HOUSTON – The University of Houston Swimming team will host the annual Phill Hansel Invitational in honor of former head coach Phill Hansel, Nov. 19-21. The Cougars are set to compete against nine other teams: UC Davis, Colorado State, Idaho, New Mexico State, North Texas, Northern Colorado, Oregon State, Rice and Tulane at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Natatorium.
The three-day meet begins each morning at 10 a.m. with preliminary sessions. Following a break, the teams will head back into the pool for finals, beginning at 6 p.m.
The invitational will feature 18 events: 13 individual races and five relays. The meet offers the Cougars a preview of the conference championship format with multiple teams and a championship style-scoring format.
“The Phill Hansel Invitational, for us, is almost a dry run of our conference meet, in terms of the format,” said head coach Ryan Wochomurka. “It’s a three-day format, an NCAA format with prelims and finals. It’s a championship setup.”
The Cougars are coming off two impressive dual meets, against No. 21 SMU and North Texas. The team captured 12 individual wins; leading the pack for the swimmers were freshmen Delia Weber and Eleanna Koutsouveli, who each produced three wins for the Cougars. Sharo Rodriguez finished with two championship finishes during the dual meet weekend.
“For us, it’s the main focus meet of the fall,” Wochomurka said. “We’re going to go swim fast. We’ve been preparing all fall for this moment. This is our opportunity to put up some times that can have conference implications and national implications.”
ORDER OF EVENTS
Thursday’s Events
1: 200 Free Relay
2: 500 Freestyle
3: 200 IM
4: 50 Freestyle
5: 400 Medley Relay
Friday’s Events
6: 200 Medley Relay
7: 400 IM
8: 100 Butterfly
9: 200 Freestyle
10: 100 Breaststroke
11: 100 Backstroke
12: 800 Freestyle Relay
Saturday’s Events
13: 1650 Freestyle
14: 200 Backstroke
15: 100 Freestyle
16: 200 Breaststroke
17: 200 Butterfly
18: 400 Freestyle Relay
ABOUT PHILL HANSEL
This weekend’s meet is named in honor of former University of Houston Swimming & Diving Head Coach Phill Hansel. Hansel, considered the Father of Cougar Swimming and Diving, led the Cougars from 1975 to 1996, racking up 70 dual-meet victories, a school record that still stands. He helped UH finish in the Top-20 ten times at the AIAW and NCAA Championships.
Hansel, a 1949 graduate of Purdue, was named the Southwest Conference Coach of the Year three times during his tenure, and mentored 31 swimmers to All-America honors, including Diane Johannigman, the first NCAA swimming national champion in UH history.
Hansel also had an impressive resume at the international level, serving as the manager of the 1992 U.S. Olympics teams and working with the Singapore teams at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics.
UP NEXT
The Cougars will send a select group of swimmers to the AT&T Winter Nationals, Dec. 3-5 in Federal Way, Wash.
Swimming news courtesy of Houston Swimming & Diving.