Razorbacks Power Through Friday With Stellar Performances
ATHENS, Ga. – The Razorbacks delivered a strong showing on Friday night at the SEC Championships, punctuated by a season-best time in the 400 Medley Relay, a breakout performance from Sydney Craft in the 200 Butterfly, and an incredible podium finish from Maria Jose Sanchez in platform diving.
The Arkansas 400 Medley Relay team of Ashley Morton, Bradi Jones, Bella Cothern, and Delaney Harrison put together their fastest performance of the season, touching the wall at 3:38.03. Morton led off with a solid backstroke split of 55.66, followed by Jones, with a breaststroke leg of 1:00.88. Cothern powered through the butterfly leg in 54.78, setting up Harrison to bring it home with a 49.11 freestyle split. The relay’s time marked a nearly two-second drop from their previous season-best.
Sydney Craft was unstoppable in the 200 Butterfly, delivering a personal-best performance in both prelims, a swim-off, and finals. In the morning session, Craft tied for 16th with a strong prelim swim. She improved on her time in the swim-off, then returned for an even better race in the C-Final, clocking 1:56.02. She finished second in her heat and 18th overall. Craft closed her race with a final 50 split of 30.70, outpacing several competitors down the stretch to secure her best career time in the event.
Maria Jose Sanchez made a statement on the platform, finishing third overall with a score of 304.35 to earn a podium finish for the Razorbacks. After a steady performance in prelims that saw her earn another chance to compete for an SEC title. She dove to a 300.65 mark in her prelim and stepped up in finals, delivering a clutch set of dives to secure Arkansas’ best diving finish of the meet so far. Her consistency and execution allowed her to edge out strong competition from Auburn and Texas A&M, capping off an impressive night for the Razorback divers.
The Razorbacks are set to battle through the final day of competition at the SEC Championships, with events including the 1650 Free, 200 Back, 100 Free, and 200 Breast. Fans can catch prelims live on SECN+ and follow the finals coverage here.
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