Higgs, Ball lead Hornets to fourth-place finish at 21-team Conway meet

Cheered on by his teammates, Donte Baker finishes the 500-yard freestyle.

CONWAY — Michael Higgs won the 100-yard breast stroke and, along with Alex Ball, led the Bryant Hornets swim team to a fourth-place finish at the stacked Conway Invitational meet at Hendrix College on Saturday.

Conway captured the team title in the 21-squad meet with 528 points. Fayetteville was second with 392 followed by North Little Rock (225), Bryant (213) and Catholic (173).

The Hornets were short some swimmers due to conflicting events and illness.

Higgs earned his victory in a time of 1:05.69. Teammate Gavin Miller was eighth in 1:12.72 with Cameron Loftis 17^th in 1:18.10.

Higgs was also fifth in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 59.23. Ball was ninth at 1:05.40. Dylan Althen added 15^th-place points with a time of 1:14.80.

Ball and Smith teamed up with Miller and Hagan Austin to earn a third-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay. Their time was 1:53.22. The quartet of John Peters, Loftis, Althen and Hayden Smith turned in a 2:04.12 to earn 10^th-place points.

Austin, Ball and Higgs were also on the 200-yard freestyle relay team with Carson Edmonson. They combined on a 1:44.83 to finish fifth. The team of LaQuav Brumfield, Jalen Dinstbier, Donte Baker and Dylan Althen was 11^th in 1:50.63.

Ball was also sixth in the 200 individual medley, finishing with a time of 2:20.48. Zachary Milam was 16^th for the Hornets at 2:45.87.

A trio of Bryant swimmers scored in the 500 free, led by Dinstbier’s 6:30.90, which was good for eight place. Loftis was on his heels in ninth in a time of 6:31.15. Austin was 15^th in 7:02.87.

Edmonson added points in the 50 free, finishing 13^th in 25.80, and the 100 backstroke, taking 15^th in 1:11.96.

He also joined, Ivan Bryant, Smith and Loftis on the 400-yard freestyle relay. Their 4:05.43 was good for 11^th.

Bryant is scheduled to compete again at a meet hosted by Benton this Thursday. A final home meet is set for Thursday, Feb. 1, with District set for Feb. 6 (diving at UCA) and Feb. 8 (swimming at Hendrix) at Conway.