Feb. 14, 2007

HOUSTON (SMU) - Both the men and women's swimming and diving teams jumped out to a great start at the Conference USA Swimming and Diving Championships and Invitational in Houston, Texas, tonight. All four Mustang relays were victorious in the 200 medley and 800 free relays that were held tonight. Both teams notched season-best times and the men's 200 medley team posted a new school record.

The Mustangs swam a season-best time of 1:41.03 to take first place in the women's 200 medley relay. Anja Carman, Tamara Sambrailo, Angela San Juan Cisneros and Petra Klosova combined to post a NCAA B qualifying time.

In the men's 200 medley relay, Ian Clark, Alex Hetland, Luka Vrtovec and Thomas Fadnes shattered the previous season-best time as they clocked in at 1:26.72, taking first-place and setting a new school record. The Mustang relay also set a new meet record which SMU set at last year's Invite.

The men competed in the one-meter diving event tonight as Preston Holcombe placed third with a mark of 273.10 after scoring 256.80 in the prelims earlier today.

The women knocked four seconds off their previous season-best time en route to claiming first in the 800 free relay. Jennifer Blackman, Klosova, Katie Roberts and Celina Lemmen posted a NCAA qualifying A time of 7:10.41. The Mustang relay broke their own meet and pool records they set at last year's Championship. Blackman led off the relay with a meet record time of 1:46.76 for her 200 free split which also set a personal career-best.

Continuing the record setting ways, the men's 800 free relay team of Maverick Smalley, Shane Milu, Hetland and Vrtovec posted a NCAA B qualifying time of 6:34.23 for first-place. The Mustang relay broke another one of their previously set meet and pool records with their time in the relay tonight. Smalley posted a 200 free lead-off split time of 1:38.94 which notched a career-best time.

While the men's currently sit in second place, the women's results remain unofficial due to the difficulties of Marshall's team travel. The Thundering Herd was stranded at the airport in Columbus, Ohio, for a day due to heavy snow in the area. The team did not land in Houston until around 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, only 90 minutes before the official start of the meet.

As a result, the C-USA coaches agreed to allow Marshall to swim as a team in the 200-yard medley relay after the preliminaries during one of the next few days. Marshall's time will then be added to the unofficial results and the results scored accordingly.

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.

Tickets will be available for purchase near the front of the CRWC Natatorium beginning one hour prior to the meet Thursday morning. All-session passes are available for $25 for adults or $10 for students with valid ID. Day tickets can be purchased for $10 for adults and $5 for students with ID. Students from any C-USA school with a valid free will be admitted free to the meet.

While there was no admission charged to attend Wednesday's sessions. Fans attending any session beginning Thursday morning will be charged accordingly.

Fans can buy an official C-USA meet program and that session's heat sheet for only $5 beginning Thursday morning. Fans who buy a program and present it to sellers prior to each session can purchase additional heat sheets for future sessions for only $3 each.

