Austin, TX

A Texas execution is renewing calls for clemency. It’s rarely granted

Published

1 year ago

October 5, 2024

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texas man set to die this month is at the center of another push for clemency in the U.S., this time backed by several GOP lawmakers and bestselling author John Grisham, who say a father’s 2002 conviction for killing his infant daughter deserves a second look.

Their pleas to spare Robert Roberson, who is set to die by lethal injection on Oct. 17, comes after Missouri and Oklahoma carried out executions last month over calls to grant two condemned men lesser punishments, underlining how rare clemency remains for death row prisoners.

The cases highlight one of a governor’s most extraordinary powers — whether to allow an execution to proceed. In Texas, the state’s parole board and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott have yet to weigh in on Roberson, whose defenders say was convicted based on faulty scientific evidence.

In Missouri, the execution of Marcellus Williams on Sept. 24 reignited calls for transparency in the decision-making process after a prosecutor and the victim’s family had urged Republican Gov. Mike Parson to reduce the sentence. Parson said multiple courts had not found merit in Williams’ innocence claims.

“Capital punishment cases are some of the hardest issues we have to address in the Governor’s Office, but when it comes down to it, I follow the law and trust the integrity of our judicial system,” Parson said in a statement before Williams’ execution.

Clemency is the process that allows a governor, president or independent board to lessen the sentence of a person convicted of a crime. In most states, a state board recommends clemency to the governor before it can be approved.

Clemencies are usually a last push by defendants on death row to have their sentence reduced after all other efforts in the judicial system have failed.

Historically, grants for clemency are rare. Aside from a few mass orders from governors to commute all death sentences in their state, less than two have been granted on average per year since then, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt rejected a recommendation from the state’s parole board to spare the life of Emmanuel Littlejohn life before he was executed. In a 3-2 vote, the board appeared convinced by Littlejohn’s attorneys, who questioned if he or a co-defendant were responsible for a 1992 killing of a store owner.

Stitt — who has granted clemency just once out of the five times the board has recommended it during his nearly six years in office — said in a statement that he did not want to overturn a jury’s decision to execute Littlejohn “as a law and order governor.”

In Missouri, Williams’ execution followed public outcry from the victim’s family and prosecutor last month in a historic week of five executions in a seven-day span.

It’s unclear if Missouri’s Parole Board, which makes confidential recommendations to the governor on clemency requests, advocated for Williams’ execution. Williams’ defense attorneys said those records should be public.

“Transparency is a hallmark of Democracy, and it is woefully missing here,” they said in a statement.

Governors are usually balancing a few things when deciding to commute a sentence, including the severity of a crime or if they’re remorseful, according to Arizona State University law professor Dale Baich, an attorney who has represented people facing execution.

But Baich also suspects other factors can come into play. “I think it all comes down to politics,” Baich said.

Eighty-six state representatives — as well as medical experts, death penalty attorneys, a former detective on the case and Grisham — are supporting Roberson because they believe his conviction was based on faulty scientific evidence.

Roberson was sentenced to death for killing his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis, in 2002. Prosecutors claimed he violently shook her to death from what’s known as shaken baby syndrome. In a letter sent to the board last month, medical professionals claimed that Curtis’ injuries aligned with pneumonia and not shaken baby syndrome.

Prosecutors have claimed that the science of shaken baby syndrome has not changed significantly since Roberson’s conviction and that the evidence against him still holds.

“We want our justice system to work. And I think Texans deserve to know that if a man is going to be executed, that it is right and he is guilty,” state Rep. Lacey Hull, a Republican from Houston who is one of 30 GOP state representatives to support clemency for Roberson, said last week after she and other lawmakers visited Roberson in prison. “And if there’s even a shadow of a doubt that he is innocent, we should not be executing him.”

Some Republicans view Roberson’s case as a parental rights issue about the safeguards that need to be put in place to prevent parents from being falsely accused of child abuse.

Abbott can only grant clemency after receiving a recommendation from the the Texas Board of Pardons and Parole. He has commuted a death sentence only once in nearly a decade as governor.

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Ballentine reported from Jefferson City, Missouri. Associated Press writer Juan A. Lozano in Houston contributed to this report.

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Lathan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

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Austin, TX

Austin private schools shut out of Texas voucher program. Why?

