Student Publications
University of Houston
151C Communications Bldg
Houston, TX 77204-4015
713.743.5350

©1991-2007
Student Publications,
All rights reserved.

Last modified:

Contact:
ktruitt@uh.edu

Sports

UH divers jump at chance for NCAA bids 

By JONG LEE
The Daily Cougar

With seven NCAA bids up for grabs, UH will pit three divers against some fierce competition at the NCAA Zone D meet, which begins today on the University of Texas campus in Austin.

Senior Rachel Gitelson, junior Ginni van Katwijk and sophomore Anastasia Pozdniakova will attempt to advance to the next level after posting spectacular performances at the Conference USA championship meet.

"Our top diver this time is Pozdniakova. She's competed well this year and she has beaten most of the top girls in the country," UH diving coach Jane Figueiredo said. "Gitelson was an All-American her sophomore year. We're expecting (her) to get back on platform this year and do that for us in the NCAA. Van Katwijk transferred from Wyoming and she's qualified for the NCAA before, and hopefully she can get back."

The three-day competition begins with the three-meter springboard at 2:45 p.m. The meet will continue with the one-meter springboard at noon Saturday and concludes with the platform at 10 a.m. Sunday.

More than 20 divers will compete for a spot at the NCAA Championships, which starts Thursday.

"Our goal is to be part of that group that makes the NCAA Championships," Figueiredo said.

Last season, the Cougars sent divers Anna Kiess and Tania Cagnotto to the NCAA Championships. Kiess and Cagnotto earned eighth-place finishes in the three-meter springboard and platform competition, respectively.

This season, Kiess left the team for personal reasons and Cagnotto left to fulfill obligations in Italy.

"(Losing Cagnotto) wasn't difficult at all. She had some priorities she had to take care of in Italy and we knew that it was a possibility," Figueiredo said. "We were expecting to have her for a year or two, but she had to leave."

Figueiredo has led 21 divers to the NCAA Championships in her 17-year coaching career. 

She'll look to add to her numbers as a coach, but credits the team's success this year to the divers.

"We had all our divers step up and take care of business like they're supposed to, and we hope that all three will qualify," Figueiredo said. 

Send comments to dcsports@mail.uh.edu