Cougar Divers Win Silver Medal At Beijing Olympics

BEIJING, CHINA (August 11, 2008) Cougar diver Anastasia Pozdniakova and former Cougar Yulia Pakhalina joined forces to take home a silver medal in the synchronized diving competition for Russia at the Beijing Olympics.

The duo scored 323.61 points to take home a medal. They finished second to the China while Germany took home bronze. This is Pozdniakova's first Olympic medal and the fourth for Pakhalina. She has won one gold, two silvers and one bronze.

Pozdniakova and Pakhalina will join with former Cougar Tania Cognotto to compete in the 3-meter springboard on Aug. 15-17. Cognotto, competing for Italy, will also dive in the 10-meter platform on Aug. 20-21.

All diving events will take place at the National Aquatics Center on the Olympic Green, and the Olympics are scheduled to air on the NBC family of networks.

Pozdniakova was named the Conference USA Diver of the Meet after winning both the 1-meter and 3-meter championship during the 2007 C-USA Swimming and Diving Championships. She was a red-shirt this past season and did not compete for the Cougars as she trained for the Olympics. In 2006-07, she was also named the C-USA Diver of the Week four times during the regular season.

Pozdniakova continued the success of her sophomore campaign, winning the 1-meter and 3-meter championships at the NCAA Zone D Meet. She finished second on the 3-meter springboard and fifth in the 1-meter competition at the NCAA meet, earning All-America status.

Pakhalina, an Olympic medal winner, took home bronze in the 3-meter springboard and silver in synchronized diving at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. She also was a gold medalist in synchronized diving in Sydney in 2000.

As a Cougar, Pakhalina was a five-time NCAA individual national champion in the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard. She also recorded 36 consecutive wins in collegiate competition and was an 11-time C-USA Diver of the Week.

Cougar diving coach Jane Figueiredo will be an assistant coach for the Russian team for the third time, including in 2000 and 2004. She also was an assistant coach for Great Britain in 1996 and competed as a diver in the 1984 Olympics in Pos Angeles.

While Cagnotto only competed at Houston for one season, she set a UH and C-USA record by being named C-USA Diver of the Week nine times and swept all three diving events at the 2006 C-USA Championship. She was just the second diver in C-USA history to win all three diving events at one championship meet, joining Pakhalina who accomplished the feat in 2002.

Former/Current UH Divers Prepare for 2008 Olympics

HOUSTON, TEXAS (August 1, 2009) Former University of Houston divers Yulia Pakhalina and Tania Cagnotto and current Cougar Anastasia Pozdniakova are preparing to represent their home countries at the 2008 Olympics when they begin on Aug. 8 in Beijing.

Pozdniakova and Pakhalina, both natives of Russia, will compete together in the 3-meter synchronized springboard Aug. 10 and Cagnotto will compete for Italy in the 10-meter platform Aug. 20-21. All three divers will also participate in the 3-meter springboard Aug. 15-17.

All three events will take place at the National Aquatics Center on the Olympic Green, and the Olympics are scheduled to air on the NBC family of networks.Pozdniakova was named the Conference USA Diver of the Meet after winning both the 1-meter and 3-meter championship during the 2007 C-USA Swimming and Diving Championships. She was a redshirt this past season and did not compete for the Cougars as she trained for the Olympics. In 2006-07, she was also named the C-USA Diver of the Week four times during the regular season.

Pozdniakova continued the success of her sophomore campaign, winning the 1-meter and 3-meter championships at the NCAA Zone D Meet. She finished second on the 3-meter springboard and fifth in the 1-meter competition at the NCAA meet, earning All-America status.

Pakhalina, an Olympic medal winner, took home bronze in the 3-meter springboard and silver in synchronized diving at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. She also was a gold medalist in synchronized diving in Sydney in 2000.As a Cougar, Pakhalina was a five-time NCAA individual national champion in the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard. She also recorded 36 consecutive wins in collegiate competition and was an 11-time C-USA Diver of the Week.


While Cagnotto only competed at Houston for one season, she set a UH and C-USA record by being named C-USA Diver of the Week nine times and swept all three diving events at the 2006 C-USA Championship. She was just the second diver in C-USA history to win all three diving events at one championship meet, joining Pakhalina who accomplished the feat in 2002.

Cougar diving coach Jane Figueiredo will be an assistant coach for the Russian team for the third time, including in 2000 and 2004. She also was an assistant coach for Great Britain in 1996 and competed as a diver in the 1984 Olympics in Portugal.

Three UH Divers Earn All-America Honors on Platform at NCAA Championship

COLUMBUS, OHIO (Mrach 23, 2008) Three University of Houston divers capped their 2007-08 season in impressive style by earning All-America honors on the platform during the final day of the NCAA Championships on Saturday at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion on the campus of Ohio State.

Freshman Lacey Truelove, competing in her first NCAA Championship, earned the best finish by any Cougar at the 2008 meet, finishing sixth on the platform with 272.35 points during the finals. It was the first All-America honor for the London, Ontario, native, who recorded 304.95 points during the preliminaries earlier in the day.

