BY CSTV.com

The University of Houston swimming and diving team wrapped up its road trip through Florida in impressive fashion Saturday with a sweep of host Florida International and Indian River Community College at the Miami Shores Pool.

The Cougars claimed a 151-90 win over Florida International and enjoyed a 136-107 victory over Indian River CC. It was the Cougars' second win over the Golden Panthers during an eight-day stretch.

UH won five of the 10 individual swimming events, one relay event and swept the Top Three places in both diving events to improve to 5-3 this season.

The Cougars' 200-yard medley relay team of sophomore Jessica Shamburger, junior Doreen Polotzek, freshman Andrea Kells and junior Sasha Schwendenwein started the day in impressive fashion with a first-place finish after a clocking of 1:53.46.

Freshman diver Courtney Forcucci helped lead the Cougars to a sweep of the Top Three places in both events. The Fort Mill, S.C., native won the 1-meter competition with 267.90 points and recorded 301.20 points to win the 3-meter event.

She was the only diver in either event to crack 300 points. It was the second straight meet that Forcucci reached that milestone after leading the Cougars in a dual-meet loss at Miami (Fla.) on Friday afternoon.

Junior Andrea Pa'lmai won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:57.10 and added a similar finish in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:13.72.

Schwendenwein finished first in the 200-yard individual medley after posting a time of 2:09.16. The Randburg, South Africa, native also claimed first place in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 58.41.

It was the second straight meet that Pa'lmai and Schwendenwein won multiple events during a dual meet.

Shamburger, the 2007 C-USA Freshman Swimmer of the Year, won the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:01.51.

Senior captain Ginni van Katwijk, the 2007 Conference USA Co-Newcomer of the Year, and freshman Lacey Truelove finished 2-3 in both events to help lead the divers.

The Cougars will take a couple of weeks off before the divers return to play host to the Houston Diving Invitational Nov. 15-17 at the Campus Recreation & Wellness Center Natatorium. The swimmers compete again on Nov. 29-Dec. 1 when they travel to Ohio for the Miami (Ohio) Invitational.

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