Published

9 hours ago

January 16, 2026

Press Room

Austin private schools shut out of Texas voucher program. Why?

Dozens of Austin private schools are currently shut out of participating in Texas’ new school voucher program because of alleged ties to foreign governments or terrorist organizations.

Many private schools in Texas accredited by the nonprofit Cognia have been unable to apply to the state’s new voucher program, the Houston Chronicle reported this week. Of the almost 40 private schools in Austin that have only been accredited by the group, just one has been approved to participate in the new $1 billion education savings account program, the Statesman found.

The discrepancy comes after Comptroller Kelly Hancock, who oversees the new voucher program, sought an opinion in mid-December from Attorney General Ken Paxton on whether some private schools could be prohibited from participating in the program over alleged ties to the Chinese government or the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a nonprofit Gov. Greg Abbott has declared a terrorist group.

In his letter to Paxton, Hancock raised concerns about schools that he claimed hosted events organized by CAIR and schools that he said may be owned or linked to “an adviser to the Chinese communist government.” In both cases, the schools were accredited by Cognia, he wrote.

To be eligible, private schools must be accredited and in operation for at least two years. The schools also must administer a nationally norm-referenced test to students in third grade and above. Schools that provide virtual-only education can also apply.

The vouchers will provide students up to about $10,500 toward private school tuition per year, with students who receive special education services eligible for up to $30,000. Homeschooled students can receive up to $2,000 for tutoring, courses or materials. Vendors who provide these services must also receive approval from the comptroller’s office.

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Austin, TX

2026 Pro Swim Series — Austin: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

Published

21 hours ago

January 15, 2026

Press Room

2026 PRO SWIM SERIES – AUSTIN

Thursday Finals Heat Sheet

Welcome to the 2nd finals session of the 2026 Pro Swim Series in Austin, and we are in for an exciting one tonight.

We will start the session with the event finals for the 200 IM and 50 freestyle, which swam their semifinals yesterday. World Record holders Summer McIntosh and Leon Marchand hold the top times in both 200 IM events, which will be the first two events of the meet.

Simone Manuel and Maxime Grousset had the fastest semifinal times in the 50 freestyle and will each lead tonight’s event finals.

We will then move into the semifinals of the men’s and women’s 50 breaststroke where Skyler Smith and Van Mathias are the top seeds. Mathias is fresh off a Pro Swim Series record in the event, swimming 26.57 in prelims.

Charlotte Crush and Kieran Smith are the top seeds in the first typical event finals of the evening, though they aren’t far ahead of their competition with Teagan O’Dell coming in behind Crush and Marchand and Yohann Ndoye-Brouard sitting less than a second behind Smith.

The women’s 100 fly could be one of the most exciting events of the session with Regan Smith coming in as the top seed ahead of Summer McIntosh. On the men’s side, Caeleb Dressel earned the top time, about half-a-second ahead of Grousset.

The session will wrap up with the 400 freestyle finals where last night’s 1500 champion Katie Ledecky is the top women’s seed, 11 seconds ahead of Rylee Erisman, who is looking for a strong swim to match her electric 500 from Winter Juniors.

The men’s 400 free could be a close race with Daniel Wiffen leading Ilia Sibirtsev and Bobby Finke by just over a second. Ryan Erisman is also in the mix there, and is coming off a massive best time in last night’s 1500 freestyle.

WOMEN’S 200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – Final

World Record: 2:05.70 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2025)
American Record: 2:06.15 – Ariana Kukors (2009)
US Open Record: 2:06.79 – Kate Douglass, USA (2024)
PSS Record: 2:06.82 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2025)
World Jr Record: 2:06.56 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2024)
~~Pool Record: 2:08.51 – Madisyn Cox~~

Top 8 Finishers

Summer McIntosh (TXLA) — 2:08.48
Cyrielle Duhamel (FRA) — 2:13.73
Teagan O’Dell (CAL) — 2:14.06
Emma Weyant (GSC) — 2:14.23
Lindsay Looney (TXLA) — 2:17.86
Ava Chavez (CAL) — 2:18.86
Rowyn Wilber (CLOV) — 2:18.92
Maren Byrne (ALTO) — 2:19.05

Summer McIntosh swam to an easy victory in the women’s 200 IM, stopping the clock in 2:08.48 to come in more than five seconds ahead of the rest of the field and break Madisyn Cox’s pool record in the process.

