SMU Holds Lead at Conference USA Championships

HOUSTON, Texas, February 16. DAY three of the Conference USA Swimming and Diving Championship at the CRWC Natatorium on the campus of the University of Houston was completed Friday evening with SMU still comfortably ahead. The defending C-USA champion Mustangs have recorded 556 points overall after they won four more events during action today. On Saturday SMU will look to win its 11th consecutive conference championship. Rice remains in second with 440.50 points and the host Cougars sit in third with 401 points, followed by East Carolina with 377 and Marshall with 231.50.

SMU finished one-two-three in two different events on day three. Petra Klosova set a new meet and pool record when she took the gold medal in the 200-yard freestyle, clocking in at 1:45.67. She was fallowed at the wall by teammates Jennifer Blackman (1:46.80) and Celina Lemmen (1:48.08).

SMU also took the top three spots in the 100-yard breaststroke with Devon Callaghan taking top honors, touching the wall in 1:02.64. Fellow Mustang Jennifer Basel was just behind in second place, touching in 1:02.96, while Tamara Sambrailo took third in 1:03.08.

The Ponies finished one-two in the 100-yard butterfly as Justine Clark took the gold in 55.03, just out-touching Leane Darling who finished in 55.15.

SMU was also victorious in the night's only relay event when it took the 200-yard freestyle relay in 1:31.21. Rice took second in the 200 free relay in 1:33.07, while East Carolina took third in 1:35.61.

Andrea Pa'lmai of Houston grabbed the gold medal in the 400-yard IM, touching in 4:25.89, followed by Jackie Jones of East Carolina in second (4:26.52) and Lauren Ford of Marshall in third (4:28.24)

Another Cougar, Jess Shamburger, won the 100-yard backstroke in 56.36, just out-reaching Skylar Craig of Rice who finished in 56.95.

In the women's 1-meter springboard finals, five-time 2007 C-USA Diver of the Week and reigning C-USA Freshman Diver of the Year Anastasia Pozdniakova of Houston took home another diving championship with a score of 323.75. Her teammates Ginni Van Katwijk (249.15) and Rachel Gitelson (247.35) took second and third pace, respectively.

Men's teams from league schools East Carolina and SMU along with Hawaii are also competing in the C-USA men's invitational. SMU also leads that event after day three with 634 points, followed by Hawaii with 582 and East Carolina with 481.

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