Houston finishes third at Big 12 Championships, earns four titles

Houston swimming & diving wrapped up five days of competition at the Big 12 Swimming & Diving Championships with a third-place finish as the Cougars captured four individual titles.

Sophomore Alexia Duncan’s title-winning 100-yard backstroke time of 52.31 on day four secured her trip to NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships.

On the fifth and final day, senior Virag Peter won the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:08.11, setting a personal best and breaking her previous school record. The result also secured an NCAA Championship qualification.

Houston totaled 1,194.5 points to secure third in the final standings. Arizona State won the meet with 1,660.5 points, followed by Arizona with 1,442.5.

The Cougars opened the meet with a podium performance in diving, as junior Michelle McLeod, sophomore Caroline Roelen and freshman Maisy Woloszyn combined for a score of 289.70 to earn bronze.

Day two saw freshman Emma Overall finish fifth in the A-Final of the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:49.44. 

Sophomore Mariana Cote placed fifth in the B-Final to finish 12th overall with a time of 4:51.06, while sophomore Kaeli White won the C-Final 4:51.77 (17th overall) and freshman Isabelle Wilson finished fifth in that heat 4:53.99 (21st overall).

In the 200-yard individual medley, Duncan and freshman Evelyn Entrekin finished in fourth (1:59.20) and eighth (2:03.74). 

Senior Jenna Kerkman led Houston in the 50-yard freestyle B-Final with a fourth-place finish (22.71). Senior Liya Goupil placed eighth in the same heat (22.97) and sophomore Sienna Bruner finished fifth in the C-Final with a time of 23.08.

Houston recorded its first individual conference title on the third day when Woloszyn won the 3-meter springboard event. McLeod placed sixth and Roelen finished seventh in the same competition.

In swimming events that day, junior Sydney Nethercutt finished third in the 400-yard individual medley A-Final with a personal-best time of 4:16.57.

Nethercutt on day four, took home the bronze in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 1:57.62 followed by senior Noor El Gendy in fourth with a time of 1:58.80. Redshirt senior Alondra Ortiz won the B-Final of the event with a time of 1:59.35 (ninth overall).

Aside from Peter, another title came on the final day of competition.

McLeod won the platform diving competition and was named the Big 12 Diver of the Meet. 

Woloszyn was named Big 12 Freshman Diver of the Meet.

Junior Elizabeth Jimenez finished third in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:55.08 and overall placed third in the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 16:32.70.

Houston ended the meet with a fourth-place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay with a time of 3:19.63 with Goupil, Bruner, Kerkman and junior Manita Sathianchokwisan.

Houston’s divers are scheduled to compete next at the NCAA Zone D Diving Championships in College Station, March 9–11.