Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Friday named a top attorney for the state and a state Supreme Court justice to vacancies on the court, and her deputy chief legal counsel as secretary of state.
The Republican governor’s appointments will give conservatives a 5-2 majority on the technically nonpartisan court, which has been targeted over the years by outside conservative groups.
Sanders named Justice Cody Hiland and state Solicitor General Nicholas Bronni to the court, effective Jan. 1. Sanders last year named Hiland to a vacancy on the court that expires at the end of this year.
“When I came into office nearly two years ago, we had a liberal supreme court. Not anymore,” Sanders said at a ceremony at the Capitol. “Our supreme court is now solidly conservative.”
Bronni has represented the state in several high profile cases, including one that narrowed the scope of the Voting Rights Act and another over the state’s requirement that contractors pledge not to boycott Israel. Bronni will replace Justice Karen Baker, who was elected chief justice this year.
“I come to the bench recognizing that a judge plays an important, but limited, role in our constitutional system,” Bronni said.
Hiland had been nominated as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas by President Donald Trump in 2017 and served in that position through 2020. Before being named to the court, he was state GOP chairman and served as an adviser to Sanders’ 2020 campaign for governor. Hiland will replace Justice Courtney Goodson, who was elected to another seat on the court.
“We have a special state, and the thing that makes us special is our people. So to continue serving in such a critical role is a blessing,” Hiland said.
Sanders also named Cole Jester, her deputy chief legal counsel, to succeed Secretary of State John Thurston, who will take office in January as state treasurer. Before working in Sanders’ office, Jester was an appellate clerk for Chief Judge Lavenski Smith of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
“As your secretary of state, I will fight to keep Arkansas the best state in the country by keeping our elections the most secure in the country,” Jester said.
It was expected to come soon, but this week featured the most movement thus far — especially past the Top 10, which saw some teams move down due to no fault of their own, but to multiple lower-ranked squads notching wins over higher-ranked ones.
While top-ranked Conway took care of Link (Mo.) Academy in a nonconference matchup and has shown to be the current stand-alone favorite in the 6A-Central, the 6A-West appears to be wide open, as previously third-ranked Springdale Har-Ber took a loss to a very good, and rising, Fayetteville team.
Class 5A features a host of headliner matchups this week, and the most notable move in Class 4A was unbeaten Pulaski Academy elevating to the Top 10. A very impressive Class 1A squad earned its way in the Top 25, checking in at the final spot.
See the full Top 25 below.
January 20, 2025
Last week: 1
After handling Cabot in a 6A-Central contest Tuesday, the Wampus Cats took a two-point lead to halftime during Friday’s nonconference matchup against Link (Mo.) Academy, and then Emerie Bohanon happened. The Central Arkansas signee finished with 30 points and hit seven three-pointers to help secure Conway’s 14th consecutive win.
Last week: 2
The Cardinals once again imposed their will, this time over Harrison and Greenwood, headlined by big weeks from Easton McCollough and Kaycee McCumber, along with Marin Adams, who filled the stat sheet against Greenwood. This week starts with a trip to No. 3 Mountain Home for a matchup between Class 5A’s highest-ranked squads.
Last week: 4
The Bombers keep rolling and are winners of 14 consecutive contests after handling Siloam Springs and then getting past Van Buren on Friday. Many eyes will be focused on Tuesday’s matchup when No. 2 Farmington comes to town before Mountain Home closes the week at Alma.
Last week: 5
A three-game week was no problem for the Red Dogs, as the closest margin of victory in those contests was a 16-point win over Rogers on Monday. They will have all week to prepare for Friday’s trip to nearby rival No. Fayetteville, a squad that is beginning to open eyes.
Last week: 6
The Bears have been rolling since dropping their 6A-West opener to Springdale as they went unblemished through last week’s three-game slate that included Top 25 wins over Fayetteville and Bentonville.
Last week: 8
Friday’s eight-point triumph over a solid Nettleton squad notched the Eagles their 10th consecutive win. It is a huge week for GCT with consecutive Top 25 matchups against No. 15 West Memphis and No. 19 Valley View, but the good news is both will be on the Eagles’ home court.
Last week: 9
Convincing victories over Bryant and Cabot put the Tigers at 3-0 to start conference play. They are off this week until Friday and could certainly use the extra preparation with No. 1 Conway coming to town.
Last week: 3
A red-hot shooting night for Fayetteville was too much for the Wildcats to overcome in a Monday makeup game, but Har-Ber responded with consecutive wins over Bentonville and Fort Smith Southside to close the week strong. Only Rogers Heritage is scheduled for this week before two crucial matchups against No. 5 Fort Smith Northside and No. 4 Springdale to finish January.
Last week: 10
It was a pretty painless week for the Charging Wildcats as the defense did not yield an inch in 6A-Central victories over Little Rock Southwest and Jonesboro, allowing 38 combined points. NLR has won six of its past eight, with both losses to Top 10 opposition, and heads to Buzz Bolding Arena Tuesday for a showdown with top-ranked Conway.
Last week: 11
The Bruins got past a sneaky Stuttgart squad and then left no doubt in dominant wins over Joe T. Robinson and Morrilton to close the week, holding the Senators and Devil Dogs to 18 points each.
Last week: 14
It was a matter of when, not if, the Eagles would get on another roll after enduring a December rollercoaster. Top 25 5A-Central wins over Beebe and Little Rock Christian, plus a convincing triumph over Parkview to cap the week, keep their 2025 unblemished streak intact.
