2017 ARENA PRO SWIM SERIES – AUSTIN
- January 13-15th, 2017
- Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center
- Live Results
- Meet Preview
- Live Stream
One stop in, Melanie Margalis and Daiya Seto have grabbed early leads in the 2017 Arena Pro Swim Series point standings. Margalis has earned 19 points and $1900 while Seto has taken home 20 and $2000.
U.S. Olympian Margalis holds an 8-point lead over Canada’s Mary-Sophie Harvey after the Austin stop of the tour over the weekend. Seto is leading all men by 7, with Anton Ipsen in second place. Defending series champions Katie Ledecky and Conor Dwyer do not appear in the point standings after not taking part in the Austin Pro Swim Series stop.
Here’s a look at the point and prize money system, along with the rewards for the eventual series champ. The tour continues with 5 more stops, culminating in a double-point extravaganza at U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.
POINTS & PRIZE MONEY
Each swimmer earns points and prize money for 1st, 2nd or 3rd place finishes in individual Olympic distance events at every stop of the tour. Relays and non-Olympic events (50 fly, 50 back, 50 breast, women’s 1500 free, men’s 800 free, etc) do not count for points or money.
- 1st: $500 and 5 points
- 2nd: $300 and 3 points
- 3rd: $100 and 1 point
At Summer Nationals, those point totals will be doubled to 10, 6 and 2.
The overall point winners from the entire series for both men and women will earn $10,000 apiece, as well as a 1-year lease of a BMW car. Athletes of any nationality can earn the cash bonus, but only U.S. citizens can win the BMW. If a foreign athlete or an athlete maintaining their amateurism status wins the tour, the car will be passed on to the next eligible finisher, but if a swimmer maintaining their amateurism status wins the series, the $10,000 bonus will not be passed on to the next finisher.
Points & Money Lists
Reminder: these lists track money earned, not necessarily money accepted. Athletes maintaining their amateurism status for high school or college swimming are restricted in how much prize money they can accept.
Women’s Points
Margalis is the top point-getter and is in great shape, with her closest challenger, Harvey, ineligible to compete at U.S. Nationals, worth double points.
| Rank | Athlete | Points | Money |
| 1 | Melanie Margalis | 19 | $1,900 |
| 2 | Mary-Sophie Harvey | 11 | $1,100 |
| 3 | Ashley Twichell | 10 | $1,000 |
| 4 | Breeja Larson | 8 | $800 |
| 4 | Hali Flickinger | 8 | $800 |
| 6 | Amanda Weir | 5 | $500 |
| 6 | Hilary Caldwell | 5 | $500 |
| 6 | Kayla Sanchez | 5 | $500 |
| 6 | Lucie Nordmann | 5 | $500 |
| 6 | Michelle Williams | 5 | $500 |
| 6 | Sarah Gibson | 5 | $500 |
| 12 | Erica Seltenreich-Hodgson | 4 | $400 |
| 12 | Eva Merrell | 4 | $400 |
| 14 | Danielle Hanus | 3 | $300 |
| 14 | Hannah Moore | 3 | $300 |
| 14 | Hannah Saiz | 3 | $300 |
| 14 | Ky-lee Perry | 3 | $300 |
| 14 | Rebecca Smith | 3 | $300 |
| 19 | Sydney Pickrem | 2 | $200 |
| 20 | Alexia Zevnik | 1 | $100 |
| 20 | Imogen Clark | 1 | $100 |
| 20 | Mackenzie Glover | 1 | $100 |
| 20 | Natalie Labonge | 1 | $100 |
| 20 | Olivia Anderson | 1 | $100 |
| 20 | Taylor Pike | 1 | $100 |
Men’s Points
The men’s race is more interesting, with Seto leading by 7 but ineligible for U.S. Nationals as well. Second-place Ipsen is also a foreign athlete, as is third-place Shinri Shioura. That means Josh Prenot is currently the top American who would be in line for the 1-year BMW lease, and the only swimmer in the top 5 eligible to earn double points at U.S. Nationals.
| Rank | Athlete | Points | Money |
| 1 | Daiya Seto | 20 | $2,000 |
| 2 | Anton Ipsen | 13 | $1,300 |
| 3 | Shinri Shioura | 10 | $1,000 |
| 4 | Josh Prenot | 9 | $900 |
| 4 | Marcos Lavado | 9 | $900 |
| 6 | Jacob Pebley | 8 | $800 |
| 7 | Andrew Wilson | 6 | $600 |
| 7 | Naito Ehara | 6 | $600 |
| 7 | Nicolas Fink | 6 | $600 |
| 10 | Matt Grevers | 5 | $500 |
| 10 | Michael Andrew | 5 | $500 |
| 12 | Yuri Kisil | 4 | $400 |
| 13 | Fuyu Yoshida | 3 | $300 |
| 13 | Ryan Held | 3 | $300 |
| 13 | Sean Lehane | 3 | $300 |
| 16 | Adam Linker | 2 | $200 |
| 16 | Hennessey Stuart | 2 | $200 |
| 18 | Jack LeVant | 1 | $100 |
| 18 | Tristan Cote | 1 | $100 |
| 18 | Tsubasa Amai | 1 | $100 |
“Athletes maintaining their amateurism status for high school or college swimming are restricted in how much prize money they can accept.” so amateur athletes can accept some prize money? Anyone know how much they can accept.
Swamfan – that’s a complex question to answer. But, for example, prize money can be received to cover costs of competition.
Peanuts! And a one year BMW lease. Like a M4?