Seniors Abbie Alverez, Henrietta Fangli, Mary Catherine Jurica, Alexa Massari, Josie Graves, Adelaide Mueter and Alondra Oritz were celebrated on senior day as they prepared for graduation. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar.
The Houston swimming and diving team has dove headfirst into the season.
With hard work and dedication, they have broken records and racked up impressive finishes.
Big 12 newcomer Cullen breaks records
Freshman Lottie Cullen was recently named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week and is living up to that title.
In the A&M matchup, Cullen broke Houston’s backstroke record in her 100-yard swim with a time of 52.47 seconds, earning her team second place in the 400-yard medley relay.
Soon after, she again broke the record with a time of 52.29 seconds, earning the first B-cut of her career.
Cullen claimed third place with 1:58.07 and the seventh fastest time in Houston’s history in the 200-yard backstroke.
The team rallied behind Cullen’s stellar performance, earning 16 podiums and four NCAA B-cuts.
Senior Henrietta Fangli, junior Noor El Gendy, junior Liya Goupil and Cullen finished second place in the 400-medley relay.
Together, they earned the nation’s sixth-fastest time, 3:35.29, this season.
Sophomores Elizabeth Jimenez, Sydney Nethercutt, Evelyn Entrekin and Nora Heytei also made big statements in their events.
Jimenez claimed a top 10 time in UH history with a 54.62 finish in the 400-medley relay.
Nethercutt climbed into Houston’s all-time top 10 list in the 1,000-yard freestyle with 10:04.55, placing second in the event and 10th in the program’s history.
Entrekin, alongside Fangli, claimed NCAA B-cuts in the 100-yard backstroke. Fangli finished first with 1:00.33, and Entrekin followed in second place with 1:00.86.
Heytei, a former B-finals winner, finished second place in the 200-yard individual medley with 2:03.23.
Senior Adelaide Meuter led the 200-yard butterfly, placing second with 2:00:01, while Goulpil earned second in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 50.90.
Closing the event, Jimenez, Cullen, freshman Regina Torres Pomar and junior Jenna Kerkman claimed the third-place podium spot with a final time of 3:27.46.
The 400-yard relay team of Goupil, senior Mary Catherine Jurica, freshman Sienna Bruner, and freshman Alexandra Curcan earned second place with 3:25.06.
In the first loss of the season meet to No. 20 Texas A&M with 200-100, it was ultimately a win for Houston’s history.
Cullen shines in tri-meet matchup against No. 13 LSU
On Saturday morning, Houston’s swimming & diving team took a head-on win against Tulane, 187-113, and a loss to No. 13 LSU but fought hard with 14 podiums in the meet.
Houston student-athletes continued to thrive with two swimmers earning NCAA cuts and three moving up the top 10 lists.
Cullen again flourished with another B-cut time in the backstroke events, taking first place in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 52.33.
Finishing third in the 200-yard backstroke, Cullen made an NCAA B-cut in 1:56.46 and climbed Houston’s top 10 lists.
Jimenez also moved into Houston’s top 10 lists in fourth place with a 54.44.
Entrekin made history, finishing third with 2:14.07, which is the ninth-best time in the program’s history.
Meanwhile, Fangli, in the 100-yard breaststroke, claimed the win with a 1:00.31, and Entrekin finished close behind in second place with 1:00.75.
In a close race in the three-meter, graduate Hedda Grelz finished second place in 312.15, followed by sophomore Michelle McLeod with 288.35.
Graduate Emilia Waters earned her second NCAA zone cut of the season in the three-meter diving with a score of 286.55, placing fourth overall.
Houston also secured the top two podiums in the 100-yard butterfly.
Meuter claimed the win with 54.28, and close behind senior Abbie Alvarez finished in second place with 54.58.
Nethercutt placed second in the 1,000-yard freestyle with 10:02.55, maintaining her spot at 10th on Houston’s top 10 list.
Closing out the event, Meuter came in second in the 200-yard butterfly with 1:59.79, and El Gendy followed in third with 2:00.21.
Finishing strong, Grelz claimed third place in the three-meter with a score of 279.05.
Cougars start Phil Hansen Invitational strong achieving program highs
Houston’s swimming and diving team started strong on day one of the invitational, setting two program records and three wins in three events on Nov. 20.
On the first day of the invitational, Houston scored 416 points, followed by Rice with 288 and Nevada with 268.
