The Cougars took on the No. 11 SMU Mustangs Saturday in Dallas but failed to pick up the team’s first victory of the season, despite a strong, board-topping performance from redshirt freshman Micaela Bouter.
Bouter took Saturday’s competition by storm as she earned victories in both of the diving team’s two events. Houston took the top three spots in the 1-meter dive, led by Bouter and followed by junior Danielle Shedd and sophomore Taylor Olanski. The Cougars also dominated the 3-meter dive as Bouter topped the boards while Shedd grabbed the third spot.
Swimming came out strong in Saturday’s meet, as the team picked up 12 podium finishes. Maya Owens placed second in the 100-yard butterfly, junior Mackenzie Alspaugh finished second in the 500-yard freestyle and freshman Victoria Padial rounded out the 500-yard freestyle with third place.
Junior Dora Bednjanec finished the 100-yard breaststroke in second, as did Michaela Hamrick in the 100-yard freestyle where Padial followed her in third place and Alspaugh took second place in the 200-yard freestyle.
Bednjanec finished third in the 50-yard freestyle, while junior Taylor Derevyanik captured third in the 200-yard individual medley and freshman Ashley Grijalva earned a third place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke to finish out individual podium finishes for the Cougars.
The Cougars almost had the 400-yard freestyle relay locked down, but the two Houston relay teams landed in the second and third spots.
The Houston swimming and diving team will split up for its next events as the swimmers head to Pearland to host the Pearland Invitational from Nov. 21 to 23 and the divers travel to Austin for the Texas Invitational Nov. 21 and 22.