Senior captain Ginni van Katwijk won the consolation finals with 296.20 points, while freshman Courtney Forcucci finished 15th with 224.40 points.It was the second All-America honor at the 2008 NCAA Championship for van Katwijk, who finished 10th on the 3-meter springboard on Friday.

Competing in her first NCAA Championship, Forcucci collected the first All-America honor of her career.With their performance on Saturday alone, the Cougar trio earned 24 points to help lead Houston to a final team score of 29 points.

The Cougars finished 28th in the overall team standings, the first time during the last eight seasons that UH failed to finish among the Top-25 team leaders at the nation’s top collegiate meet.

van Katwijk collected 252.70 points, while Forcucci posted 226.35 points during the preliminaries earlier in the day.Brittany Viola of Miami (Fla.) won the platform national championship with 362.60 points during the finals.

Arizona won the 2008 team national championship with 484 points, while Auburn finished second with 348 points. The Cougars earned the second most points among Conference USA teams, trailing only SMU, which earned 126 points to finish 11th.

Forcucci earned her place at the NCAA Championship after finishing second on the 1-meter springboard during the three-day meet's first day. van Katwijk and Truelove qualified the next day after finishing 1-2, respectively, on the 3-meter board.

Truelove added to her impressive resume during her first collegiate season by winning the platform title at the NCAA Zone D meet on Sunday.While Truelove and Forcucci will compete in their first NCAA Championship, the event is nothing new for diving head coach Jane Figueiredo. During her illustrious 18-year career at UH, Figueiredo now has led 26 divers to the NCAA Championship.

Adding her divers’ 2008 performances to her resume, Figueiredo has mentored 13 divers to 39 All-America honors.This marked the eighth consecutive year that at least one UH diver competed at the NCAA Championship, and it was the fifth straight season that the Cougars sent multiple divers to the Championship.

van Katwijk Leads UH Divers on 3-Meter Board at NCAA Championship

COLUMBUS, OHIO (March 22, 2008) University of Houston senior captain Ginni van Katwijk scored 313.90 points to finish 12th on the 3-meter springboard to lead the Cougars during the second day of the 2008 NCAA Championships on Friday at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion on the campus of Ohio State.

The Grootebroek, Netherlands, native qualified for the finals after scoring 311.00 points to ranks 10th. van Katwijk saved her best performance for last, scoring 54.60 points on her final dive to qualify for the finals.

Later in the day, she recorded 313.65 points in the consolation finals for her final standing. With that performance, van Katwijk earned All-America honors at the NCAA Championship for the second straight season. In 2007, she finished second in the consolation finals on the platform for her first All-America award.

In addition, van Katwijk earned five points for the Cougars in the overall team standings. Houston has finished among the Top-25 leaders at the NCAA Championship for seven consecutive seasons entering the 2008 meet.

Ohio State's Chelsea Davis won the 3-meter national championship with 365.85 points in the finals. Teammate Bianca Alvarez finished second with 354.50 points.

Arizona leads the team standings with 361 points heading into the final day. Auburn is second with 244 points, while Texas A&M is third with 227 points.

Freshmen Lacey Truelove and Courtney Forcucci also are competing in their first NCAA Championship meets and competed on Friday. Truelove placed 19th in the preliminaries with 284.20 points, while Forcucci scored 247.10 points to finish 36th.

The Cougars wrap up their stay Saturday, beginning with the platform trials at 12:30 p.m. (CDT). The platform consolation finals are slated to begin at 2:15 p.m. (CDT) with the swimming and diving finals starting at 6 p.m. (CDT).

Forcucci earned her place at the NCAA Championship after finishing second on the 1-meter springboard during the three-day meet's first day. van Katwijk and Truelove qualified the next day after finishing 1-2, respectively, on the 3-meter board.

Truelove added to her impressive resume during her first collegiate season by winning the platform title at the NCAA Zone D meet on Sunday.

While Truelove and Forcucci will compete in their first NCAA Championship, the event is nothing new for diving head coach Jane Figueiredo. During her illustrious 18-year career at UH, Figueiredo now has led 26 divers to the NCAA Championship.

Adding van Katwijk's performance Friday to her resume, Figueiredo also has mentored 11 divers to 36 All-America honors.

This marks the eighth consecutive year that at least one UH diver has competed at the NCAA Championship and it will be the fifth straight season that the Cougars have sent multiple divers to the nation's top collegiate meet.

UH Divers Compete at First Day of NCAA Championships

COLUMBUS, OHIO (March 20, 2008) – Three University of Houston divers competed in the women’s 1-meter event Thursday at the 2008 NCAA Championship at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion on the campus of Ohio State.

Senior captain Ginni van Katwijk placed 18th with 263.15 points, while freshman Courtney Forcucci finished 21st with 260.15 points. Freshman Lacey Truelove placed 38th with 224.65 points.

The divers will compete on the 3-meter springboard, beginning with trials at 12:30 p.m. (CDT) Friday. The consolation finals for places nine through 16 will begin at 2:30 p.m. (CDT) with the swimming and diving finals scheduled to start at 6 p.m. (CDT).