McIntosh was out in 27.44, claiming the lead at the very start as the only swimmer under 28 seconds on the opening 50. She split 31.82 on the backstroke, the fastest in the field by more than two seconds. Nobody else was even under 34 seconds.

The breaststroke leg saw McIntosh touch in 38.65 before she came home in 30.57 on the freestyle, locking up the top spot and the fastest split on all four 50s.

France’s Cyrielle Duhamel finished 2nd after sitting in 3rd for most of the race. She was out behind Teagan O’Dell, splitting 28.52/34.27/39.47 on the first 3 50s, but her final 50 of 31.47 was more than a second faster than O’Dell and moved her into the silver medal position.

O’Dell was 28.42/34.17/38.97/32.50 to finish 3rd in 2:14.06, three seconds off her lifetime best 2:11.24 from July.

Emma Weyant finished 4th in 2:14.23, another new personal best, dropping from the 2:14.74 she swam in the semifinal

MEN’S 200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – Final

World Record: 1:52.69 – Leon Marchand, FRA (2025)
American Record: 1:54.00 – Ryan Lochte (2011)
US Open Record: 1:54.43 – Ryan Lochte, USA (2010)
PSS Record: 1:55.68 – Leon Marchand, FRA (2023)
World Jr Record: 1:56.99 – Hubert Kos, HUN (2021)
Pool Record: 1:55.50 — Hubert Kos

Top 8 Finishers

Leon Marchand (TXLA) — 1:57.65
Carson Foster (NYAC) — 1:58.96
Kieran Smith (RAC) — 1:59.86
Grant Sanders (UN-FL) — 2:01.93
Gerhardt Hoover (CS) — 2:05.80
Cullen Kahl (MAC) — 2:06.18
Ethan Heasley (HEAT) — 2:07.57
Rafael Arizpe Arriaga (IM) — 2:07.69

Leon Marchand picked up the win in the men’s 200 IM final, touching in 1:57.65 to earn the top time by more than a second.

Marchand was the fastest on the first three 50s, splitting 24.97/29.79 and 33.57 on the fly/back and breaststroke splits, and his freestyle leg of 29.32 was 3rd behind Carson Foster and Kieran Smith.

Texas teammate Carson Foster finished 2nd in 1:58.96, a little more than three seconds off his lifetime best 1:55.65 from the 2024 Olympic Trials. Foster was 2nd through the entire race, splitting 25.48 on the opening 50 to get out just ahead of Kieran Smith. He was 30.03 on the backstroke and 34.50 on the breaststroke to put himself comfortably in the 2nd place position. He brought the race home in 28.95, the fastest freestyle leg in the field for the silver medal.

Kieran Smith was 3rd in 1:59.86 after splitting 25.60/30.01/35.16/29.09 to also come home faster than Marchand on the final 50. His final time was about three seconds off his best 1:56.97, also from the 2024 Olympic Trials.

WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – Final

World Record: 23.61 – Sarah Sjostrom, SWE (2023)
American Record: 23.91 – Kate Douglass/Gretchen Walsh, USA (2024)
US Open Record: 23.91 – Gretchen Walsh, USA (2024)
PSS Record: 24.17 – Sarah Sjostrom, SWE (2016)
World Jr Record: 24.17 – Claire Curzan, USA (2021)
Pool Record: 24.17 – Sarah Sjostrom

Top 8 Finishers

Simone Manuel (TXLA) — 24.79
Beryl Gastaldello (FRA) — 24.85
Marie Wattel (FRA) — 24.97
Anna Peplowski (ISC) — 25.14
Analia Pigree (FRA) — 25.23
Claire Weinstein (UN) — 25.53
Chloe Stepanek (LIAC) — 25.84
Emma Harvey (BER) — 26.85

The women’s 50 free was tight with the top two swimmers touching just six hundredths apart. Simone Manuel came out on top, touching in 24.79 to just beat France’s Beryl Gastaldello, who swam 24.85 for 2nd.

Manuel was just off the 24.77 she swam in the semifinals while Gastaldello dropped on hundredth from her semifinals swim of 24.86.

Marie Wattel finished 3rd in 24.97 to wrap up the sub-25 swimmers in the event.

Anna Peplowski was 5th in 25.14, setting a new lifetime best, dropping from her 25.29 from June of this year.

MEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – Final

World Record: 20.91 – Cesar Cielo, BRA (2009)
American Record: 21.04 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2019)
US Open Record: 21.04 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2019)
PSS Record: 21.51 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2020)
World Jr Record: 21.75 – Michael Andrew, USA (2017)
Pool Record: 21.44 – Fred Bousquet

Top 8 Finishers

Andrej Barna (SRB) — 21.77
Maxime Grousset (FRA) — 21.82
Jack Alexy (CAL) — 21.92
Brooks Curry (CAL) — 22.00
Matt King (ISC) — 22.13
Nikita Baez (FRA) — 22.25
Chris Guiliano (TXLA) — 22.31
Masahiro Kawane (MEI) — 22.45

The men’s 50 freestyle was even closer than the women’s with the top three swimmers touching just 0.15 seconds apart. Andrej Barna was able to hold off a late surge from Maxime Grousset to touch in 21.77, winning by just five hundredths.

Grousset finished 2nd in 21.82, about two tenths off the 21.62 he swam in the semifinal.

Jack Alexy was a tenth back of Grousset in 21.92, his fastest swim of the three sessions, and he came in just ahead of teammate Brooks Curry’s 22.00.

WOMEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – Semifinal

World Record: 29.16 Rute Meilutyte, LTU (2023)
American Record: 29.40 – Lilly King (2017)
US Open Record: 29.62 – Lilly King, USA (2018)
PSS Record: 29.62 – Lilly King, USA (2018)
World Jr Record: 29.30 – Benedetta Pilato, ITA (2018)

Top 8 Qualifiers

Anna Elendt (TXLA) — 30.85
Skyler Smith (NCAC) — 30.86
Kate Canales (AAAA) — 31.96
Ella Peterson (DADS) — 33.10
Maya McCarney (NCAP) — 33.38
Caprie Moreno (TIDE) — 33.59
Grace Hunt (YSSC) — 33.83
Kia Alert (CW) — 33.86

The 1st semifinal went to Texas swimmer Anna Elendt in 30.85, touching more than two seconds ahead of Ella Peterson, who finished 2nd in the 1st semifinal with her 33.10 to qualify 4th overall.

Skyler Smith won the 2nd semifinal, just a hundredth slower than Elendt, touching in 30.86 to win her heat by more than a second. Kate Canales finished 2nd in 31.96, qualifying 3rd.

Maya McCarney was 33.88 for 5th from heat two, and the rest of the final will be made up of swimmers from the 1st semifinal.

Caprie Moreno (33.59), Grace Hunt (33.83), and Kia Alert (33.86) round out tomorrow’s event final.

MEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – Semifinal

World Record: 25.95 – Adam Peaty, GBR (2017)
American Record: 26.45 – Nic Fink (2022)
US Open Record: 26.52 – Michael Andrew, USA (2022)
PSS Record: 26.57 — Van Mathias, USA (2025)
World Jr Record: 26.97 – Nicolo Martinenghi, ITA (2017)

Top 8 Qualifiers

Van Mathias (ISC) — 26.62
Mitch Mason (TFA) — 27.34
Denis Petrashov (CARD) — 27.37
Finn Brooks (ISC) — 27.52
Jack Kelly (NYAC) — 27.55
Brian Benzing (ISC) — 27.58
Andres Puente Bustamante (TFA) — 27.63
Jeremie Delbois (FRA) — 27.67

Van Mathias did not rebreak his PSS record from the prelims, but he earned a dominant victory in the men’s 50 breaststroke, touching in 26.62 to come in seven tenths ahead of 2nd place finisher Mitch Mason from his same semifinal.

Denis Petrashov was also in the 2nd semifinal, and he qualified 3rd overall in 27.37, just three hundredths back of Mason.

Indiana’s Finn Brooks was 4th after winning the first semifinal in 27.52, just three hundredths ahead of Jack Kelly’s 27.55.

WOMEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – Final

World Record: 2:03.14 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS (2023)
American Record: 2:03.35 – Regan Smith (2019)
US Open Record: 2:03.80 – Regan Smith, USA (2023)
PSS Record: 2:03.99 – Regan Smith, USA (2024)
World Jr Record: 2:03.35 – Regan Smith, USA (2019)
Pool Record: 2:05.52 – Regan Smith, USA (2025)

Top 8 Finishers

Charlotte Crush (LAK) — 2:09.79
Teagan O’Dell (CAL) — 2:11.13
Rowyn Wilber (CLOV) — 2:14.38
Tessa Christiansen (AAAA) — 2:16.17
Georgia Wimberly (LAC) — 2:16.69
Sydney Wasylenky (TOPS) — 2:16.77
Lucy Gilbreath (HCA) — 2:17.81
Haddie Vohs (FASTIN) — 2:21.99

The women’s 200 backstroke was missing American Record holder Regan Smith, and Charlotte Crush stepped up to the plate, swimming 2:09.79 to lock up the win by more than a second over Cal freshman Teagan O’Dell.

Crush’s swim was nearly three seconds off her lifetime best 2:07.05 from the USA Swimming Nationals in June. She grabbed the lead at the start, splitting 30.17/33.17 on the opening 100 to turn in 1:03.34, eight tenths ahead of O’Dell. She came home in 33.22/33.23 to split 1:06.45.

O’Dell was out in 1:04.14 after splitting 31.02/33.12 on her opening two 50s. She came home in 33.59/33.40, touching in 2:11.13 with her final 100 of 1:06.99. O’Dell’s lifetime best is 2:07.97 from the 2024 Olympic Trials.

Rowyn Wilber rounded out the podium in 2:14.38, just off her lifetime best of 2:14.07.

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – Final

World Record: 1:51.92 – Aaron Peirsol, USA (2009)
American Record: 1:51.92 – Aaron Peirsol, USA (2009)
US Open Record: 1:53.08 – Aaron Peirsol, USA (2009)
PSS Record: 1:55.04 – Jiayu Xu, CHN (2017)
World Jr Record: 1:55.14 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2017)
Pool Record: 1:54.21 – Hubert Kos, HUN (2025)

Top 8 Finishers

Yohann Ndoye-Brouard (FRA) — 1:56.68
Leon Marchand (TXLA) — 1:57.90
Humberto Najera (CAL) — 1:58.87
Mewen Tomac (FRA) — 1:59.58
Kieran Smith (RAC) — 1:59.64
Carson Foster (NYAC) — 2:01.66
Mathys Chouchaoui (FRA) — 2:01.68
Derek Hernandez-Ojeda (NTRO) — 2:03.64

France’s Yohann Ndoye-Brouard got out fast in the men’s 200 backstroke, taking a commanding lead in the first 100 and holding onto it through the remainder of the race, touching in 1:56.68 for the top time by more than a second.

He turned in 56.74 at the 100 mark after splitting 26.92/29.82, sitting more than a second ahead of Humberto Najera’s 57.77 in 2nd. He came home in 59.94 with final 50s of 30.25/29.69 to earn the win.

Leon Marchand finished 2nd overall, touching in 1:57.90 after turning in 3rd at the 100. He was out in 58.13 after splitting 28.01/30.12 to sit four tenths behind Najera and just a tenth ahead of Mewen Tomac’s 58.27. Marchand came home strong though, splitting 30.00/29.77 to touch in 59.77, passing Najera. Marchand’s lifetime best sits at 1:57.14 from June of 2025

Najera was 1:48.87 in 3rd overall, and Tomac finished 4th in 1:59.58.

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – Final

World Record: 54.60 – Gretchen Walsh, USA (2025)
American Record: 54.60 – Gretchen Walsh (2025)
US Open Record: 54.60 – Gretchen Walsh, USA (2025)
PSS Record: 54.60 – Gretchen Walsh, USA (2025)
World Jr Record: 56.33 – Mizuki Hirai, JPN (2024)
Pool Record: 55.60 — Gretchen Walsh

Top 8 Finishers

Regan Smith (TXLA) — 56.18
Summer McIntosh (TXLA) — 58.56
Marie Wattel (FRA) — 59.58
Ava Chavez (CAL) — 1:00.33
Simone Manuel (TXLA) — 1:00.46
Mena Boardman (CS) — 1:00.79
Emily Wolf (FASTIN) — 1:01.16
Emma Harvey (BER) — 1:01.23

The women’s 100 fly was not as close as most people were anticipating. Regan Smith dominated the event from the start, and won by more than two seconds over Summer McIntosh.

