectively. Turner would be named the 2008 C-USA Indoor Freshman of the Year following his performance. Each looks to defend his conference title this weekend.

Turner, a sophomore, currently sits second in the league standings behind teammate Thomas Lang in the long jump with a season-best mark of 7.21m (23-08.00).

Fellow sophomore Carter set a provisional qualifying mark in the triple jump with a personal-best leap of 15.89m (52-01.75). His mark is tops in C-USA this season and currently stands 16th in the nation.

Senior Seun Adigun will attempt to lead the women to their first team title since 2006. She will also look to close her collegiate career with a third-consecutive C-USA championship in the women's 60-meter hurdles.

Adigun recorded an NCAA automatic qualifying mark earlier this month, crossing the finish line in a school record time of 8.09 at the New Balance Invitational. That mark currently stands as the fourth-fastest posted in the nation this season.

Fans who can't attend can follow all the action live on the web by logging on to www.FlashResults.com/FlashTexas or by clicking HERE

Competition opens at 9 a.m., Friday, with the beginning of the men's heptathlon and women's pentathlon. Field events get under way at 2 p.m. with the women's weight throw, while running events start at 5 p.m. with the men's 5,000m final.

Saturday's action will see the conclusion of the mutli-event competitions, which begin at 11 a.m. The men's shot put starting at 1 p.m. will lead off the field events, while running events get under way with the men's mile at 3 p.m.

All 12 C-USA member schools - East Carolina, Houston, Marshall, Memphis, Rice, SMU, Southern Miss, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, UCF, and UTEP - will compete for the women's title. Marshall, SMU, Tulane, UCF and UAB do not sponsor men's track and field.

UH Swimming and Diving in Second After Day Two of C-USA Championships

HOUSTON, TEXAS (February 26, 2009) The University of Houston swimming and diving team sits tied for second place with Rice with 214 points following the second day of competition at the Conference USA Swimming and Diving Championships at the Campus recreation and Wellness Center.

Sasha Schwendenwein (right) started Thursday's final off for the Cougars with a win in the 500-yard freestyle, coming in with a school record time of 4:42.58. She was followed in second by teammate Kim Eeson, who turned in a time of 4:47.31. Both final times are NCAA `B' qualifying times.

Schwendenwein beat her school record time of 4:49.99 set earlier in the day during the prelims.

Anastasia Pozdniakova added to the Cougars' win total by taking top honors in the 3-meter competition with 397.20 points, setting a meet record. Her final point total is also the 10th best finish in school history and her highest point total this season.

Finishing second in the 3-meter competition was Courtney Forcucci with 330.65 points. Jessalyn Almond added a fifth place finish with 272.40 points.

Andrea Kells also set a personal best in the 200-yard IM with a time of 2:05.54 for a seventh place finish. Paige Bissett won the consolation finals with a time of 2:04.70.

In the final individual swimming event of the night, Jessica Shamburger won the consolation finals in the 50-yard freestyle with a personal best time of 23.54.It ranks as the seventh fastest performance in school history.

Houston's 400-yard medley relay team of Shamburger, Beccy Hillis, Schwendenwein, and Eeson finished second with a time of 3:41.65, setting a school record. The previous record of 3:46.18 was set in 2006. In the leadoff split, Shamburger's time of 54.71 was an NCAA `B' time.

Competition will continue through Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. each day with event prelims and the finals are scheduled for a 6 p.m. start.

DAY ONE HIGHLIGHTS
During the first day of competition, the Cougars set three school records, including a record that was set 25 years ago.

In the 800-yard freestyle relay, the team of Schwendenwein, Kimberley Eeson, Olga Bordatcheva and Andrea Pal'mai finished third with a time of 7:21.60, setting a new school record. The previous record of 7:27.20 was set in 1983.

Schwendenwein's lead-off split in the 800-yard freestyle relay was also a school record performance. She turned in a time of 1:45.43 to improve on her own record of 1:47.55 set last season.

During the first event of the championship, Jessica Shamburger, Beccy Hillis, Andrea Kells and Paige Bissett combined to set a school record of 1:42.26 in the 200-yard medley relay. They finished fourth and erased the previous record of 1:44.30 set in 2006.

SMU Lead After Day 1 at C-USA Swimming-Diving Championships

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2009 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (February 25, 2009) SMU leads the field after day one action at the 2009 Conference USA Swimming & Diving Championship at the CRWC Natatorium on the campus of the University of Houston.