Last week: 7
The Warriors suffered their first defeat of 2025 at the hands of a heralded Vilonia squad that continues to jell with each game, but they rebounded with a win over Mount St. Mary. They start this week against Maumelle at home before finishing with a trip to No. 22 Beebe.
Last week: 12
Tuesday’s anticipated 4A-7 showdown with unbeaten De Queen lived up to the expectations, and the Scrapperettes ran away with the victory late behind Caroline Dean’s 30-point performance. They showed no signs of fatigue in Friday’s contest as they held Magnolia to 11 points.
Last week: 13
The Patriots are 3-0 in 5A-East play and sit in a tie for first place after a close win over Nettleton and then getting past Searcy on the road. They cannot afford letdowns this week against Paragould and Batesville with a crucial final week of January following that slate.
Last week: 15
A tough loss to rival Marion was quickly forgotten as the Blue Devils came out on top in close matchups, first against Batesville before taking a defensive battle against Valley View in a Top 20 matchup. There is no time to rest with No. 6 Greene County Tech and Nettleton on the schedule this week.
Last week: 16
A busy week is ahead for the unblemished Pirates. They tip it off against Glen Rose and end it at Jessieville, but all eyes will be on Wednesday’s makeup game at Baptist Prep, which sits at the top of the 3A-5 conference at 8-0 alongside Dover.
Last week: 23
They might not have a large body of work, but the Purple Dogs do have a quality resume and notched their first signature win of the season last Monday against Springdale Har-Ber. They split the other two games, falling to Fort Smith Northside and running away from Rogers to finish the week.
Last week: 18
It is worth noting both were to Top 10 competition, but regardless, the Tigers are on a two-game skid, and they look to get back on track with consecutive trips this week to face Rogers and Bentonville West.
Last week: 19
There is still a lot to play for, but the Blazers are hunting their first signature win since the season opener against Mountain Home after falling in a tough one to West Memphis on Friday. They’ll get another prime opportunity Friday against No 8 Greene County Tech but for now must focus on Tuesday, when Searcy comes to town.
Last week: 20
They fell in a very competitive battle at Nashville, but the Leopards notched huge victories over Camden Fairview and Arkadelphia while proving to the state during the three-game slate they are one of Class 4A’s top contenders.
Last week: 21
As if the Bulldogs have not impressed enough already, they locked down on defense and scored points in bunches in victories over South Side Bee Branch and White County Central. This week features crucial conference matchups against Bigelow and two-time defending Class 2A champion Mount Vernon-Enola.
Last week: 22
The Badgers were not able to get it done on the road against Vilonia, but they responded nicely with consecutive victories over Jacksonville and Sylvan Hills to keep within a half-game of first place in the 5A-Central behind Vilonia and Little Rock Christian. Speaking of Little Rock Christian, Beebe hosts the Warriors Friday after a Tuesday trip to Mount St. Mary.
Last week: 17
A sneaky Forrest City squad caught the Wolves off guard as the Mustangs handed Lake Hamilton its second loss in the past three games, but they were able to get back in the win column with a close victory over Benton and now remain a half-game back in the 5A-South standings.
Last week: 24
The Bulldogs won their fourth consecutive game against Alma to open the week, but they ran into the buzzsaw that is Farmington on Friday, though they did have a few rallies before the Cardinals ran away. This is a team that expects to keep improving in the back half as they set their focus on Russellville and Siloam Springs this week.
Last week: NR
Multiple new Eagles who were already familiar with each other have meshed well and certainly proved their status as one of the state’s best 25 teams, Class 1A or not. On top of multiple wins over much higher classifications, their three losses were to No. 10 Pulaski Academy, Class 5A Nettleton by a point and No. 9 North Little Rock.
Brookland
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The No. 17 Gymbacks return to Bud Walton Arena on Monday, Jan. 20 for their first home meet of the season, a tri with No. 16 Denver and Texas Woman’s.
Arkansas is on the losing side of its series with Denver at 4-8 but has defeated Texas Woman’s in every meeting at 6-0, which included the team’s first ever win in 2003. Arkansas has not seen Denver since 2022, while the Gymbacks took on the TWU Pioneers last season on the road.
Denver will be a formidable non-conference opponent for Arkansas, the Pioneers are currently fifth in the country on bars with an average score of 49.325 and eighth in the country on the vault with a 49.138.
The Gymbacks are looking for their first win of the season as they’ve gone 0-4 in two contests so far. Arkansas showed improvement in its SEC opener at Auburn and got over the 196 hump with a mark of 196.250, but the Tigers came out victorious with a score of 196.700.
Monday’s meet has been dubbed Be in Bud, as the team and fans return to The Palace for the first of all five home meets that will be held at the arena this season. Season and single meet tickets are now available via Razorback Ticket Center or are available at the door.
Fans are encouraged park in lots 307, 310, 314, 316 and 321. Doors open at 12:30 p.m., team intros start at 1:45 and first vault is at 2:00. Action will be streamed live on SEC Network+ and live stats will be provided by Virtius.
Numbers to Know:
Denver (Average and ranking | Top ind. average)
Texas Woman’s
Arkansas
More Information
Visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com for the latest information on all things Arkansas Gymnastics. You can also find the Razorbacks on social media by liking us on Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Gymnastics) and following us on Twitter and Instagram (@RazorbackGym).
Today at 1:12 p.m.
Josh Snyder
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Michael R. Wickline
In the days after Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ announcement of a sweeping plan to improve the state’s lagging higher education system, university leaders say it is too early to weigh in on the project but they share her commitment to helping Arkansans get to college.
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