CONWAY — Sophomore Eli Matthews won two individual events and helped win a relay to highlight the work of the Bryant Hornets swimming and diving team in a meet against the Conway and Conway Christian teams on Thursday.
Bryant and Conway had battled in a dual meet at Bryant a week before. Conway again won team honors with 621 points. Bryant had 523. Conway Christian managed 18 points.
The Hornets won six of the 12 events. Matthews took top honors in the 200-yard individual medley and the 500-yard freestyle. In the medley, he won in nearly a deadheat. His winning time was 2:25.64. Conway’s Tim Yang was timed at 2:25.67. Bryant’s Ian Archer was third in 2:45.41 with James Balch fourth in 3:08.46.
In the 500, Matthews finished in 5:56.61 with teammates Ethan Eubanks third (6:38.94) and Archer sixth (6:40.58).
Matthews added a leg to the winning time of 4:04.11 in the 400-free relay, joining LaQuav Brumfield, Jonny Rolen and Jase Gladden.
Gladden, a freshman, won the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:00.66. Eubanks was third in 1:09.03 and Tyler Peters was fifth in 1:12.27.
Gladden contributed the opening leg to the winning effort in the 200-medley relay. Along with Aidan Shaw, Sam Vinson and Hayden Smith, they clocked in at 1:52.11. The Bryant team of Peters, Rolen, Archer and Matthews was third in 2:07.06.
In the 200 free relay, Vinson, Brumfield, Shaw and Smith won in 1:40 while Archer, Eubanks, Peters and Balch turned in a 1:57.29 to place third.
Smith finished second in two individual events. In the 50 free, he turned in a 24.84. in the 100 free, his time was 56.28.
In the 50, Vinson was fourth in 25.26 with Rolen sixth in 26.31 and Shaw seventh in 26.40.
In the 100, Peters was third in 1:02.57.
Gladden was fourth in the 100 butterfly, turning in a 1:03.58 with Brumfield fifth in 1:07.40.
Brumfield was fourth in the one-meter dive, earning a score of 152.45. Hunter Heatley was sixth at 125.55.
Balch garnered fourth-place points in the 200 free with a time of 2:55.03 while Shaw was fourth (1:12.59) and Rolen fifth (1:21.35) in the 100-yard breaststroke.
The Hornets return to action at Cabot for a swim only meet on Friday, Jan. 29 and a diving meet on Saturday.