SMU began the evening by setting a new meet and pool record in the 200-yard medley relay. The team of Therese Svendsen, Devon Callaghan, Elzanne Werth and Petra Klosova smashed the old record, which was set by the Mustangs in 2006, by almost three seconds, touching the wall in 1:38.08, which was good for an NCAA `B' qualifying time.

Invitational member North Dakota took second (1.41.67), while the Rice claimed third place in 1:41.98, bearly touching out Houston (1:42.26) for the bronze medal.

In the 800-yard freestyle relay, SMU showed their dominance over the field with the foursome of Candace Blackman, Sasha Van den Branden, Petra Klosova and Christy-Leigh Lategan finishing in 7:07, eleven seconds ahead of second place Rice (7:18.01).

The squad of Sasha Schwendenwein, Kim Eeson, Olga Bordatcheva and Andrea Pa'lmai of host Houston took third place in the final relay, touching in 7:21.60.

SMU lead the field and all Conference USA teams with 80 points, followed by Rice in second with 66 points, Houston in fourth with 62 points, East Carolina (5th-56 points), and Marshall (6th-52 points). Invitational invitees make up the remaining places with North Dakota in 3rd place with 64 points, Northern Colorado (7th-48 points) and California State-Bakersfield (8th place-22 points)

Men's teams from league schools East Carolina and SMU along with Hawaii, Cal State Bakersfield and North Dakota are also competing in the C-USA men's invitational. SMU leads that event after day one with 114 points, followed by Hawai'i with 112 points. North Dakota sits in third with 81 points, while East Carolina (72) is in fourth and Cal State Bakersfield (56) is in fifth.

The meet resumes at 10 a.m., Thursday with the preliminaries of the 500-yard freestyle, 200-yard individual medley and the 50-yard freestyle. The women's 3-meter diving preliminaries will begin around 1 p.m. The finals for those events are slated to begin around 6 p.m.

All-session tickets are available for only $25 for adults and $10 for youth. Single-day tickets are available for $10 for adults and $5 for students with ID. Youth includes children from 3 years old to high school. Children who are 2 years old and younger are admitted free.

Houston Baseball falls to Rice, 9-2

HOUSTON, TEXAS (February 25, 2009) The University of Houston baseball team fell 9-2 to cross-town rival Rice Wednesday night at Reckling Park.

With the loss, Houston falls to 2-3 on the season and falls to 68-78 in the all-time series against the Owls.

For the second consecutive game, Houston put up at least one run in the first inning. Junior Zak Presley started things off for the Cougars, reaching base on a single to left field. He would advance to second on a passed ball and eventually score on a double by sophomore Chase Dempsay.

Rice followed that up by scoring three runs in the second inning and one in the third to take the lead, 4-1.

Houston cut the lead in half, scoring a run in the fourth inning after sophomore Matt Murphy reached base on a walk. He advanced to second when freshman Jake Runte reached base on an error by third base and he would score on a single to left field by redshirt freshman Tom Wertz.

But the Owls would pull away once again in the bottom of the fifth, scoring five runs behind a three-run shot to left field from Rice's Anthony Rendon.

In their final at bat, freshman Codey Morehouse looked to extend the inning, reaching on a walk with one out, but he was thrown out at second in the next at bat as leadoff hitter sophomore Blake Kelso reached base on a fielder's choice. Kelso advanced to second after a bunt from Presley and Dempsay loaded the bases after being hit by a pitch. The trio would be stranded on base to end the game after junior Chris Wallace grounded out to first base.

Houston will face the Owls four more times this season, all at Cougar Field, as part of the Silver Glove series.

LOOKING AHEAD
Houston will be back in action this weekend for the Houston College Classic. The Cougars will open the weekend with a 3:30 p.m. game against Baylor on Friday and the tournament will continue at noon on Saturday against UC Irvine. Houston will wrap-up the weekend at 6 p.m. on Sunday against Texas A&M.

Dynamo midfielder Danny Cruz named to United States U-20 qualifying roster

HOUSTON, TEXAS (February 23, 2009) Houston Dynamo midfielder Danny Cruz was named to the United States U-20 national team roster for the upcoming CONCACAF U-20 Championship in Trinidad & Tobago March 6-15, U.S. Soccer announced. Four teams from the tournament will qualify for the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup, to be held in Egypt Sept. 25-Oct. 17.

