Arizona State High School Record of Olympian Gary Hall Jr. Falls

By Brian Savard

TEMPE, Arizona, November 4. TEN Olympic medals. American record holder in the 50 meter freestyle. One of the most decorated sprinters in the history of U.S. swimming.

Thumbing through the accomplishments of Gary Hall Jr. causes one to reflect upon his impact as one of the fastest sprinters in history.

His accomplishments, then, make his records sacred, and whenever one is broken, it stands as a special event.

Adam Small of Corona del Sol High School made just such a mark last night at the Arizona 5A Division 1 State Championships as he emerged as the new Arizona state record holder in the 50 freestyle, slamming into the touchpad in a scorching 20.22 seconds.

Many sprinters have given the record a run for its money, including Herbie Behm of Tucson Catalina Foothills just two weeks prior who fell just .05 short of the 20.30 mark.

"I knew the time had been pretty much cursed, so that was a little nerve-racking," Small told The Arizona Republic in an article after the race. "A lot of great swimmers had gotten close."

In an event where a minute mistake can spoil a race, Small executed the race perfectly and came out of the event as one of the nation's most respected high school sprinters.

"I was extremely nervous," Small told The Arizona Republic. "When I touched the wall and saw the time, I was like, ‘Great, it's off of my shoulders.'"

Small also bested the 100 freestyle competitors, winning the event in a 45.32 time. Hall's 100 freestyle record of 43.85, which now stands as the gold standard for sprinters in the state, remained unscathed.

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