Swim team returns with strong performance
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Photos courtesy of Angela Rhode
The Bryant Lady Hornets won all three relays and an individual event to take top honors in the women’s competition at the Bishop Park Aquatic Center on Thursday.
Reagan Smith (Photo courtesy of Angela Rhode)
In men’s competition, Bryant was second only to Magnolia, earning first-place finishes in two events.
In a field with 14 teams represented, the Lady Hornets accumulated 474 points. Magnolia was a distant second with 233 followed by Benton (180), Rogers (170.5) and Russellville (161).
Fifteen schools were represented in the men’s competition with Magnolia coming out on top with 422 points. Bryant finished with 383. Benton was third with 162.5 followed by Russellville (126) and Rogers Heritage (122).
Katie Higgs starred for the Lady Hornets. She accounted for the lone individual victory with a 1:10.73 in the 100-yard backstroke. Lara Kockaya was second in 1:13.77 with Bryant’s Ellie Hooten sixth in 1:25.97.
Chandler Reep (Photo courtesy of Angela Rhode)
Higgs also led off on two of the three relays. In the 200 medley, she joined Libby Thompson, Jessica Butler and Kockaya to win in 2:03.77. In the 200 freestyle relay, the same quartet won in 1:50.49.
In the 400-yard freestyle relay, Reagan Smith, Taylor Vaughn, Hooten and Taylor Wilson teamed up for a winning time of 4:40.74.
For the Hornets, Kyle Henry turned in an individual victory, finishing the 500-yard freestyle in 5:37.65 with teammates Trace Rhode (5:54.09) and Jacob Rhode (5:54.20) finishing second and third, respectively. Zachary Milam also scored in the event, taking seventh in a time of 7:28.80.
The Rhode brothers then combined with Alex Ball and Fonzee Bittle to win the 400-yard freestyle relay in 4:00.86.
Trace Rhode (Photo courtesy of Angela Rhode)
The Bryant girls had second-place finishes in four other events while the boys turned in second-place finishes in four as well.
In the 200 free, Wilson finished second only to Nicole Burek of Hot Springs Lakeside. Burek turned in a 2:17.00 with Wilson touching less than a second off the pace (2:17.80). Bryant’s Helen Woodham was fourth (2:37.78), Hooten fifth (2:45.87) and Vaughn seventh (2:48.58).
Thompson was second in the 50 free with a time of 27.66, second only to Lonoke’s Kayla McGee, who touched in 25.13. Higgs was sixth in 28.50 and Smith eighth in 29.43.
Libby Thompson (Photo courtesy of Angela Rhode)
In the 100-yard breast-stroke, Thompson’s 1:17.69 was second to McGee’s 1:11.41. Kockaya was fourth in 1:21.67 with Hailey Addison eighth (1:31.37) and Paris Works ninth (1:35.47).
Burek beat out Wilson in the 500 free. The winning time was 6:12.40 with Wilson finishing in 6:20.43. Woodham was fifth in 6:478.72 with Jamie Hammers sixth (7:17.25) and Elizabeth Milam seventh (8:05.44).
Meanwhile, the boys were second in two relays. In the 200 medley relay, Ray Weldon, Chandler Reep, Michael Higgs and Henry turned in a 1:50.95, which was second only to Magnolia’s 1:48.62. Carter Pyle, Grady Jennings, Charlie Taylor and Aaron Hartsfield combined for Magnolia.
In the 200 freestyle relay, the same quartet’s battled with Magnolia winning in 1:36.33. Bryant’s time was 1:39.04.
Individually, Michael Higgs turned in second-place finishes in two events. In the 200 individual medley, he finished in 2:10.26. Joshua Sorvillo of Bauxite won in a time of 2:07.63. For Bryant, Reep was fourth in 2:27.35, Bittle sixth in 2:29.44 and Jacob Rhode seventh in 2:34.24.
Higgs turned in a 56.45 in the 100-yard butterfly to finish second to Magnolia’s Charlie Taylor who finished in 55.39. Trace Rhode was sixth in 1:04.46.
In the girls 200 IM, Butler was third in 2:30.38 with Searcy’s Erin McGuirt (2:11.44) and Benton’s Lydia Huthmaker (2:21.13) finishing first and second, respectively. Bryant’s Erin Vaughn was fifth in 2:53.96 with Elizabeth Milam sixth in 3:21.31.
Butler was fourth in the 100 butterfly, turning in a 1:05.59. Erin Vaughn was fifth in 1:16.27 and Addison seventh in 1:22.89.
Smith added seventh-place points in the 100 free, finishing in 1:07.75 with teammate Lauren Nalley 16th in 1:14.05.
Henry, Weldon and Reep each had third-place finishes for the Hornets. Reep’s came in the 100 breast in 1:13.13. Weldon’s was in the 100 back with a time of 1:05.43. Trevor Ball was seventh in 1:15.30. Henry was third in the 200 free with a time of 2:06.61. Ball was sixth in 2:19.47 and Zachary Milam eighth in 2:34.56.
Weldon was fourth in the 100 free. He turned in a 57.43 with Alex Ball 16th in 1:03.03. In the 50 free, Dylan Althen was 11th in 28.27 and Trevor Ball was 15th in 28.76.
The Hornets also scored in the one-meter dive with Caivon Crosby earning a 128.30 rating to place fifth and Jared McGraw taking sixth with a score of 125.60.
The meet was the first since Dec. 3 for Bryant. The team will compete next at a meet in Conway at Hendrix College on Jan. 22-23.
