Isabella Cothern

Razorbacks Battle to 10th in SEC Championship

Tyler Wilson February 24, 2024

AUBURN, Ala. – The Razorbacks began the day in 11^th place, trailing Missouri. The Hogs battled through tough competition in the finals, and finished the day in 10^th with a score of 373, eclipsing Missouri.

Prelims

Rebecca Simpson and Bara Matoskova swam the 200 Backstroke with Simpson breaking her personal-best by 3 seconds. Neither Simpson or Matoskova made the final, but both had strong swims. Bella Cothern posted yet another personal best in 100 Freestyle with a 48.94 finish, an NCAA B-Cut time and good for a spot in the B-Final. Alessia Ferraguti sped her way to a 2:09.11 finish in the 200 Breaststroke, earning a spot in the A-Final, her second of the SEC Championships.

Sydney Craft secured a 19^th-place finish in the 1650 Free with a personal-best time of 16:30.88. The sophomore Bristow, Virginia native broke personal-bests in each event that she competed in over the course of the SEC Championships.

In the dive tank, Isa Perreira dove her way into the B-Final on platform, earning a score of 234.75 and diving a SCORE in the B-Final. This was the freshman Wylie, Texas native’s first SEC final of her young collegiate career, and she dazzled, flipping, twisting, and piking her way to a 2^nd-place finish in the B-Final, 10^th overall.

Finals

Bella Cothern led off for the Razorbacks in the finals, competing in the 100 Free B-Final posting a 48.91 which was good for a 14^th-place finish overall and capping off her string of dominant finals performances in the SEC Championships. Her 48.91 finish was also good for an NCAA B-Cut time.

Alessia Ferraguti followed up Cothern with a stellar performance in the A-Final for 200 Breaststroke. Ferraguti notched a 4^th-place finish, her highest in her career at SEC Championships. Her time of 2:07.69 was less than .2 seconds above her personal-best and good for yet another NCAA B-Cut time.

The final event of the SEC Championships, the 400 Free Relay, featured Delaney Harrison, Bella Cothern, Maddy Hartley, and Alessia Ferraguti. The James E. Martin Natatorium was electric as the Razorbacks zoomed to a second-place finish in their heat with a time of 3:14.91, an NCAA B-Cut time and the fastest time the relay has posted this season. Their 8^th-place finish earned the Hogs 44 points which was enough to bump the Razorbacks into 10^th place.