Juana Garcia/The Cougar

Houston swim and dive opened their 2024-25 season in the Houston Diving Invitational and Rice Fall Splash with 26 podium finishes and 10 1st-place winners.

Freshman Lottie Cullen was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week for her three first-place finishes and a pair of second-place places, including the seventh-fastest time in program history for the 100-yard backstroke.

The two-day event was split into different locations between the CRWC Natatorium for diving and the Rice Competition pool for swimming.

On day one of the Houston Diving Invitational, the Cougars placed second and third in the one-meter event.

Sophomore Michelle McLeod scored 291.65 for second, and graduate Hedda Grelz took third with a score of 279.85.

Grelz and McLeod continued their strong day with another second and third-place finish with Grelz scoring 299.25 and McLeod with 290.75.

The Cougars swept the podium in the 100-yard breaststroke, as senior Henrietta Fangli took first with a time of 1:02.8. At the same time, junior Virag Peter got second with 1:02.88 and sophomore Evelyn Entrekin rounded out the top three with 1:03.01.

Houston had two podium finishes in the 200-yard backstroke as Cullen clinched her first individual podium finish in second (1:59.92), and sophomore Elizabeth Jimenez got third with 2:01.18.

UH had two more podium finishes in the 400-yard medley relay team of Cullen, Fangli, senior Mary Catherine Jurica and junior Noor El Gendy took the top spot with a time of 3:43.59. Jimenez, Entrekin, junior Jenna Kerkman and senior Adelaide Meuter took third (3:48.27).

Gendy got first in the 200-yard butterfly (2:02.56) followed by Meuter in second (2:03.06).

Entrekin and Fangli added on in the 100-yard individual medley with second (57.77) and third (58.29).

In the 100-yard freestyle, the Cougars had two more podium finishes as junior Liya Goupil won with a time of 51.30 and Jurica got second with 51.49.

To end the day, UH got third in the 400-yard individual medley as sophomore Sydney Nethercutt swam in 4:27.72 and a second-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle relay.

On the second day of the Houston diving invitational, the Cougars swept the podium with McLeod who led the way in first with a score of 250.8, Grelz in second with 243.7, and freshman Caroline Roelen in third. Houston took the top two spots in team diving as well with Roelen, Grelz, and graduate Emilia Waters taking first.

Houston won the Rice Fall Splash with the highest team score of 383.5 compared to Rice’s 286.

In the 100-yard backstroke, Cullen took first with the seventh-fastest time in team history of 54.5. Jimenez also got second in the event.

The Cougars took first and third in the 200-yard breaststroke as junior Virag Peter won with a time of 2:16.5 and Fangli got third. El Gendy continued her dominance with her third first-place finish of the tournament in the 100-yard butterfly (56.41), while Meuter took second.

Houston won the 200-yard medley relay in 1:43.34 while earning second in the 40-yard freestyle relay. Goupil added another podium finish with a second in the 50-yard freestyle.

Next up, UH goes to College Station for a dual meet with Texas A&M on Oct. 24.

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“Houston swim and dive starts season with 26 podium finishes, Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honor” was originally posted on The Cougar