Bryant girls dominant in championship performance
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Photos courtesy of Jamie Hester
Lindsey Butler (Photo courtesy of Jamie Hester)
The Bryant Lady Hornets dominated an 11-team field in the 2014 South District swimming and diving championship held Friday at Bishop Park.
Despite winning just three events, the Lady Hornets amassed 487 points to take the title. El Dorado was a distant second with 260, followed by Lakeside (191) and Benton (154).
Reagan Smith (Photo courtesy of Jamie Hester)
In five different events, Bryant had four swimmers contribute to the scoring total. In three others, the Lady Hornets placed three in the scoring ranks.
Lindsey Butler played a part in all three events that produced winning efforts. In her individual specialty, she raced to a 1:01.17 clocking to win the 100 yard backstroke. Benton’s Jenna Jamison was second in 1:07.23, while Bryant’s Ellie Hooten finished eighth in 1:21.41 and Lauren Wood 10th in 1:25.37.
In the 200 freestyle relay, Butler provided the anchor leg behind Katie Higgs, Kalee Jackson and Ploy Freebairn. The quartet turned in a 1:49.00 to take top honors. In the 200 medley relay, Butler led off in the backstroke lap with Libby Thompson following with the breast stroke lap, Katie Higgs with the butterfly lap, and Ploy Freebairn finishing with the freestyle. Their winning time was 2:02.05.
Mikayla Douglas (Photo courtesy of Jamie Hester)
Freebairn finished second in the 500 free with a time of 5:57.54, just off the pace of Lake Hamilton’s Meghan Bessling (5:38.29). She was also second in the 200 free with a 2:12.05, just behind El Dorado’s Courtney McDiarmid who finished in 2:04.81.
Higgs was second in the 100 fly with a time of 1:08.52, behind only El Dorado’s Katherine Conely (1:05.58). Thompson was third in the 100 breast stroke with a time of 1:19.01.
Freebairn’s effort in the 500 was followed up by Rachel Vos, who was third in 5:57.68; Jamie Hammers, fifth in 7:00.40; and Devin Hester, sixth in 7:03.27. In the 200, Vos was third (2:13.81), Mikayla Douglas seventh (2:38.53) and Jordan Tarvin eighth (2:39.50).
Ellie Hooten (Photo courtesy of Jamie Hester)
Higgs was joined in the butterfly by teammates Tiffany Robinson (5th, 1:21.48) and Deidra Reeves (6th, 2:09.96).
And Thompson was followed by Jacey Bittle (fourth, 1:19.97), Hammers (ninth, 1:28.38) and Robinson (10th, 1:35.75) in the 100 breast stroke.
In addition, Butler came up just short of winning the 50 free. Her 25.73 clocking came on the heels of the 24.92 turned in by Benton’s Hope Ernhart. Jackson was sixth in 27.84 with Thompson seventh in 28.16.
Vos, Reagan Smith, Jackson and Bittle combined on a 4:18.11 to place third in the 400 free relay, while Higgs earned a close third in the 200 individual medley. Her 2:31.72 trailed only the 2:26.90 turned in by winner Grace Drake of Hot Springs Lakeside and the 2:27.38 posted by Jamison.
Smith was seventh in 2:55.75 with Hester eighth in 2:58.50 and Paris Works 10th in 3:16.76.
Jackson’s 1:02.04 was good for fourth-place points in the 100 free. Smith was sixth (1:06.66), Julianna Shelton ninth (1:10.28) and Shawn Peairson 11th (1:11.58).
The State diving meet will be Feb. 28 and the State swim meet will be March 1, both at UALR.
Jacey Bittle (Photo courtesy of Jamie Hester)
Kalee Jackson (Photo courtesy of Jamie Hester)
Katie Higgs (Photo courtesy of Jamie Hester)
Paris Works (Photo courtesy of Jamie Hester)
Devin Hester (Photo courtesy of Jamie Hester)