Licensed to University of Houston                         Hy-Tek's Meet Manager     2007 C-USA Women's Champs & C-USA Men's Inv - 2/14/2007 to 2/17/2007                                    Results
Event 1  Women 200 Yard Medley Relay=============================================================================== Meet Record: R 1:40.92   2/22/2006 Southern Methodist University, S M U-                         R Akradi, T Sambrailo, P Klosova, L Pomeroy Pool Record: # 1:40.92   2/22/2006 Smu                         Akradi, Sambrailo, Klosova, Pomeroy    NCAA "A": * 1:39.49    NCAA "B": @ 1:42.47    School                                               Seed     Finals===============================================================================  1 Southern Methodist University                     1:41.34    1:41.03@     1) Carman, Anja JR                 2) Sambrailo, Tamara JR  r:+0.31     3) San Juan Cisneros, Angela JR  r 4) Klosova, Petra SO  r:+0.11                  26.14       55.08 (28.94)     1:19.10 (24.02)     1:41.03 (21.93)  2 Rice University                                   1:46.66    1:43.77     1) Hyde, Keri SO                   2) Zelnick, Pam FR  r:+0.13     3) Craig, Skylar SO  r:+0.18       4) Gu, Diane SO  r:+0.00                  26.76       56.26 (29.50)     1:43.77 (47.51)         1:43.77 ( )  3 University of Houston                             1:47.44    1:44.57     1) Shamburger, Jess FR             2) Szanto, Szi Szi SR  r:+0.32     3) Polotzek, Doreen SO  r:+0.24    4) Schwendenwein, Sasha SO  r:+0.0                  26.24       55.18 (28.94)     1:44.57 (49.39)         1:44.57 ( ) -- East Carolina University                          1:46.94         DQ     1) Miller, Alli SO                 2) Hanson, Krista FR  r:+0.00     3) Duncan, Amanda SO  r:+0.00      4) Gordon, Kate SR  r:+0.00 -- Marshall University                               1:51.33         NS     1)                                 2)    r:+0.00     3)    r:+0.00                      4)    r:+0.00
Event 2  Men 200 Yard Medley Relay=============================================================================== Meet Record: R 1:27.64   2/22/2006 Southern Methodist University, S M U-                         I Clark, A Hetland, L Vrtovec, P Nylin Pool Record: # 1:30.53   2/23/2005 University of Cincinnati                         Bayata, Gustavsson, Yearwood, Kleiner    NCAA "A": * 1:26.52    NCAA "B": @ 1:29.11    School                                               Seed     Finals===============================================================================  1 Southern Methodist University                     1:28.26    1:26.72R     1) Clark, Ian SR                   2) Hetland, Alex JR  r:+0.24     3) Vrtovec, Luka SO  r:+0.28       4) Fadnes, Thomas FR  r:+0.00                                  46.01 ( )     1:06.70 (20.69)     1:26.72 (20.02)  2 East Carolina University                          1:33.49    1:31.32     1) Neville, Greg JR                2) Ramkvist, Kristian FR  r:+0.19     3) Donohue, Matt SR  r:+0.27       4) Yasinsac, Bryan SR  r:+0.11                  23.36       48.59 (25.23)     1:10.84 (22.25)     1:31.32 (20.48)  3 University of Hawai'i                             1:33.60    1:31.60     1) Birich, Paul FR                 2) Xella, Nicola SO  r:+0.29     3) Willson, Greg SO  r:+0.00       4) Kane, Davis FR  r:+0.00                  24.11   1:31.60 (1:07.49)
Event 3  Men 1 mtr Diving=============================================================================== Meet Record: R 337.45        2002 Sean Wilkinson    UL Pool Record: # 302.95   2/26/2004 Kelly McCain   Tcu    NCAA "A": * 300.00    NCAA "B": @ 290.00    Name                    Year School               Prelims     Finals===============================================================================Finals  1 Frick, Magnus             JR Hawai'i               370.85     400.10R  2 Wiktorsson, Mats          JR Hawai'i               296.30     317.60#  3 Holcombe, Preston         FR Smu                   256.80     273.10  4 Hunt, Ryan                JR Ecu                   247.50     269.55  5 McElroy, Dustin           FR Hawai'i               234.20     231.80  6 Bradyhouse, Peter         JR Ecu                   208.50     216.65
Event 4  Women 800 Yard Freestyle Relay=============================================================================== Meet Record: R 7:10.93   2/22/2006 Southern Methodist University, S M U-                         C Blackman, J Blackman, K Roberts, C Lemmen Pool Record: # 7:10.93   2/22/2006 Smu                         C. Blackman, J. Blackman, Roberts, Lemmen    NCAA "A": * 7:10.49    NCAA "B": @ 7:23.40    School                                               Seed     Finals===============================================================================  1 Southern Methodist University                     7:14.64    7:10.41*     1) Blackman, Jennifer JR           2) Klosova, Petra SO  r:+0.14     3) Roberts, Katie JR  r:+0.05      4) Lemmen, Celina SR  r:+0.22         r:+0.74  24.65       51.34 (51.34)   1:18.95 (1:18.95)   1:46.76 (1:46.76)        2:10.67 (23.91)     2:37.92 (51.16)   3:05.64 (1:18.88)   3:32.95 (1:46.19)        3:57.75 (24.80)     4:24.99 (52.04)   4:53.35 (1:20.40)   5:21.95 (1:49.00)        5:46.45 (24.50)     6:13.81 (51.86)   6:42.14 (1:20.19)   7:10.41 (1:48.46)  2 Rice University                                   7:30.27    7:25.79     1) Mattson, Erin FR                2) Massengale, Brittany JR  r:+0.3     3) Miller, Carly SO  r:+0.24       4) Warner, Caitlin SO  r:+0.23         r:+0.73  25.91       53.97 (53.97)   1:22.68 (1:22.68)   1:52.38 (1:52.38)        2:17.70 (25.32)     2:44.91 (52.53)   3:12.96 (1:20.58)   3:40.94 (1:48.56)        4:06.30 (25.36)     4:35.04 (54.10)   5:03.94 (1:23.00)   5:32.79 (1:51.85)        5:58.72 (25.93)     6:27.53 (54.74)   6:57.03 (1:24.24)   7:25.79 (1:53.00)  3 University of Houston                             7:37.75    7:29.66     1) Schwendenwein, Sasha SO         2) Vaiana, Nicole JR  r:+0.32     3) Pa'lmai, Andrea SO  r:+0.13     4) Szanto, Szi Szi SR  r:+0.23         r:+0.76  25.59       53.25 (53.25)   1:21.67 (1:21.67)   1:50.53 (1:50.53)        2:06.72 (16.19)     2:44.97 (54.44)   3:13.96 (1:23.43)   3:43.38 (1:52.85)        4:08.78 (25.40)     4:37.43 (54.05)   5:06.83 (1:23.45)   5:36.16 (1:52.78)        6:02.18 (26.02)     6:30.72 (54.56)   7:00.18 (1:24.02)   7:29.66 (1:53.50)  4 East Carolina University                          7:35.95    7:32.87     1) Perry, Rebecca JR               2) Brosi, Meghan SO  r:+0.23     3) Blue, Rachel FR  r:+0.24        4) Meade, Jennie SR  r:+0.10         r:+0.76  25.68       53.63 (53.63)   1:22.65 (1:22.65)   1:51.93 (1:51.93)        2:18.57 (26.64)     2:47.71 (55.78)   3:17.12 (1:25.19)   3:46.38 (1:54.45)        4:12.13 (25.75)     4:40.52 (54.14)   5:10.33 (1:23.95)   5:40.24 (1:53.86)        6:05.99 (25.75)     6:34.56 (54.32)   7:03.27 (1:23.03)   7:32.87 (1:52.63) -- Marshall University                               7:50.89         NS     1)                                 2)    r:+0.00     3)    r:+0.00                      4)    r:+0.00
Event 5  Men 800 Yard Freestyle Relay=============================================================================== Meet Record: R 6:38.27   2/22/2006 Southern Methodist University, S M U-                         J White, J Smith, S Milu, I Clark Pool Record: # 6:39.12   2/23/2005 University of Louisville                         Madarassy, Lees, Lawson, Farnham    NCAA "A": * 6:26.08    NCAA "B": @ 6:37.66    School                                               Seed     Finals===============================================================================  1 Southern Methodist University                     6:35.78    6:34.23@     1) Smalley, Maverick FR            2) Milu, Shane JR  r:+0.25     3) Hetland, Alex JR  r:+0.05       4) Vrtovec, Luka SO  r:+0.33         r:+0.72  23.12       47.94 (47.94)   1:13.37 (1:13.37)   1:38.94 (1:38.94)        2:00.57 (21.63)     2:25.21 (46.27)   2:51.08 (1:12.14)   3:17.79 (1:38.85)        3:39.63 (21.84)     4:04.79 (47.00)   4:30.86 (1:13.07)   4:56.76 (1:38.97)        5:18.02 (21.26)     5:41.84 (45.08)   6:07.62 (1:10.86)   6:34.23 (1:37.47)  2 University of Hawai'i                             6:53.10    6:35.45@     1) Mroz, Grzegorz JR               2) Mata, Donny FR  r:+0.26     3) Higley, Mark FR  r:+0.12        4) Lewandowski, Mick JR  r:+0.24         r:+0.30  23.17       48.07 (48.07)   1:12.95 (1:12.95)   1:37.79 (1:37.79)        2:00.81 (23.02)     2:25.99 (48.20)   2:52.50 (1:14.71)   3:19.37 (1:41.58)        3:41.15 (21.78)     4:05.90 (46.53)   4:31.73 (1:12.36)   4:57.06 (1:37.69)        5:18.95 (21.89)     5:43.51 (46.45)   6:09.21 (1:12.15)   6:35.45 (1:38.39)  3 East Carolina University                          6:57.13    6:55.81     1) Ramkvist, Kristian FR           2) McCanless, Charlie JR  r:+0.15     3) Curnutte, Josh SR  r:+0.09      4) Guzewich, Jason FR  r:+0.20         r:+0.90  23.60       49.03 (49.03)   1:15.50 (1:15.50)   1:43.58 (1:43.58)        2:06.68 (23.10)     2:32.55 (48.97)   2:59.43 (1:15.85)   3:26.83 (1:43.25)        3:49.90 (23.07)     4:16.17 (49.34)   4:43.09 (1:16.26)   5:10.02 (1:43.19)        5:33.68 (23.66)     5:59.84 (49.82)   6:27.16 (1:17.14)   6:55.81 (1:45.79)
                     Men - Team Rankings - Through Event 5
  1. University of Hawai'i               117   2. Southern Methodist University        96  3. East Carolina University             94