This is the second-career appearance for van Katwijk at the NCAA Championship. In 2007, she placed second in the consolation finals and earned All-America honors on the platform.

This marks the first NCAA Championship appearance for both Forcucci and Truelove.

During head coach Jane Figueiredo’s 18-year career at UH, she has led 26 divers to the NCAA Championship, including 10 divers who earned 35 All-America honors.

Figueiredo was honored Conference USA Diving Coach of the Year for the seventh-straight year earlier this season.

UH Divers Ready for NCAA Championship

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 19, 2008) Three University of Houston divers will begin competition at the 2008 NCAA Championship on Thursday at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion on the campus of Ohio State.

Senior captain Ginni van Katwijk and freshmen Courtney Forcucci and Lacey Truelove earned their places at the nation's top collegiate meet with solid performances throughout the NCAA Zone D meet last weekend at UH's own Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Natatorium.

The Cougar trio is scheduled to compete in all three events at the NCAA Championship. Their schedule begins at 12:30 p.m. (CDT), Thursday with the 1-meter diving trials. The consolation finals for places nine through 16 will begin at 2:15 p.m. (CDT) with the finals of both swimming and diving slated to start at 6 p.m. (CDT).

On Friday, the divers will compete on the 3-meter springboard, beginning with the 3-meter trials at 12:30 p.m. (CDT). The consolation finals for places nine through 16 begins at 2:30 p.m. (CDT) with the swimming and diving finals scheduled to start at 6 p.m. (CDT).

The Cougars wrap up their stay Saturday, beginning with the platform trials at 12:30 p.m. (CDT). The platform consolation finals are slated to begin at 2:15 p.m. (CDT) with the swimming and diving finals starting at 6 p.m. (CDT).

All-session tickets are available for $60 with sessions for each day's preliminaries selling for $10 and sessions for each day's finals going for $15. Tickets can be bought in advance by calling the Ohio State Ticket Office at 1-800-G0-BUCKS.

Live results of the 2008 NCAA Championship will be available at OhioStateBuckeyes.com by clicking on the NCAA Championships logo in the middle of the women's swimming and diving home page.

van Katwijk will make her second career appearance at the NCAA Championship. A year ago, the Grootebroek, Netherlands, native won the consolation finals and earned All-America honors on the platform.

Forcucci and Truelove will compete in their first NCAA Championship

Forcucci earned her place at the NCAA Championship after finishing second on the 1-meter springboard during the three-day meet's first day. van Katwijk and Truelove qualified the next day after finishing 1-2, respectively, on the 3-meter board.

Truelove added to her impressive resume during her first collegiate season by winning the platform title at the NCAA Zone D meet on Sunday.

While Truelove and Forcucci will compete in their first NCAA Championship, the event is nothing new for diving head coach Jane Figueiredo. During her illustrious 18-year career at UH, Figueiredo now has led 26 divers to the NCAA Championship, including 10divers who earned 35 All-America honors.

This marks the eighth consecutive year that at least one UH diver has competed at the NCAA Championship and it will be the fifth straight season that the Cougars have sent multiple divers to the nation's top collegiate meet.

Cougars' Divers Qualify for NCAA Championships

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 16, 2008)- University of Houston senior captain Ginni van Katwijk and freshman Lacey Truelove became the second and third Cougars to qualify for the 2008 NCAA Championship with their performances Saturday afternoon during the NCAA Zone D Diving Meet at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Natatorium.

van Katwijk won the 3-meter event with 641.05 points with Truelove a close second with 637.10 points. Both Cougars joined freshman Courtney Forcucci as qualifiers for the 2008 NCAA Championship.

van Katwijk held third place with 322.35 points following the preliminaries behind teammate Truelove who recorded 325.25 points.

Forcucci, who qualified for the NCAA Championship with her second-place performance in Friday's 1-meter event, finished fifth on the 3-meter board with 572.55 points.

This marks the second time van Katwijk will compete in the NCAA Championship. In 2007, van Katwijk finished second in the platform diving consolation finals with 294.75 points.

Forcucci and Truelove will compete at the NCAA Championship for the first time.

They will be the 24th, 25th and 26th divers to compete at the NCAA Championship under head coach Jane Figueiredo.

Missouri's Kendra Melnychuk also qualified for the NCAA Championship after finishing fourth with 621.80 points in the 3-meter event.

Texas' Jonathan Wilcox won the men's 1-meter event with 686.40 points, while teammates Matthew Cooper and Mike Wong placed second and third.

The meet will wrap up Sunday when both men and women compete in the platform event. The men's event will start at 10 a.m., and the women's event is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m.

The women's qualifiers for the 2008 NCAA Championship are Ginni van Katwijk (Houston), Courtney Forcucci (Houston), Lacey Truelove (Houston), Mary Yarrison (Texas), Kathryn Kelly (Texas), and Kendra Melnychuk (Missouri).

The men's qualifiers are Gregory Destephen (Missouri), Jonathan Wilcox (Texas), Matthew Cooper (Texas), and Mike Wong (Texas).

Three more women's qualifiers, and one more men's qualifier will be decided after Sunday's platform event.