Sports

Pakhalina wins 4th title

Cougar Sports Services

Not defending her title in 2002 just made Yulia Pakhalina that much hungrier for it this year. The senior regained her crown in the one-meter diving competition Thursday at the NCAA Championships in Auburn, Ala., to earn her first National Championship of the meet.

Pin Lim/The Daily Cougar

She won the event in 2001 but came in second last year.

It was Pakhalinais final meet in the event as a Cougar, and she equaled former UH swimmer Diane Johannigmanis record of four individual national titles. Johannigman won her titles from 1978 to i80 in the 100- and 200-yard butterfly events.

Pakhalina will attempt to break the record today when she competes in the three-meter springboard. She won the three-meter national title in 2001 and 2002 and has yet to lose a meet in the event.

The Russian native scored 339.70 points to edge out Tennessee diver Jamie Sangeris 329.90 and Southern California diver Blythe Hartleyis 329.70.

Hartley looked to be Pakhalinais main competition in the finals as the USC star finished less than 10 points behind her 331.40 points in the preliminaries. Hartley ended up having to fight it out against Sanger for second place.

Pakhalina has now won 63 of the 65 collegiate events in which she has competed.

Aside from earning the title, it could prepare her for the 2004 Olympic Games. The NCAAs are usually seen as a way for divers to showcase their skills. Pakhalina already has one Olympic gold medal (in three-meter synchronized diving at the 2000 Sydney Games).

But she wonit just be competing against other schools today. Sheill be joined by fellow Cougar Azul Almazan, who qualified by finishing behind Pakhalina at the NCAA Zone D Diving meet in Austin on March 15. Almazan will also attempt to win a national title in the platform diving competition Sunday.

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