SMU Leads Conference USA Championships After Day Two

HOUSTON, Texas, February 15. THE second day of the Conference USA Swimming and Diving Championship at the CRWC Natatorium on the campus of the University of Houston wrapped up Thursday evening with Rice taking the 400 medley relay final with a time of 3:56.00. Defending league champion SMU continues to lead the event with 298 points overall after it won three events during the day. Rice remains in second with 212 points and the host Cougars sit in third with 192 points, followed by East Carolina with 182 and Marshall with 105.

Thursday's finals began with SMU taking the top three spots in the 500-yard freestyle. Jennifer Blackman (4:47.12), Anja Carman (4:47.69) and Katie Roberts (4:48.89) claimed the trifecta and allowed the Mustangs to stretch their lead.

SMU notched another first place finish when Jennifer Basel (2:01.93) narrowly out-touched Szi Szi Szanto (2:03.11) of UH in the 200-yard IM and the Ponies claimed their third top finish when Leane Darling won the 50-yard freestyle in 23.83. Rice was able to keep close in the standings after the 50 free, however, as Diane Gu (23.26) and Carly Miller (23.31) finished in second and third place, respectively.

In the women's 3-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 the championship with a score of 366.75. Pozdniakova scored more than 75 points than the second place finisher, Christie Icenhower of East Carolina.

Men's teams from league schools East Carolina and SMU along with Hawaii are also competing in the C-USA men's invitational. SMU leads that event after day two with 309 points, followed by Hawaii with 288 and East Carolina with 221.

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