Seto, Shioura Collect Wins for Japan at the 2017 Arena Pro Series Austin

Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr

Editorial content for the 2017 Arena Pro Swim Series Austin is sponsored by Arena. Visit ArenaUSA.com for more information on our sponsor. For full Swimming World coverage, check out our event coverage page.

Night two of the 2017 Arena Pro Series in Austin, Texas was highlighted by top swims from international swimmers. Daiya Seto and Shinri Shioura of Japan both added a second gold medal to their weekend’s collection, while Canadians Michelle Williams and Hilary Caldwell grabbed their first golds.

The third and final day of competition will dive in tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. CST.

Events:

Women’s 400 IM
Men’s 400 IM
Women’s 200 Free
Men’s 200 Free
Women’s 200 Back
Men’s 200 Back
Women’s 50 Free
Men’s 50 Free

Hit refresh for the latest coverage.

Women’s 400 IM

The Canadian women’s swim team continued to build upon their banner year with a podium sweep of the women’s 400 IM. It was a battle between Mary-Sophie Harvey and Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson. Despite a dominant backstroke leg from Seltenreich-Hodgson, Harvey was able to close the gap on the breast leg, before taking the lead in the final 50 meters of the free.

Harvey stopped the clock at a 4:37.89 for first, followed by Seltenreich-Hodgson’s 4:39.51.

Fellow Canadian Sydney Pickrem picked up the bronze medal with a 4:44.40 to complete the sweep.

NC State’s Hannah Moore finished fourth overall with a time of 4:48.74, followed by Great Britain’s Candice Hall’s 4:50.70.

Texas A&M’s Monika Gonzalez (4:49.53), Southern Methodist’s Matea Samrdzic (4:50.86), and Texas A&M’s Bethany Galat (4:52.43) completed the top eight.

Men’s 400 IM

Japanese Olympian Daiya Seto led the competition from wall-to-wall in the men’s 400 IM final. Seto, who was the bronze medalist in the 400 IM at the Rio Olympics, jumped to an early lead in the first 50 meters of the race and never looked back, finishing more than seven seconds ahead of the competition with a 4:13.80.

Anton Ipsen of NC State picked up the silver medal with a final time of 4:21.07, followed by a close race between University of Calgary’s Tristan Cote and Nitro’s Sean Grieshop. Cote snuck his hand to the wall just ahead of Grieshop to finish third with a 4:21.42 over Grieshop’s 4:21.47.

Island Swimming’s Josh Zakala finished fifth overall with a time of 4:24.02, while Mason Manta Ray’s Carson Foster took sixth with a 4:27.31.

Casey Storch of Machine Aquatics and Jarrod Arroyo, swimming unattached, were seventh and eighth with times of 4:27.62 and 4:35.05 respectively.

Women’s 200 Free

The women’s 200 free final featured a stacked field as four Olympians battled for the gold. Former Georgia teammates Hali Flickinger and Melanie Margalis held a tight race throughout the first 100 meters before Flickinger pulled ahead just slightly at the 150-mark.

A charging Margalis made her move in the final 50-meters and powered ahead of Flickinger to claim her second gold of the weekend with a 1:58.78. Flickinger finished second overall with a 1:59.20, while HPCO’s Kayla Sanchez picked up third with a 1:59.81.

Veteran Amanda Weir, representing SwimAtanta, grabbed fourth with a 2:01.11, just ahead of Great Britain’s Holly Hibbott’s 2:01.26.

Great Britain’s Kathryn Greenslade (2:01.35), Texas A&M’s Claire Rasmus (2:01.69), and Scottsdale Aquatics’ Taylor Ruck (2:10.24) finished sixth through eighth respectively.

Men’s 200 Free

A mixed field of athletes from five different countries highlighted the men’s 200 free final. In the final 25-meters the race was between Japan’s Fuyu Yoshida and Venezuela’s Marcos Lavado. Lavado put his head down and powered his way to the wall to snag the gold with a final time of 1:48.90.

Yoshida settled for second with a time of 1:48.99, followed by teammate Tsubasa Amai’s 1:49.40.

Despite leading with some outside smoke throughout the middle portion of the race, Japan’s Naito Ehara slipped to fourth and a final time of 1:49.50.

NC State’s Soeren Dahl finished a close fifth with a time of 1:49.92, while UBC Thunderbirds’ Markus Thormeyer took sixth with a 1:50.21.

Jeremy Bagshaw of Island Swimming grabbed seventh with a 1:50.66, followed by North Texas’ Jack Levant and his time of 1:51.39.

Women’s 200 Back

Canadian Olympian Hilary Caldwell flexed her backstroke prowess in the finals of the women’s 200 back in her first long course meet since the Rio Olympics. The win did not come without competition, however, as 16-year-old Eva Merrell stuck with Caldwell throughout the race.

Caldwell stopped the clock at a 2:09.76, just ahead of Merrell’s 2:10.22.

NC State’s Mackenzie Glover picked up third with a final time of 2:11.18, followed by Magnolia Aquatics’ Lucie Nordmann. Nordmann, one of four athletes under the age of 18, posted a final time of 2:12.52.

Lisa Bratton of Texas A&M grabbed fifth with a time of 2:12.72, while NC State’s Hannah Moore finished sixth with a 2:13.06.

Nashville Aquatic Club’s Alex Walsh and Scottsdale Aquatics’ Taylor Ruck completed the heat with times of 2:13.13 and 2:13.46 respectively.

Men’s 200 Back

Jacob Pebley of California Aquatics delivered a commanding performance in finals of the men’s 200 back. Pebley, a member of the Olympic team this summer in Rio, worked his turns to pull away from the competition and finish with a 1:55.95.

Academy Bullets’ Sean Lehane and NC State’s Hennessey Stuart held a tight race for the silver, with Lehane edging Stuart out 2:00.33 to 2:00.47.

Rob Hill, swimming unattached, grabbed fourth with a time of 2:02.65, while NC State’s Coleman Stewart was fifth with a 2:03.50.

FAST’s Omar Pinzon (2:03.89), Front Range’s Harrison Lierz (2:04.47), and UBC Thunderbirds’ Markus Thormeyer (2:07.98) rounded out the final heat.

Women’s 50 Free

Canada’s Michelle Williams splashed and dashed her way to the gold in the finals of the women’s 50 free. Williams powered to a 25.16 win without taking a breath.

NC State’s Ky–lee Perry slipped from her top seed to second with a finish of 25.51, while teammate Natalie Labonge picked up the bronze medal with a 25.64.

Beryl Gastaldello of Texas A&M took a close fourth with a time of 25.65, followed by tight finishes between SwimAtlanta teammates Amanda Weir (25.74) and Maddie Locus (25.75) .

Texas A&M’s Kristin Malone and HPCO’s Kayla Sanchez completed the heat with times of 25.77 and 25.84 respectively.

Men’s 50 Free

Shinri Shioura of Japan completed a sweep of the sprint free events with a top showing in the men’s 50 free final. Shioura held off the competition to claim gold with a 22.44, followed closely by UBC Thunderbirds’ Yuri Kisil and his time of 22.46.

Race Pace Club’s Michael Andrew picked up the bronze medal with a 22.65 swim, while veteran Matt Grevers of Tucson Ford took fourth with a 22.66.

Ryan Held of NC State settled for fifth and a 22.69, just ahead of Japan’s Syun Kawasaki’s 22.88.

Pitchfork Aquatics’ Luis Flores and Eagle Swim Club’s Ollie Smith turned in times of 23.00 and 23.13 for seventh and eighth respectively.

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use