No. 14 SMU Women Edges No. 17 Texas

                DALLAS, Texas - No. 17 Texas registered two wins apiece from swimmers Susana Escobar and Hee-Jin Chang and diver Mary Yarrison, but it was not enough, as No. 14 SMU edged the Longhorns by a 123-118 count Saturday afternoon at SMU's Perkins Natatorium.

"We knew going into today's meet that it would be a very tight matchup," UT coach Kim Brackin said.  "The team was excited for the challenge.  Hee-Jin, Susana and Mary continue to lead the team.  Their composure and determination helped keep us in the hunt."

Escobar (Queretaro, Mexico) started things off with a win in the 1,000-yard freestyle, clocking 10:02.59, and senior Macie Garrett (Nashville, Tenn.) took second in 10:09.18.  Freshman and Dallas native Natalie Sacco took third in 10:11.76.  Chang (Seoul, Korea) claimed the 50 freestyle in 23.15 for a NCAA provisional-qualifying mark, and freshman Brie Powers (Kalamazoo, Mich.) took third in 23.75.

Yarrison (Springfield, Va.) captured the one-meter diving event, winning with a total of 321.72 to outdistance her nearest competitor by over 40 points.  Junior Jacqueline Martin-Lacey (Nashville, Tenn.) added a win in the 200 butterfly, touching in 2:03.68, as sophomore Traci Van Matre (Spring, Texas) took second in 2:05.48.  Chang followed with her second win, as she took first in the 100 freestyle with a NCAA "B" cut mark of 50.20.

Yarrison tacked on her second win of the day in the three-meter diving event with a score of 317.62.  Junior All-America diver Kathryn Kelly (Longwood, Fla.) was unable to compete due to an illness.

Escobar added a NCAA provisional-qualifying mark in the 400 IM, taking second in 4:20.67.  Freshman Abbie Mahoney (Wichita, Kan.) followed suit with a third-place mark in the 200 backstroke in 2:00.57.

"We're on our last push toward the Big 12 meet, and hopefully, the team recognizes the importance of the 'X' factor - determination," Brackin concluded.  "With some rest, a full, healthy squad and some home-pool advantage, we'll look forward to hosting an outstanding Big 12 Championship meet."

Texas will host the Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championships from Feb. 27-March 1 at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin.