Houston vs Rice (Women)
- January 31, 2025
- Houston, Texas
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
Courtesy: Houston Athletics
HOUSTON – In the team’s final dual meet of the season, the University of Houston Swimming & Diving team trounced Rice, 182-111, at CRWC Natatorium on Friday afternoon.
Houston claimed 10 wins during the meet along with 32 podium positions while setting two program top 10 times as the team closed its regular-season dual meet schedule.
Houston’s 400-yard medley relays started the meet strong. Freshman Lottie Cullen, senior Henrietta Fangli, junior Noor El Gendy and junior Liya Goupil took the top spot in the event with a time of 3:37.69 with sophomore Elizabeth Jimenez, sophomore Evelyn Entrekin, senior Adelaide Meuter and freshman Sienna Bruner taking second (3:39.95). Fifth-year Danielle Titus, junior Virag Peter, senior Abbie Alvarez and senior Mary Catherine Jurica completed the podium sweep for Houston, touching the wall in third with a time of 3:43.37.
Entrekin led the way in a podium sweep for Houston in the 100-yard breaststroke, earning the top spot with a time of 1:00.12. Fangli (1:00.17) and Peter (1:01.83) touched the wall in second and third, respectively. Meuter led another sweep of the top three spots in the next event, the 200-yard butterfly, with a time of 1:56.90. The mark also ranked as the second fastest time in program history. Meanwhile, Alvarez placed second with a 2:00.43 while El Gendy took third (2:00.59).
Goupil started a third consecutive podium sweep in the 50-yard freestyle as she touched the wall in 23.24 for first place, followed by junior Jenna Kerkman in second (23.35) and freshman Alexandra Curcan in third (23.88).
Fifth-year Hedda Grelz used a score of 315.83 to take the top spot in the 3-meter with sophomore Michelle McLeod placing second (306.98) and fifth-year Emilia Waters finishing third (295.35). In the Cougars final lock-out of the podium of the meet, Peter used a time of 2:10.87 for first place in the 200-yard breaststroke while Entrekin took second (2:13.55) and Fangli placed third (2:14.64). Entrekin’s time pushed her to eighth on Houston’s Top 10 times list.
Cullen continued her successful freshman season by winning the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 53.84. Jimenez finished less than a second behind her in second place (54.74). Cullen also won the 200-yard backstroke (1:57.49) with Titus claiming third (1:59.35).
Goupil secured her second event win of the day in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 50.64 while Bruner touched the wall in third with a time of 51.09. Meuter led a Houston 1-2 in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 54.12 while El Gendy took second with a time of 54.18.
Sophomore Sydney Nethercutt earned second place in the 200-yard freestyle (1:50.13) while Benoit placed third in the 1000-yard freestyle, completing her 40 lengths of the pool in 10:05.54. In the meet’s other distance event, Nethercutt secured another second-place finish (4:53.58) while freshman Mariana Cote placed third (4:56.22).
Wrapping up Houston’s scoring, McLeod placed second in the 3-meter (294.53) with Grelz taking third (287.78).
Entrekin posted Houston’s fastest time of the meet in the 200-yard individual medley with a 2:00.89 while the 200-yard freestyle relay of Bruner, Goupil, Curcan and Kerkman secured the Cougars’ quickest time in the event (1:33.17).
UP NEXT
Houston hosts a First Chance Meet at CRWC Natatorium on Feb. 7-8. Friday’s schedule begins at 3 p.m. with Saturday’s events starting at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Courtesy: Rice Athletics
“Great start to the weekend as far as stepping up and racing,” said head coach Seth Huston. “Our goal this weekend is to race our way to AAC scoring squad and determine best lineup for conference.”
Rice’s first victory came in the second event of the day, the 1000 Yard Freestyle, where Amelia Kane finished the event with a time of 9:50.34. Ava Portello notched a second place finish with a time of 9:50.89, which was just under 15 seconds ahead of the third place finisher.
Rice’s next win came in the 200 Yard Freestyle, where Reese Cole finished on top with a time of 1:49.94. Mollie McAlorum rounded out the podium in the event, finishing with a time of 1:50.26.
“Reese Cole had a great meet earning double victory in 200 free and 200 IM,” said Huston on Cole’s performance. “Once again, our distance girls; Amelia, Ella and Ava Portello really dominated there events.”
Mimi Filkin earned a podium finish in the 100 Yard Backstroke with a time of 55.02, good for third place and just over a second behind the first place finisher.
Rice’s next podium finish would come in the 100 Yard Freestyle, where Portello would finish with a time of 50.70 for second place. Poretllo was six hundreths of a second behind the first place finisher from Houston.
Ava Hamblett finished the 200 Yard Backstroke in second place with a time of 1:58.11, earning her first podium finish of the day.
Ella Dyson earned a victory for Rice with a first place finish in the 500 Yard Freestyle with a time of 4:49.14.
Cole added a second podium finish to her belt with a third place finish in the 100 Yard Butterfly with a time of 54.61. Cole was less than five-tenths of a second behind the first place finisher.
Megan Phillip won the one-meter dive with a final score of 304.88, shattering the NCAA Zones qualifying cut again this season.
“Really pleased with the progress Megan Phillip has made this season. Tonight’s one-meter victory is a great sign.”
Cole, Filkin, and Lily Cramer finished one-two-three in the 200 Yard IM to dominate the podium, posting times of 2:01.42, 2:03.73, and 2:04.37, respectively.
To close out the day, Rice finished one-two-three in the 200 yard Freestyle Relay, with the team of Catherine Eland, Lizzle Zadel, McAlorum, and Portello finishing with a time of 1:35.01, Neta Ussishkin, Megan Schultze, Siiri Einio, and Morgan Bartley finishing second with a time of 1:36.33, and the team of Jessica lawton, Kane, Logan Betkey, and Sami Johnson finishing in third with a time of 1:37.98.
Rice will return to action on Saturday in Austin, Texas, taking part in The Sterkel Classic at the University of Texas.
