Bella Cothern Sets Records with 23.1/50.8 Sprints at Arkansas 5A States

ARKANSAS 5A STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• February 28-29, 2020
• Russellville Aquatic Center
• Meet Info
• Full Scores
• Results

FINAL TOP 5 TEAMS – GIRLS

1. Mountain Home High School 292
2. Russellville High School 278
3. Little Rock Christian Academy 266
4. Benton High School 241
5. Jonesboro High School 187

FINAL TOP 5 TEAMS – BOYS

1. Russellville High School 272
2. Lake Hamilton High School 239
3. Siloam Springs High School 206
4. Benton High School 200
5. Mountain Home High School 198

The Russellville boys brought home the state title at the 2020 Arkansas 5A State Championships. On the girls’ side, Mountain Home took the win in a tight race, just 14 points ahead of Russellville. While neither winning team took any event titles, they capitalized on their depth to take the victory.

Jonesboro’s Bella Cothern took down her own 5A Record in the 50 free. She was just off her best in the 50 free, setting the mark in 23.18. Cothern, an Arkansas commit, also set the 5A Record in the 100 free with a 50.80, tying the mark set by Haas Hall’s Marina Thomas in 2018. That was her first time breaking 51 in the event.

Thomas also formerly held the 100 back record (58.58), which she’d set in 2017. That record was broken by Little Rock Christian sophomore Hannah Hall, who won the final in 58.32. She was just 3 tenths shy of a lifetime best.

Lake Hamilton’s Noah Smith set a new 5A Record in both the 200 IM and 100 back. Smith, who has committed to Ouachita Baptist, dropped over a second with a 1:55.11 in the 200 IM, breaking the former record of 1:59.66 he’d set last season. He dropped a second to win the 100 back in 53.02. That was over 2 seconds faster than the 5A Record set by Lakeside’s Mason Vandenstein (55.19) last year.

Little Rock Christian’s Angel Ke and John Issac Majors won a pair of events each. Ke took the 200 free (1:55.04) and 100 fly (58.04). Majors won back-to-back events, putting up a 21.73 to win the 50 minuted before winning the 100 fly in 53.06. Benton’s Samantha West also won a pair of events, posting a 2:18.41 in the 200 IM and a 5:34.90 in the 500 free.

Additional Event Winners

• Girls 200 medley relay: Little Rock Christian, 1:58.11
• Boys 200 medley relay: Lake Hamilton, 1:47.39
• Boys 200 free: Logan Drake, Jonesboro, 1:52.37
• Boys 100 free: Jordan Jones, Little Rock Christian, 49.59
• Boys 500 free: Ethan Smith, Lake Hamilton, 5:07.98
• Girls 200 free relay: Benton, 1:48.48
• Boys 200 free relay: Little Rock Christian, 1:37.09
• Girls 100 breast: Clara Carle, Little Rock Christian, 1:12.27
• Boys 100 breast: Hudson Pace, Mountain Home, 1:07.95
• Girls 400 free relay: Little Rock Christian, 3:57.10
• Boys 400 free relay: Lake Hamilton, 3:35.95