The U.S. will open its qualifying campaign on Friday, March 6, taking on Jamaica at Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet, Tobago at 7 p.m. local time (5 p.m. CT). Rongen’s squad will face the winner of a playoff game between Honduras and St. Vincent & the Grenadines on March 8 at 6 p.m. (4 p.m. CT) and round out Group A play on Tuesday, March 10, at 7 p.m. (5 p.m. ET).

Cruz, a third-round pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft out of UNLV, is one of six Major League Soccer players named to the 19-man roster.

“It is an honor to play for your country,” Cruz said. “I’m fortunate to be one of the 20 players going to Trinidad and Tobago. I’m honored and proud to be part of something so special.”

Turfcats Tickets Going Fast

AUSTIN, TEXAS (February 25, 2009) Management at the Austin Turfcats ticket offices have announced that only 1,200 seats are still available in the (SIFL Package) middle section for home games this season.

“We knew we were the ‘fastest game on the turf,’ but now we have the fastest box office sales,” said Turfcat General Manager and Vice President Ronald Oswalt. “With the lower levels already sold out, we are encouraging fans to buy middle tickets before it is too late.”

Oswalt explained that there is really not a bad seat in the house, but the organization wants fans to know that tickets are going quickly due to the team’s affordable ticket prices. The Turfcats will begin their inaugural season on April 18 at the Travis County Exposition Center in Austin.

“The central location of Austin seems to be appealing to ticketholders in the surrounding communities as well,” Oswalt said. “This has inspired us to sponsor community nights recognizing the great communities surrounding the Austin area.”

The team already has planned a Lake Travis and San Marcos night with more special events being planned daily.

To find out when your community will be recognized and to purchase the remaining tickets, visit www.turfcats.com

Great locations are still available for the 2009 season! Act now to reserve the best seats. Call a Season Sales Representative today at 866-969-8228 (TCAT) to reserve your seats today. The Austin Turfcats are committed to being a premier team in the Southern Indoor Football League and being involved in the community for which we serve.

UT Pan Am's Mendoza, Janecka Earn Weekly Baseball Honors

By Chris Price

EDINBURRG, TEXAS (February 24, 2009) In the first action of the 2009 spring season, Texas-Pan American lost one-run decisions to Texas Tech and Southern Utah and received solid performances by two of its players, earning them the first Great West Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week honors for the season.

Jose Mendoza hit safely in all four games last week as UTPA dropped 6-5 decisions in two of the four contests. The sophomore third baseman from Corpus Christi, Texas, went five-for-15 (.333 average) with two RBI, two runs scored and one stolen base. His best game came in a 6-5 loss to Texas Tech when he went two-for-four with two RBI.

In two relief appearances last week, Shane Janecka pitched 6.2 innings, giving up seven hits and just one earned run while striking out four and walking one. His 4.2 innings of work in a 8-1 loss to Southern Utah was a career high. In both games, he entered the game after his team trailed and his effort kept the Broncs from falling farther behi

FROGS JUMP TO NO. 32, FACE MORE RANKED TEAMS THIS WEEK

FORT WORTH, TEXAS (February 24, 2009) TCU made the leap to No. 32, a season-high position, Tuesday in the latest release of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) national team rankings.

The national rankings are decided by a vote of national coaches early in the season until moving to a computerized system later in the spring when more results become available.
The Frogs, which were ranked 39th last week, posted an upset victory on the road Saturday over then-No. 17 Tulsa to help improve their national ranking. The win marked the highest-rated opponent the squad has defeated in third-year Head Coach Dave Borelli's tenure.

TCU, currently 2-5 on the season, is in the midst of a brutal stretch of 11 straight matches to start the spring against squads currently ranked among the ITA's top-56 teams.

"I'm happy where we are based on the schedule we have played and the fact that we are 2-5," Borelli said. "That indicates the understanding the coaches have of our schedule. We may drop a bit once the rankings become computerized, but I'm not worried about that because we will continue to get wins once the season moves along."

One area where Borelli has seen marked improvement already in the opening weeks of the spring are from his team's doubles units.

"I'm very pleased where our doubles are at," Borelli said. "We won the doubles point against three top-20 teams in our last three matches. If we continue to improve, I think we'll be in good shape the rest of the year."

TCU’s difficult schedule continues this week with two more matches against highly rated foes in No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 29 Texas Tech. The Frogs and Rebels square off Thursday in a 1 p.m. neutral-site match in Waco, Texas, with the squad thentraveling to Lubbock, Texas, Saturday for a 1 p.m. match against the Red Raiders.

