Head Coach Ryan Wochomurka is proud to release the 2015-16 University of Houston Swimming & Diving schedule. The Cougars will compete in 15 events beginning in October and running through the NCAA Championships in March, including six separate competitions in the newly-remodeled Campus Recreation & Wellness Center Natatorium.
“I am eager to start the 2015-16 season and excited about the schedule we have ahead of us,” said Wochomurka. “This collection of events and opponents provides our team with many competitive challenges while also giving our tremendous fans many opportunities to watch us in person at the CRWC Natatorium.”
The season begins on Oct. 2, as Wochomurka makes his head coaching debut at the UNT Relays in Denton, Texas. The Cougars are 16-3 all-time against North Texas in dual meets and will compete in Denton for the fourth consecutive season.
Houston area fans will get their first chance to see the Cougars in action on Oct. 16 as the team hosts the Red & White Meet. The intra-squad event is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. CT.
The Cougars stay in the Bayou City for the Rice Invitational, held Oct. 23-24 at the Aquatics Center Natatorium on the Rice campus. Though UH and Rice are frequent opponents, this will be Houston’s first trip to the Rice campus since 2013.
Wochomurka’s club hosts a pair of dual meets to close the month of October, as SMU will visit the CRWC on Oct. 30 and North Texas will make a return trip one day later. Houston faced both opponents in head-to-head competition last season, with rising sophomore Micaela Bouter winning a pair of diving events in the dual meet against the Mustangs.
Houston hosts the annual Phill Hansel Invitational from Nov. 19-21 at the CRWC. This year’s event should be an exciting one, as UC Davis, Colorado State, Idaho, North Texas, Northern Colorado, Oregon State, Rice and Tulane are scheduled to participate.
While Houston’s swimmers are at home, the divers will take part in the Texas Diving Invitational, held Nov. 19-21 in Austin, Texas. Rising senior Danielle Shedd finished second in the 1-meter dive at last season’s event and joined rising junior Taylor Olanski in the top-10 of the 3-meter competition.
UH will send a select group of swimmers to the AT&T Winter Nationals, held Dec. 3-5 in Federal Way, Wash. Last season, the Cougars were well-represented at the prestigious national championship, with four UH student-athletes taking the pool.
The 2015 calendar year concludes with the UIW Christmas Invitational, held Dec. 18-20 in San Antonio. The Cougars had a strong showing at the competition last season, including 30 top-10 finishes.
Houston opens the second half of their schedule when they travel to Arkansas for a meet to be held Jan. 22-23. The trip to Fayetteville will be the first since 2011 for the Cougars, and the meet should be one of the most challenging of the season for Houston. Joining the Cougars and Razorbacks will be Vanderbilt in both swimming and diving and Clemson in diving only.
The regular season concludes at home, as the Cougars host LSU, Tulane and Rice in a Quad Meet taking place Jan. 29-30. This will be the seventh consecutive season that the four programs have squared off in a late-season Quad Meet, with Houston serving as host for the first time since 2012.
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP RETURNS TO HOUSTON
The highlight of the home schedule is set for Feb. 17-20, as the Cougars host the 2016 American Athletic Conference Swimming & Diving Championships. This will be Houston’s first time hosting The American’s season-ending championship event, though UH did welcome 10 consecutive Conference USA Championships to the CRWC from 2004-13.
Houston placed five student-athletes on the All-American Conference Team last season, including Conference Diver of the Year Olanski. The rising junior won the 3-meter and platform diving competitions, while Shedd took the 1-meter crown. Bouter and graduated senior Natasha Burgess were also honored with All-Conference spots on the diving side, while swimmer Sharo Rodriguez took All-Conference laurels with a podium finish in the 200-yard butterfly.
“It’s a great honor to host The American Championships here in Houston, and I am thrilled that our fans will have the opportunity to witness four days of extremely competitive postseason swimming,” said Wochomurka. “We are eager to make a strong impression in our home pool, and hopefully that comfort level will lead to many championships and podium finishes.”
Houston’s swimmers will have one last opportunity to book a spot in the NCAA Championships at the Championship Qualifying Meet, held Feb. 26-27 in a location to be determined. The event serves as the final opportunity for swimmers to lock in a time that meets the NCAA’s postseason standards.
COUGARS LOOK FOR NATIONAL GLORY AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Houston’s divers will compete in the Zone D Championships, held March 7-9 in College Station, Texas. The regional event serves as the final step on the road to the NCAA Championships, with the top divers in the region earning a spot at the national meet.
The 2016 NCAA Division I Swimming & Diving Championships will be held March 17-19 in Atlanta, Ga., with Georgia Tech serving as host. Olanski has represented the Cougars at the National Championships in each of the last two seasons, including a 17th place result in the platform dive last season.
Houston student-athletes have captured 11 individual national titles at the NCAA Championships. Diver Yulia Pakhalina won five NCAA crowns, swimmer Diane Johannigman won four titles and diver Anastasia Pozdniakova took two titles.
THE WOCHOMURKA ERA BEGINS
Wochomurka begins his first season leading the Houston program after a standout eight-year run as an assistant coach at Louisville. During his time with the Cardinals, Wochomurka guided UL to seven conference championships, with the women’s team finishing sixth at the 2015 NCAA Championships.
A 21-time All-American as a student-athlete at Auburn, Wochomurka won four Southeastern Conference team championships, three NCAA Division I team national championships and two NCAA relay national championships