The relay team was the highlight of the event. Cullen, Fangli, El Gendy and Goupil bypassed program records with a 3:33.10 in the 400-yard medley.
All-star Cullen broke her record 100-yard backstroke with a time of 51.95.
Entrekin claimed the first win for the Cougars in the 200-yard individual medley, finishing with 1:59.97, the eighth-fastest time in program history.
Heytei followed closely behind, with a 2:00.73, which is the ninth-fastest finish in the program’s history.
Cullen continued to set the bar as she claimed the top spot in the 200-yard individual medley B-final with a 2:01.62.
Cullen now has a relay record and an individual record in the 100-yard backstroke, including two Houston top-10 finishes.
Freshman Kaeli White swept the top spot in the 500-yard B-final, securing ninth place with 4:57:67, Nethercutt in tenth place with 4:55:21, and Jimenez in eleventh with 4:56:54.
Goupil finished fourth in the 50-yard freestyle A-final with a time of 23.13. The Cougars continued to pile up points as freshman Mariana Cote, junior Landry Hadder and sophomore Megan Unruh finished in the top three spots in the 500-yard C-final.
Houston claimed the top three winning positions in the one-meter diving competition, with McLeod taking the win with a score of 324.85, Grelz with 307.10 and Waters with 306.80 in second and third place consecutively.
Houston’s strong performance set the tone for day two of the invitational at the CRWC Natatorium.
Houston collects 11 podium wins on day two of the Phil Hansel Invitational
The Cougars claimed three first-place finishes, 11 podiums, program record highs and an NCAA zone cut on day two of the Phil Hansel Invitational.
Houston led again with 1,243 points. Rice followed in the event with 792 points in second place. Following in third and fourth were Nevada with 656 and Air Force with 627.
Cullen set a new program high in the 100-yard backstroke for the third time this season. After surpassing her previous record on Nov. 20, she surpassed the record again with a 51.19, claiming the top spot in the event.
Following behind in fourth place, Jimenez finished with 53.94, moving to sixth on the top 10 list.
Meanwhile, graduate Danielle Titus won the B-finals with a time of 54.98.
Houston cleared podium spots in the three-meter. McLeod claimed first with 345.05, followed by Grelz, who placed second with 309.50.
Waters placed third with a 309.25 score. For the second time, freshman Caroline Roelen earned an NCAA B-cut with a score of 304.85.
Fangli led the 100-yard backstroke, finishing with 59.19. Entrekin came in second with 59.76.
Goupil and Bruner tied for second place in the 800-yard freestyle relay with 7:17.40 on a close margin to the winning time of 7:17.31 from Rice.
Goupil placed third in the 200-yard freestyle, earning the fifth-fastest time in program history with 1:47.31.
Earning points for Houston were Burner in seventh and White in tenth.
Houston gathered points in the 400-yard individual medley. Hadder beat her fastest time, making fourth in program history and claiming third place with a time of 4:16.97.
Nethercutt came in sixth place in the A-final with 4:22.24, followed by Heytei in seventh with 4:23.82.
The star relay team of Cullen, Fangli, El Gendy and Goupil took third in the 200-yard medley relay with 1:39.06 rounding out the scoring for the day.
Houston takes first in the Phil Hansen Invitational
On Nov. 22, the final day of the invitational, Houston won with two school records and nine NCAA standards.
Houston led with 1,941 points, Rice came second with 1,155 and Air Force came third with 1,022.
Cullen made records early in her career, breaking the 200-yard backstroke best time, tallying her third school record of the season.
Junior Virag Peter set a new record, coming in first place in the 200-yard backstroke, finishing at 2:08.72.
Finishing second, Fangli earned an NCAA B-cut, followed by Entrekin in third.
Jimenez and Titus finished first and third in the 200-yard backstroke, each earning podium spots.
With the performance, Jimenez rose up the ranks to sixth on Houston’s top 10 list in the event.
Nethercutt made another podium in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 1:57.49, finishing with the third-fastest time in Houston history.
Close behind were Meuter in second place and El Gendy in third place. Meuter and El Gendy also broke records, finishing with the fourth and fifth fastest times in program history consecutively.
Roelen earned her third NCAA zone cut of the event. Also, Goupil’s 200-yard freestyle claimed second place with 49.84.
In the 1,650-yard freestyle, Nethercutt placed fourth in 16:40.96 and earned a B-cut. Cote took sixth with 16:46.68 and White in eleventh with 17:01.98.
The 400-yard freestyle relay team of Goupil, Burner, Kerkman and Entrekin finalized the event, taking second place with 3:20.93.
Cougars ride waves of victory to begin 2025 season
From a dominant start against Kansas to a tough loss against Miami, the Houston swimming and diving team has experienced the highs and lows of collegiate competition early in 2025.
However, the Cougars rebounded in impressive fashion, beginning the new month right with a victory over Rice on Senior Day.
Cougars claim 34 podiums in first meet of 2025
Houston’s swimming and diving team dominated in their first meet of 2025, defeating Kansas with a score of 215.5-84.5.
They won every swimming event and secured 34 podium finishes across 16 events.
The Cougars started strong by sweeping the podium in the 200-yard medley relay.
Jimenez, Fangli, El Gendy and Goupil took first place with a time of 1:42.32.
Torres Pomar, Peter, Meuter and Jurica finished in second place at 1:45.56. Also, Titus, Entrekin, Alvarez and Bruner claimed third with a time of 1:45.85.
Cote kept the momentum going, leading a podium sweep in the 1,000-yard freestyle.
She won with a time of 10:17.91, followed by Nethercutt in second at 10:22.86 and White in third at 10:36.31.
Houston secured first and second-place finishes in the following three events.
Jurica won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:53.20, while freshman Elizabeth Benoit tied for second at 1:54.41.
The Cougars took another top finish in the 100-yard backstroke, with Jimenez finishing first at 55.99 and Torres Pomar second at 56.67.
Fangli and Entrekin placed first and second in the 100-yard breaststroke, posting times of 1:02.47 and 1:03.24, respectively.
The Cougars dominated the 200-yard butterfly, clinching the top five spots.
El Gendy won with a time of 2:01.40, with Nethercutt in second at 2:03.72 and freshman Kristina DiPietro in third at 2:03.95.
Meuter finished fourth at 2:05.85, while junior Isabella Lojewski took fifth at 2:06.50.
Goupil won the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23.54, and McLeod and Grelz placed second at 307.50 and third at 282.53 in the 3-meter diving competition.
Goupil then claimed her second victory, swimming a 51.01 in the 100-yard freestyle, with Bruner finishing second at 52.48.
Jimenez, Titus and Torres Pomar earned another podium sweep finish in the 200-yard backstroke with times of 2:01.34, 2:01.92, and 2:03.93, respectively, while Fangli took first at 2:18.32 and Entrekin third at 2:19.58 in the 200-yard breaststroke.
Cote won her second event, the 500-yard freestyle, with a time of 5:04.04, with Nethercutt finishing second at 5:06.47. El Gendy also earned her second win of the meet in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 55.28, followed by Meuter in third at 56.80.
McLeod and Grelz again placed second at 285.15 and third at 264.08 in the one-meter diving competition, while Hetyei won the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:07.10.
Houston closed the meet with a first-place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Goupil, Jurica, Bruner and Entrekin won with a time of 3:27.25, while Kerkman, Curcan, Benoit and Jimenez finished third at 3:32.70.
Cougars fall short in second meet of the year
On Friday, the UH swimming and diving team competed against Miami at the Whitten Center Pool and lost 104-194.
Despite the defeat, Houston ended up on the podium 21 times with one first-place event.
The Cougars dominated the 200-yard breaststroke, securing first and second place on the podium. Peter finished first with a time of 2:12:99, while Fangli followed closely behind with a time of 2:14:58.
Entrekin finished fourth, clocking in at 2:14:82. Their combined efforts earned the Cougars 15 points.
Enterkin and Fangli also competed in the 100-yard breaststroke, finishing in second and third place at 1:00:48 and 1:00:66, respectively.
During the 200-yard medley relay, Cullen, Fangli, Gendy and Goupil teamed up to finish with a time of 1:40:57.
Cullen and Goupil also excelled in individual events, each securing second place.
Cullen earned her spot in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 54:48, while Goupil claimed her place in the 50-yard freestyle, finishing at 23:29.
El Gendy and Alvarez delivered strong performances in the 100-yard butterfly, securing second and third place on the podium.
Alvarez clocked in at 54:95, narrowly edging out El Gendy, who finished at 54:98.
For the 1000-yard freestyle, Cote finished in second place at 9:57:47.
In the 200-yard freestyle, Bruner claimed third place with a time of 1:50:55.
Bruner reappeared in the 200-yard freestyle relay, teaming up with Goupil, Jurica and Kerkman to finish second at 1:34:60.
Meuter earned second place in the 200-yard butterfly, finishing with a time of 1:59:49.
Titus took third place in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:59:00.
In the 500-yard freestyle, Nethercutt and Benoit secured second and third place, respectively. Nethercutt finished at 4:55:10, while Benoit finished at 5:00:98.
Hadder secured third place in the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 4:22:90.
During the one-meter dive, McLeod claimed second place with a final score of 290.93, while Waters secured third with a score of 279.83.
For the three-meter dive, Grelz earned second place with a score of 312.00, and McLeod returned to the podium, finishing third with a score of 307.50.
Houston makes waves on Senior Day
The Houston Swimming & Diving team dominated Rice in their final dual meet of the season, winning 182-111 on Friday at CRWC Natatorium.
Before the meet, seniors Abbie Alvarez, Henrietta Fangli, Josie Graves, Mary Catherine Jurica, Alexa Massari, Adelaide Meuter, and Alondra Ortiz were honored with flowers and applause as they prepared for graduation at the end of the school year.
The Cougars delivered an impressive performance, earning 32 podium finishes, including 10 first-place wins and breaking two program records.
The Cougars started strong, sweeping the podium in the 400-yard medley relay. Cullen, Fangli, El Gendy and Goupil secured first place with a time of 3:37.69.
Jimenez, Entrekin, Meuter and Bruner finished in second place at 3:39.95.
Titus, Peter, Alvarez and Jurica completed the sweep by taking third with a time of 3:47.37.
Houston dominated in the 100-yard breaststroke, claiming the top three spots. Entrekin finished first with a time of 1:00.12, narrowly edging out Fangli, who finished second with a time of 1:00.17, and Peter, who took third at 1:01.83.
Meuter then responded with one of her impressive performances, breaking a program record in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 1:59.90. Alvarez took second place at 2:00.43. At the same time, El Gendy finished third with a time of 2:00.59, keeping the Cougars firmly in control of the podium.
Goupil continued to shine, winning both the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23.24 and the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 50.64, adding two more victories to Houston’s tally.
In the three-meter dive, Grelz claimed first place with a final score of 315.83, while McLeod and Waters took second and third, respectively.
In the meet’s final event, Peter secured first place in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:10.87.
Entrekin finished second with a time of 2:13.55, while Fangli took third with a time of 2:14.64.
Entrekin’s performance earned her the eighth spot on Houston’s Top 10 Times list.
Houston hosts TCU, Rice for final home meet of the season
Houston’s swimming & diving team will close out its home schedule this weekend as the Cougars welcome TCU and Rice to the CRWC Natatorium for the First Chance Meet.
Dominant performance against Rice
Houston enters the meet following an impressive 182-11 victory over Rice. The Cougars dominated the competition, winning 10 events, securing 32 podium finishes and setting two program top 10 times.
Grelz delivered a standout performance in diving, winning the three-meter competition with a season-best score of 315.83, earning her Big 12 Diver of the Week honors.
Cullen has been a force in her debut season, breaking two individual program records in the 100- and 200-yard backstrokes and helping set a new school record in the 400-yard medley relay.
Her dominance has earned her Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors four times this season, including this past week.
Cougars on track for NCAA qualification
Several Cougars have hit NCAA qualifying marks this season, with 24 NCAA Cuts recorded across nine events. Divers Grelz, McLeod and Roelen have clinched NCAA Zone Cuts in all three diving events.
Nethercutt and Fangli posted multiple NCAA B-Cut times in their respective swimming events.
International standouts
Houston’s talent has been showcased on the world stage, with four Cougars competing at Short Course Worlds and two at the Gyor Open in December.
Cullen (Ireland), Fangli (Hungary), Titus (Barbados) and Jimenez (Dominican Republic) all represented their nations. Fangli set a Hungarian record in the 100-meter breaststroke of 1:05.09, and Jimenez broke the Dominican Republic’s 50-meter backstroke record of 28.44.
As Houston prepares for its final home meet of the season, the Cougars look to build momentum heading into the postseason.
Houston’s next meeting will be the Big 12 Championships on Feb. 28 at Federal Way, Wash.
