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.