Ole Miss enters Thursday’s match with a 6-1 record after posting a 2-1 showing at the National Team Indoor Championships in Chicago two weeks ago. The squad’s lone loss came at the hands of USC, which is currently ranked No. 4.

The Rebels field a loaded lineup featuring four nationally ranked singles players in No. 32 Kalle Norberg, No. 39 Jonas Berg, No. 40 Devin Britton and No. 79 Bram tenBerge. Jonas Berg and Bram tenBerge pair up as the ITA’s fourth-ranked doubles tandem.

Texas Tech is 2-3 so far this spring with both wins coming over ranked teams in No. 52 Denver and No. 53 San Diego. Freshman Raony Carvalho is the Raiders’ top-ranked singles player at No. 34. Carvalho teams with teammate Christian Rojmar in doubles as the nation’s No. 17 duo.

Owls Travel to UCF For Midweek Game

HOUSTON, TEXAS (February 24, 2009) Rice begins the final two weeks of the regular season Wednesday when the Owls take on UCF in Orlando. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. CST and the game will be broadcast by ESPN 97.5 the Ticket in Houston.

The Owls are coming off their second, three-point loss in as many road games,falling at SMU 69-66 last Saturday. Rice also dropped a 91-88 overtime decision at EastCarolina the previous week.

Rice has now lost its last three to drop to 8-18 overall and 3-9 in Conference USA play.

If the conference season ended today, Rice would face UCF in the first round of the Conference USA Tournament in a meeting of the No. 6 and No. 11 seeds. But a lot can happen in the final two weeks of the regular season before the C-USA tournament which is set for March 11-14 in Memphis, Tenn.

The Knights, 16-6 and 6-6, have lost junior forward Tony Davis who last week was suspended for the remainder of the season. In a 77-52 win over Rice earlier in the year, Davis scored 17 points, going 7-for-11 from the field, and pulled down 12 rebounds. He started 20 of the 22 games in which he appeared this season and was averaging 9.8 points and a team-leading 6.8 rebounds.

While UCF has lost Davis, the Knights return the nation’s fourth-leading scorer in Jermaine Taylor. The senior is averaging 25.3 points per game after scoring 35 points in last week’s 77-72 loss at Houston. Prior to the UH game, Taylor averaged 36.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in a pair of games en route to the previous week’s Conference USA Player of the Week award.

Led by freshman A.J. Rompza’s 5.04 assists per game (third in C-USA), UCF leads Conference USA in assists, averaging 15.85 per game (412 total).

While Rice has seen improved play over the past month, the Owls have struggled on the boards. Over the last six games, Rice has a -5.2 rebounding margin. The Owls will look for a better performance on the glass this time around against the Knights who have a +2.8 rebounding margin to rank third in C-USA.

UCF outrebounded Rice 39-24 back in January. The Knights scored 12, second-chance points to the Owls’ one while grabbing 11 offensive boards.

League opponents are averaging 13 offensive rebounds against Rice this season.

Rice will benefit from the return of senior forward Aleks Perka who missed two games with a sprained ankle before coming off the bench to score 10 points on 5-for-6 shooting against SMU. He also had four rebounds and two assists in the game.

Rodney Foster averages 12 points a game to lead Rice in scoring. He leads Conference USA in both three-point shooting (.443) and free throw percentage (.870).

Following Wednesday’s game at UCF, Rice returns home to play host to Houston Saturday in Tudor Fieldhouse. Tip-off for Saturday’s game is 3 p.m.

Turfcats Getting Talent For Inaugural Season

AUSTIN, TEXAS (February 24, 2009) Ronald Oswalt, general manager and vice-president of the Austin Turfcats, announced the signing of several players for the 2009 season in addition to the signing of first year player Clint Toon.

Toon, who played in six games for Texas State this past season, said the transition to indoor football seemed natural.

“I think it is more of my game,” he said. “My game is short, quick passes.”

The short and quick passes employed by Toon during his time at Texas State came in handy as he slammed a career best 117-yard game against Central Arkansas and led the offensive dominance over Stephen F. Austin State University in the team’s 52-29 victory.

Before joining Texas State, Toon played one season at Kilgore Junior College, which won the Southwest Junior College Football Conference. Before that, the Kilgore, Texas native played for his hometown high school football and baseball teams. The Kilgore Bulldogs finished with a 21-5 record during Toon’s two-year tenure on the football team.

The Turfcats also signed the following players to a contract to attend camp and compete for a spot in the inaugural team.

