Feb. 13, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

IRVING, Texas - No. 14 SMU grabbed a hard-fought win over longtime rival No. 17 Texas, 124-118, on Saturday. The victory was highlighted by two Mustangs notching career-best times, one pool record falling and SMU swimming NCAA B cuts in five events.

SWIMMER OF THE WEEK (2/12)
PETRA KLOSOVA - SMU
Jr., Koprivince, Czech Republic (Masarykoro)
Klosova notched a career-best time in the 200-yard backstroke against No. 17 Texas to help SMU grab the narrow 124-118 victory on Saturday. The junior helped the No. 14 Mustangs to the big win by swimming a 2:00.15 in the 200 back, taking second place in the event and bettering her old mark by over a second. The time was also good for NCAA consideration. Klosova was the top Mustang finisher in the 50 free, as she clocked a time of 23.48. In addition, Klosova swam the second leg of the 200 free relay that broke the SMU pool record. The group finished in 1:33.29, breaking the old record by three one-hundredths of a second. The weekly award is the second for Klosova in 2007-08 (Jan. 9) and fifth of her career.

DIVER OF THE WEEK (2/12)
BRITNEY YANCEY - SMU
So., Dallas, Texas (Indiana)
Yancey was the top SMU finisher in both the one- and three-meter boards against No. 17 Texas on Saturday. On the one-meter, Yancey compiled a score of 280.34. Yancey captured second place on the three-meter after totaling 307.20 points. Her efforts helped the team grab the 124-118 victory. This is Yancey's second career weekly honor in 2007-08 and second of her career.

2007-08 WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
O9	S- Angela San Juan Cisneros, SMU
O16	S- Brittany Massengale, Rice
O23	S- Amanda Duncan, East Carolina
	D- Christie Icenhower, East Carolina
O29	S- Anja Carman, SMU
	D- Audra Egenolf, SMU
N6	S- Sasha Schwendenwein, Houston
	D- Courtney Forcucci, Houston
N13	S- Michaela Sceli, Marshall
	D- Siobahn Schuurman, Marshall
N20	S- Jennifer Blackman, SMU
	D- Christie Icenhower, East Carolina
D4	S- Jennifer Blackman, SMU
	D- Lacey Truelove, Houston	

J9	S- Petra Klosova, SMU
	D- Audra Egenolf, SMU
J15	S- Pam Zelnick, Rice
	D- Britney Yancey, SMU
J23	S- Brittany Massengale, Rice
	D- Ginni van Katwijk, Houston
J23	S- Brittany Massengale, Rice
	D- Courtney Forcucci, Houston
F5	S- Andrea Pa'lmai, Houston
	D- Courtney Forcucci, Houston
F12	S- Petra Klosova, SMU
	D- Britney Yancey, SMU

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
Conference USA will name a Swimmer and Diver of the Week throughout the regular season. The Athlete of the Week awards are selected by the media relations department and announced every Tuesday throughout the season.

2007-08 C-USA TOP TIMES
For a list of the top C-USA Women's Swimming and Diving times/scores, please go to: https://secure.sportssystems.com/ScoreReporting/cusa/sportID/1/g/w

FIVE-TIME HOST
2008 marks the fifth consecutive year that the Houston Cougars will host the swimming and diving championship. In 2004, Houston was the first school to host the league's annual meet at an on-campus facility after the first two championships were conducted in Indianapolis, Ind.

C-USA RECAP (Through Meets of Feb. 10)
EAST CAROLINA
East Carolina's swimming and diving team double dual meet scheduled for Saturday afternoon at the Minges Aquatic Center was cancelled, Pirate head coach Rick Kobe announced.

The competition pool at the Minges Aquatic Center on the ECU campus was not available due to a water link break.

The meet will not be rescheduled. The Pitates will conclude its season at the Conference USA Championships in Houston Feb. 27-Mar. 1 at the Campus Recreation & Wellness Center Natatorium.

HOUSTON
Juniors and freshmen were the stars of the day as Houston enjoyed a 105-71 win over New Orleans on Saturday during the Cougars' final regular-season home meet at the Campus Recreation & Wellness Center Natatorium.

Two juniors and three freshmen combined to win all but one swimming event and both diving events to snap a five-meet losing streak.

The Cougars, who finished the regular season with a 9-8 overall record, recorded their third straight winning season, the first time that feat has been accomplished since 1983-86.

Juniors Sasha Schwendenwein and Andrea Pa'lmai and freshmen Brittany Copeland led the way with a pair of event wins each.

