2017 Arena Pro Swim Series Austin: Day One Prelims Recap

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Photo Courtesy: Caroline Kosciusko

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The 2017 Arena Pro Swim Series kicked off in Austin, Texas this morning for the first session of the series. Prelims began at 9 a.m. CST and finals will run at 6 p.m. CST.

Olympic gold medalists Amanda Weir, Melanie Margalis, and Ryan Held threw down swift swims, while young stars flexed their competitive edge in the first prelims session of the three-day meet.

Events:

  • Women’s 100 Free
  • Men’s 100 Free
  • Women’s 200 Breast
  • Men’s 200 Breast
  • Women’s 100 Fly
  • Men’s 100 Fly
  • Women’s 400 Free (flighted)
  • Men’s 400 Free (flighted)

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Women’s 100 Free

Veteran sprinter Amanda Weir topped the preliminary heats of the women’s 100 free with a top qualifying time of 55.36.

Michelle Williams of HPCO qualified a close second with a time of 55.64, while NC State’s Alexia Zevnik turned in a 55.81 for the third place seed.

Kayla Sanchez of HPCO picked up the final sub-56 swim with a qualifying time of 55.93, followed by teammate Rebecca Smith’s 56.21.

Scottsdale Aquatics’ Taylor Ruck (56.34), Great britain’s Kathryn Greenslade (56.36), and Texas A&M’s Beryl Gastaldello (53.98) rounded out the top eight qualifiers.

Men’s 100 Free

Olympic gold medalist Ryan Held of NC State posted the fastest time of the morning in the men’s 100 free, stopping the clock at a 49.45. Held will be joined in the middle of the pool by Japan’s Shinri Shioura (49.83) and UBC Thunderbirds’ Yuri Kisil (50.24).

Daniel Krueger of McFarland Spartans picked up the fourth place seed with a time of 50.34, while UBC Thunderbirds’ Markus Thormeyer was fifth with a 50.38.

Race Pace club’s Michael Andrew (50.63), California Aquatics’ Jacob Pebley (50.69), and NC State’s Soeren Dahl (50.81) complete the top eight qualifiers.

Women’s 200 Breast

Sydney Pickrem of Texas A&M cruised to the top seed in prelims of the women’s 200 breast. Pickrem turned in a 2:28.07 to lead the returning field by more than half a second.

Olympians Breeja Larson of New York Athletic Club and Melanie Margalis of Saint Petersburg picked up the second and third place seeds respectively. Larson touched in a qualifying time of 2:28.73, followed by Margalis’ 2:28.91.

Katie Matts of Great Britain finished fourth in prelims with a 2:29.32, while teammate Emma Day was fifth with a 2:29.67.

Texas A&M teammates Ashley McGregor and Esther Gonzalez grabbed the sixth and seventh place seeds with times of 2:29.79 and 2:29.91 respectively.

Erika Seltenrei of UBC Thunderbirds qualified eighth with a time of 2:30.10.

Men’s 200 Breast

Nic Fink of Athens Bulldogs held off the competition in prelims of the men’s 200 breast, finishing over a second ahead of the competition. Fink returns as the top seed for tonight’s finals with a time of 2:15.26.

California Aquatics’ Josh Prenot grabbed the second place seed with a time of 2:16.70, followed by Emory’s Andrew Wilson and his time of 2:16.97.

Nick Zito of West Swim Club earned the fourth place seed with a time of 2:17.01, while Chena Swim Club’s James Dergousof took fifth with a 2:17.44.

NC State’s Patrick Schwarze (2:17.88), HPC-Ontario’s Richard Funk (2:18.01), and Mason Manta Rays Jake Foster (2:19.09) completed the top qualifiers.

Women’s 100 Fly

16-year-old Eva Merrell of Aquazot Swim Club led the field in prelims of the women’s 100 fly with a top qualifying time of 59.34. Merrell is one of four swimmers under the age of 18 returning for tonight’s ‘A’ final.

Texas A&M’s Sarah Gibson grabbed a close second with a qualifying time of 59.38, while HPCO’s Rebecca Smith picked up the third place seed with a 59.66.

Veteran Hannah Saiz of Scroeder YMCA turned in a 1:00.67 for the fourth place seed, followed by Razorback Aquatics’ Taylor Pike’s 1:01.16.

Texas A&M’s Beryl Gastaldello (1:01.23), Nation’s Capital’s Isabella Gati (1:01.45), and NC State’s Krista Duffield (1:00.78) return as sixth through eighth respectively.

Men’s 100 Fly

Michael Andrew of Race Pace Club turned in the top time of the morning for the men’s 100 fly. Andrew stopped the clock at a time of 53.60 to be the only swimmer beneath the 54-second mark.

Japan’s Daiya Seto cruised to a second place seed with a time of 54.07, while Azuara Florida’s Marcos Lavado picked up the third place seed with a time of 54.28.

NC State’s Soeren Dahl and Ryan Held delivered times of 54.44 and 54.67 for the fourth and fifth place seeds respectively.

North Texas Nadadores’ Jack LeVant (54.69), Mission Viejo’s Daniel Kim (55.49), and japan’s Yuki Kobori (55.16) rounded out the top qualifiers.

Women’s 400 Free

Great Britain’s Holly Hibbott maintained her spot as the top seed in the women’s 400 free with a qualifying time of 4:11.60.

Mary-Sophie Harvey of Neptune picked up a close second place seed with a time of 4:11.72, just ahead of NCAC’s Ashley Twichell’s 4:11.96.

Saint Petersburg’s Melanie Margalis grabbed the fourth place seed with a 4:12.74, followed by NC State’s Hannah Moore who touched in a time of 4:12.87.

Marlins of Raleigh’s Morgan Tankersley (4:15.96), Etobicoke’s Olivia Anderson (4:16.03), and Chile’s Kristel Kobrich (4:16.76) were sixth through eighth.

Men’s 400 Free

Anton Ipson of NC State picked up the top seed in prelims of the men’s 400 free with a time of 3:52.93. Teammate Adam Linker qualified close behind with a 3:53.43.

Japan’s Naito Ehara turned in a 3:54.13 for third, while Island Swimming’s Jeremy Bagshaw grabbed the fourth place seed wit ha 3:5.42.

16-year-old Trey Freeman finished fifth in prelims with a time of 3:57.55, followed by Japan’s Tsubasa Amai’s 3:57.76.

Nitro Swimming’s Chris Yeager and Nation’s Capital’s Lane Stone return as seventh and eighth with times of 3:57.99 and 3:58.06 respectively.

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Sir Swimsalot
Sir Swimsalot
7 years ago

53.98!!! Whoa! Very fast 100 freestyle

eric
eric
7 years ago
Reply to  Sir Swimsalot

likely they meant 56.98

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