Darrick Wallace – 5’8 – 175 – Grambling State
Tim Cook – 6’4 – 285 – NA
David Banks – 5’10 – 225 – Langston University
Mycal Catchings – 6’2 – 198 – Tarleton State
Kelly Hancock – 6’2 – 220 – Tarleton State
Keith Clay – 5’9 – 210 – Nichols State
Joseph Turner, Jr. – 6’3 – 200 – Texas A&M Kingsville
Iran Hodge – 6’4 – 293 - Texas A&M Kingsville
Clint Toon – 6’0 – 195 – Texas State
Franswan Mackey – 6’2 – 215 - Texas A&M Kingsville
Ray Hall – 5’10 – 215 – Ferris State
Corry Perez – 5’6 – 165 – Blinn College
Deron Ellis – 6-4 – 285 – Texas Southern
Rico Troup – 5’10 – 209 – NA
Kevin T. Earvine – NA
Reggie Smith – 5’7 – 160 – McMurry University
Mike Rose – 6’1 – 220 – NA

NOTABLE PLAYERS

Derrick Wallace – This speedy receiver and return man played for Doug Williams at Grambling State University. He has extensive indoor football experience and he has played on the af2 level.

Kelly Hancock – He plays on both sides of the ball with quarterback and linebacker experience. He is a former Austin Wrangler of the af2.

Keith Clay – This running back/wide receiver is a Nichols State product and played af2 with the Austin Wranglers. He also has played for the former Centex Barracudas of the Intense Football League.

Iran Hodge – He rejoined with the team’s Vice-President/General Manager as both were with former division champions with the Katy Copperheads.

The team expects to sign several more players in the next few weeks and is preparing for their mini-camp slated to start in mid-March.

“These players will set the tone for this team and leave their footprint on this franchise,” Oswalt said. “We have spent extensive time on this roster and we are only about halfway there, this next month will be a building process.”

Head Coach Chris Duliban, is looking forward to the challenges and opportunities of competing in the Southern Indoor Football League and helping the Austin Turfcats achieve their goal of having a championship season this year.

Duliban added, ”The team is coming together and there is no lack of talent here in Central Texas, the players are in good shape and are ready to get their gear and start hitting each other.”

Texas State Raises $40,000 At Annual Bobcat Bonanza

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS (February 23, 2009) Texas State assistant athletic director for development Chris Park announced that the 21st Annual Bobcat Bonanza raised $40,000 to help fund scholarships for Bobcat student-athletes.

This year’s Bobcat Bonanza was held at the Texas Disposal Systems Exotic Game Ranch last Friday night, Feb. 20, and included a dinner provided by Texas Roadhouse restaurant, an exciting live auction and music by David Conger.

“This year’s event was a tremendous success because we raised 10,000 more than last year’s event,” Park said. “We sold more than 35 tables for the dinner and a crowd of over 450 attended this year.”

In addition, Texas State Athletics also addressed an excited and captive audience about the new construction projects within the department, in particular the new club and suite levels being built at the Bobcat Football Stadium. Construction for 15 luxury suites and 450 club seats began in January and is scheduled to be completed for use before Texas State’s first football game in 2009 against Angelo State.

“We want to thank our title sponsor Texas Roadhouse, Brown Distributing, G&M Catering and the Texas Disposal Systems Exotic Game Ranch for their support,” Park added. “We could not have been so successful without their help.”

Texas State Raises $40,000 At Annual Bobcat Bonanza

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS (February 23, 2009) Texas State assistant athletic director for development Chris Park announced that the 21st Annual Bobcat Bonanza raised $40,000 to help fund scholarships for Bobcat student-athletes.

This year’s Bobcat Bonanza was held at the Texas Disposal Systems Exotic Game Ranch last Friday night, Feb. 20, and included a dinner provided by Texas Roadhouse restaurant, an exciting live auction and music by David Conger.

“This year’s event was a tremendous success because we raised 10,000 more than last year’s event,” Park said. “We sold more than 35 tables for the dinner and a crowd of over 450 attended this year.”

In addition, Texas State Athletics also addressed an excited and captive audience about the new construction projects within the department, in particular the new club and suite levels being built at the Bobcat Football Stadium. Construction for 15 luxury suites and 450 club seats began in January and is scheduled to be completed for use before Texas State’s first football game in 2009 against Angelo State.

“We want to thank our title sponsor Texas Roadhouse, Brown Distributing, G&M Catering and the Texas Disposal Systems Exotic Game Ranch for their support,” Park added. “We could not have been so successful without their help.”