From 1975-1996, Hansel was the most influential man for the University of Houston swimming and diving team. He guided the Cougars to more than 70 dual meet victories and ten Top 20 finishes at the AIAW and NCAA Championships. All of that hard work paid off, as Phill Hansel was inducted into the Hall of Honor on Nov. 14, 2008. In 1996, Hansel finished out the season with over 39 years of coaching experience and was recognized as one of the most successful collegiate swim coaches in the nation. In his honor, the University of Houston will host the Phill Hansel Invitational every fall. The event will take place this season from Nov. 16-18 at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Natatorium.
* Houston will host teams from the Mountain West, Southland, WAC, The American, SEC, and the Pac-12. * This is the first trip to Houston for Washington State, the Cougars faced Air Force, Tulane, Incarnate Word, North Texas (Divers) and Rice earlier this season. * 11 of the 12 teams competing this weekend sent either swimmers or divers to the 2018 NCAA Championships, Nevada scored 33 points at the meet.
* The Cougars got out to a strong start, with 21 different Cougars advancing to the finals in the first three individual events of the weekend. * Zarena Brown notched the first NCAA B-Cut of the weekend for Houston with a second-place finish in the prelims of the 500 Freestyle. Brown advanced to the A-Final of the event after posting a time of 4:47.19. In the finals, Brown posted a time of 4:53.26 to finish seventh. Six other Cougars advanced to the finals in the event as well with three Cougars posting lifetime best (Haley Benjamin; 4:49.84) (Shayla Erickson; 4:55.83)(Monique Rae; 4:52.83). * Laura Laderoute had a stellar outing, finishing second in the prelims of the 200 IM at 2:01.25 to advance to finals. Laderoute closed out the event with a third-place finish, touching the wall at 2:00.97. Six other Houston swimmers advanced to finals where Eleanna Koutsouveli turned in the highest Cougar finish in second-place at 2:00.06. Peyton Kondis finished shortly behind her at 2:01.05 for fourth. * Sophomore Mykenzie Leehy came within milliseconds of an NCAA B-Cut time in the prelims of the 50 Free after finishing the race at 22.90 for second-overall. The time is the third-best in program history and a lifetime best for the Leehy. In the finals, Leehy led Houston with a third-place finish at 23.0. Six other Cougars qualified for the finals in the event with Rachel Hicks and Julie Gibson each recorded personal-best. * On the boards all four Cougars qualified for the finals of the 1-meter led by a first-place finish in prelims by Lauren Burrell. Burrell posted a lifetime-best 257.40 points in prelims, closing out the day with a second-place finish in the event after finishing with a lifetime best 272.10 points. * Katie Deininger trailed Burrell by less than one point for second-place in the prelims with 256.35 points. She advanced to the finals where she took first-place with a lifetime best 293.75. * Jaylynn Whitt advanced to the A-Final after posting 224.05 points in the prelims. Whitt finished sixth-overall with 252.35 points. * Claire Liptak closed out the day with 219.50 points in the prelims of the 1-meter for 11th-overall. Liptak finished fourth in the B-Final with a career-best 234.60 points. * The Cougars posted a program-best 1:31.23 in the 200 Freestyle Relay, besting the previous program record of 1:31.47. Mykenzie Leehy, Laura Laderoute, Kathryn Power, and Hannah Middleton combined for a second-place finish in the event, picking up 56 points. * In the final event of the day Laderoute, Kondis, Katie Higgins and Brown finished at 3:36.22 for first-place, racking up 64 points.
* The Cougars started off the second session much like the first with six Cougars advancing to the finals of the 400 Individual Medley. Eleanna Koutsouveli led the charge with a third-place finish at 4:19.80. All of the Houston swimmers finished in the top-25. In the finals, Koutsuoveli led Houston with a second-place finish after posting an NCAA B-Cut time of 4:15.37. All six Cougars finished in the top-25. * Seven Cougars moved on to the finals of the 100 Butterfly, led by Katie Higgins with a personal-best time of 54.22. Higgins time marks the second-best in program history. Kaley Hoffman and Morgan Rosas also closed out prelims with lifetime best. In the finals, Higgins shattered the program record in the event that dates back to 1978 when she finished second in the event at 53.83. Rebecca Brandt finished third with the fifth-best time in Houston history at 54.61. All of the Houston swimmers finished the race in the top-25. * Zarena Brown continued to swim past the competition with her second NCAA B-Cut time of the weekend. Brown finished the 200 Free at 1:46.54 for first-place. Rachel Hicks posted a lifetime best in the prelims at 1:50.56, finishing 15th. Nine Cougars advanced to the finals of the event where Brown once again finished first with another NCAA B-Cut time of 1:45.51. Hicks bested her previous lifetime best finishing at 1:50.15 for sixth in the B-Final. * In the 100 Breaststroke Peyton Kondis and Angeliki Mavrantza post NCAA B-Cuts, finishing first and third. Kondis posted a time of 1:00.55 and Mavrantza finished at 1:01.33 for the third-best time in program history and a lifetime best. Five Cougars advanced to the finals in the event where Mavrantza post the second-best time in program history at 1:00.71 for second-place. Kondis finished third with an NCAA B-Cut time of 1:00.85. * Laura Laderoute posted an NCAA B-Cut time of 53.71 for first-place in the 100 Backstroke. Katie Power finished second-overall with a lifetime best of 54.69. Five Houston swimmers advanced to the finals in the event where Laderoute finished first-overall with an NCAA B-Cut time of 53.76, her second of the day. * In the 200 Medley Relay, Laderoute, Kondis, Higgins and Leehy combined for a first-place finishing time of 1:38.81. The group came within milliseconds of breaking the program record in the event. * In the final event of the evening Leehy, Samantha Medlin, Kylie Andrews and Brown finished third at 7:17.64. * On the boards the Cougars had a stellar showing in the 3-Meter. All four Cougars advanced to finals where Houston swept the event, taking first through third. Lauren Burrell finished with a lifetime best 314.80, Jaylynn Whitt finished with a lifetime best 302.35, and Katie Deininger finished with a lifetime best 297.65.
