Meet Notes

DALLAS (SMU) -- The SMU women's swimming and diving team travels to Houston for dual meets against Houston and Rice this weekend. The Mustangs take on the Cougars Friday at 6 p.m. CT and the Owls Saturday at 11 a.m. Check SMUMustangs.com leading up to the meet for live event coverage.

The Mustangs are returning to action after last weekend's SMU Classic, an altered format event that featured eight swimmers and one diver from each competing school. The last time the Ponies competed as a team was Oct. 6 at Tulane.

Matea Samardzic was named the American Athletic Conference Swimmer of the Week for the second straight week after her performance at the Classic. The senior posted four NCAA B standards and four times among the nation's top 16. Her time in the 400-yard individual medley (4:13.72) ranks fourth in the country, while her 200-yard backstroke time (1:55.06) is fifth. Both her 100 back (54.21) and 200 IM (2:01.41) rank 16th. All four times pace The American.

Samardzic is one of three Mustangs to post times in the nation's top 25. Sophomore Erin Trahan ranks 19th in the 100-yard butterfly (54.53) and 23rd in the 200-yard butterfly (2:00.88), while freshman Felicity Passon is tied for 17th in the 100 fly (54.52).

The Cougars are 1-0 in dual meets to open the 2017-18 season with a win over Incarnate Word. This will be the second time the Mustangs face Houston this season, the first was an exhibition, altered-format relay meet at North Texas Sept. 29. The Cougars are the reigning American Athletic Conference champions.
 
Rice opened the 2017-18 season with a second place finish at the CSCAA Open Water Championships before going on to win the Rice Fall Splash Invitational on Oct. 7. Rice finished second at the 2017 Conference USA Swimming and Diving Championships and sent one swimmer to the NCAA Championships.
 
The Mustangs defeated both Houston (170-128) and Rice (154-126) during the 2016-17 season.

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BACK ON THE HILLTOP
Building on a legacy of proud Olympians, world records and 155 national titles, SMU broke ground on the new Robson & Lindley Aquatics Center and Barr-McMillion Natatorium on Friday, Feb. 26, 2016. The facility is set to open Homecoming weekend, Nov. 3, when the Mustang men and women host LSU, and will serve as host to the 2018 American Athletic Conference Championships.

The 42,000 square foot center will be home to SMU's internationally-recognized men's and women's swimming and diving teams. Located at 5550 SMU Blvd. on the University's growing east campus, the center will provide facilities for practice, competition and community use. The Aquatics Center will feature an Olympic-sized, eight-lane indoor pool with a platform diving area, including four springboards and a 10-meter tower for training and competition. Coaches' offices, men's, women's and visitor locker rooms and a classroom and meeting area will be located adjacent to the pool. Spectator seating for 800 will be on the mezzanine level.