Freshman diver Courtney Forcucci helped lead Houston to a sweep of the Top Three place in two events Friday evening during a 145-96 loss at No. 6 Texas A&M at the Student Rec Center Natatorium.

The Fort Mill, S.C., native scored 312.83 points to win 3-meter board and wrapped up her day with 284.62 points to win the 1-meter event.

UH will take nearly three weeks off to prepare to play host to the 2008 C-USA Championship Feb. 27-Mar. 1.

MARSHALL
Marshall's swimming and diving team double dual meet scheduled for Saturday afternoon at East Carolina University was cancelled, Thundering Herd head coach Leonard Kraus announced.

The competition pool at the Minges Aquatic Center on the ECU campus was not available. The meet will not be rescheduled.

Marshall will conclude its season at the Conference USA Championships Feb. 27-Mar. 1 at the Campus Recreation & Wellness Center Natatorium in Houston.

RICE
Rice swimmers Diane Gu, Brittany Massengale, Caitlin Warner and Pam Zelnick all won individual events and were on winning relays as the Owls coasted to a 131-60 home dual meet victory over the University of New Orleans Friday evening at the Rice Pool.

Not only was Rice was in control for most of the meet, the team looked sharp in the process as 13 swimmers set new season-best times. Competing in her final home meet as an Owl, senior Massengale swept both the 200- and 500-yard freestyle with marks of 1:52.59 and 4:58.47, respectively. Though normally a distance specialist, she showed some sprinting skills by swimming the third leg of the team's winning 200-free relay.

Warner swam her best 50 (25.49) on the winning sprint relay's lead leg and she was sound and solid in leading a 1-2 Rice finish in 1,000 with freshman Karen Gerken. Gu swam the anchor leg of the Owls' winning 200-medley relay and she led a 1-2 finish in the 50-free with sophomore Megan Land. Gu was also in a battle for her second individual win of the night in the 100-free with Zelnick as she came in a half-second ahead with a winning time of 53.10.

With wins in 10 of the meet's 11 events, including two relays, Rice improved its record to 10-4 in its last dual meet of the regular season. The Owls next compete at the annual C-USA Championships starting on Feb. 27 across town at the University of Houston Rec Center Natatorium.

SMU
No. 14 SMU grabbed a hard-fought win over longtime rival No. 17 Texas, 124-118, on Saturday. The victory was highlighted by two Mustangs notching career-best times, one pool record falling and SMU swimming NCAA B cuts in five events.

Anja Carman swam a career-best 4:19.26 in the 400 IM, winning that event for the Mustangs. Four events later, Petra Klosova swam a career-fastest 2:00.15 in the 200 back, eclipsing her old mark by just over one second. The 200 free relay squad of Candace Blackman, Klosova, Angela San Juan Cisneros and Sascha Van den Branden finished the meet for the Mustangs by notching a new pool record in 1:33.29, besting the old record by three one-hundredths of a second.

SMU started the meet by picking up a win in the 400 medley relay. Carman, Devon Callaghan, San Juan Cisneros and Jennifer Blackman raced to a time of 3:44.69, just outside the NCAA B cut, but over three seconds faster than Texas' B squad.

In the 200 free, SMU came back and took first through third places, with C. Blackman leading the charge. She won the event in 1:48.89, while J. Blackman touched in just behind her in 1:49.65, both times good for NCAA consideration. Van den Branden placed third, touching the wall in 1:51.75.

Klosova was the Mustangs' top finisher in the 50 free while in the 400 IM, Carman won the event in her career-best time of 4:19.26, good for NCAA consideration. Jennifer Basel finished third in 4:25.84 and Maroua Mathlouthi came in just behind her in 4:28.08.

The first diving break saw SMU take second and third places. Sophomore Britney Yancey tallied 280.34 on the one-meter, just edging teammate Audra Egenolf. Egenolf placed third with a mark of 280.05.

Going into the second diving break, the Longhorns had pulled ahead, 97-90. On the three-meter board, the Mustangs again took second and third places. Yancey again placed second, tallying 307.20. Egenolf again picked up third, totaling 295.42.

The lead still belonged to Texas going into the final two swimming events. In the 200 breast, Callaghan pulled out a win by less than half a second, touching in at 2:19.29.

The Mustangs needed a big finish by their 200 free relay and that's exactly what they got. The 200 free relay squad of C. Blackman, Klosova, San Juan Cisneros and Werth broke the pool record and finished the course in 1:33.39.

The dual meet with Texas concluded the regular season. The Mustangs next travel to Houston for the Conference USA Championships, Feb. 27-March 1.