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National Collegiate Swimmer-of-the-Week

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.: Rigamonti, Pozdniakova Earn C-USA Weekly Awards

November 8th, 2005

Five-time NCAA Champion Flavia Rigamonti continues to dominate in distance free events during the early portion of the 2005-06 season for the SMU. After posting a 9:48.80 in the 1000-yard freestyle event, the fastest time in C-USA this season, Rigamonti earned her first Conference USA Swimmer of the Week accolade and helped the Mustangs defeat No. 9 Texas on Friday. Houston's Anastasia Pozdniakova not only garnered her first league diving recognition, but took home her first collegiate diving honor, as the redshirt freshman posted a 319.73 point win on the one-meter boards against Arkansas on Thursday.

Rigamonti is a perfect 2-0 in both the 500- and 1000-yard freestyle on the season and has helped SMU attain a No. 8 ranking in the latest Division I poll. Against Texas last Friday, the senior from Switzerland won the 1000-yard freestyle event in a time of 9:48.80, the fastest time in C-USA this season. She followed that performance with a first place time of 4:49.66 in the 500-yard free, besting her previous season-high set against No. 1 Florida on Oct. 20. Rigamonti is striving to win her fourth NCAA crown in the 1650 free and third in the 500 free. SMU now has wins over No. 1 Florida, No. 7 UCLA and No. 9 Texas on the season. Against the Longhorns, the Mustangs took an early lead by winning six of the first seven events and won nine of 16 events overall to take the dual meet. The SMU women's swimming and diving team returns to the pool Nov. 18-20, when they travel to College Station, Texas, to participate in the Texas A&M Invitational.

Pozdniakova won the one-meter event and finished second on the three-meter board to help lead the Cougars to a 1-1 record in dual meets during the week. UH defeated Arkansas with a score of 122-112 and fell at Texas A&M, 113-162, in back-to-back meets on Thursday and Friday, respectively. Pozdniakova earned her first collegiate win with 319.73 points on the one-meter springboard against Arkansas en route to collecting her first league recognition. The redshirt freshman finished second on the three-meter board with 322.20 points against the Razorbacks and was one of only two divers to top 300 points in both events. Against the Aggies, Podzniakova scored 296.85 points to win the one-meter and wrapped up the weekend's competition placing second on the three-meter board with 335.60 points. Houston returns to the water at 5 p.m., Friday when the Cougars meet Wyoming, Conference USA foe SMU and host North Texas in a tri-meet in Denton Texas.