Smith was out in 26.59, nearly a second ahead of McIntosh’s 27.52. She also had the fastest closing 50 in the field, splitting 29.59 to be the only swimmer under 30 seconds and the only swimmer under 31 seconds. McIntosh had the 2nd fastest final 50 of 31.04.

McIntosh touched in 58.56 for 2nd overall, about a second-and-a-half off her lifetime best 57.01 from last month’s U.S. Open Championships.

Marie Wattel finished 3rd in 59.58, rounding out the podium and the sub-minute swimmers. She was in 7th at the 50 mark, splitting 28.33, but she came home very strong, touching in 31.25 to pass four swimmers.

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – Final

World Record: 49.45 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2021)
American Record: 49.45 – Caeleb Dressel (2021)
US Open Record: 49.76 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2021)
PSS Record: 50.42 – Ilya Kharun, CAN (2025)
World Jr Record: 50.62 – Kristof Milak, HUN (2017)
Pool Record: 50.24 – Shaine Casas, USA (2025)

Top 8 Finishers

Maxime Grousset (FRA) — 50.95
Caeleb Dressel (SJAC) — 51.62
Clement Secchi (FRA) — 52.45
Jack Dahlgren (AQJT) — 52.73
Luke Barr (TFA) — 52.91
Patrick Sammon (NYAC) — 53.54
Ethan Heasley (HEAT) — 54.80
Jimmy Beeson (YSSC) — 55.25

Reigning World Champion Maxime Grousset took the top time in the men’s 100 fly, picking up his 1st win of the session after he was just out touched in the men’s 50 freestyle.

Just like in the women’s event, Grousset got out to a quick lead, splitting 23.45 at the 50 mark to turn almost seven tenths ahead of Caeleb Dressel‘s 24.14 in 2nd. He came home in 27.50, the 2nd fastest closing 50 in the heat to win the event by nearly a second.

Dressel finished 2nd overall in 51.62, his fastest time in the event since the Paris Olympics. Dresel had the fastest closing split in the field of 27.48.

Clement Secchi from France finished 3rd in 52.45, a position he held throughout the race after splitting 24.20/28.25.

WOMEN’S 400 FREESTYLE – Final

Top 8 Finishers

Katie Ledecky (GSC-FL) — 4:00.54
Claire Weinstein (UN-CA) — 4:07.37
Rylee Erisman (LAKR) — 4:11.02
Emma Weyant (GSC-FL) — 4:11.48
Brinkleigh Hansen (SPA-FL) — 4:11.78
Anna Peplowski (ISC) — 4:14.47
Emily Wolf (FASTIN) — 4:17.06
Becca Mann (TAC-NC) — 4:20.10

Katie Ledecky crushed the women’s 400 freestyle, swimming 4:00.54 to earn the top time by almost seven seconds over Cal’s Claire Weinstein.

She was out in 57.58, already taking a commanding lead. Fro there, she split 1:00.57/1:01.19/1:01.20 to touch in 1st by a large margin. Ledecky was coming off the 2nd fastest time in history in the 1500, and mentioned in her post race interview that her 400 ‘hurt’ likely as a result of that swim yesterday.

Claire Weinstein was 2nd in 4:07.37, splitting 59.39/1:02.91/1:02.78/1:02.29 to lock up 2nd place in the event.

The bronze medal went to Rylee Erisman in 4:11.02, a massive best time. She takes more than 3 seconds off her pre-meet best of 4:14.74 from March of 2024 and two seconds off her prelims time of 4:13.25. She split 1:00.26/1:03.54/1:03.70/1:03.52 to hold off Emma Weyant’s 4:11.48 for 4th.

MEN’S 400 FREESTYLE – Final

World Record: 3:39.46 – Lucas Martens, GER (2025)
American Record: 3:42.78 – Larsen Jensen (2008)
US Open Record: 3:43.33 – Rex Maurer, USA (2025)
PSS Record: 3:43.55 – Yang Sun, CHN (2016)
World Jr Record: 3:44.31 – Petar Mitsin (2023)
Pool Record: 3:44.70 – Leon Marchand, FRA (2025)

Top 8 Finishers

Ryan Erisman (CAL) — 3:46.75
Ilia Sibirtsev (UZB) — 3:49.03
Lucas Henveaux (CAL) — 3:51.17
Bobby Finke (SPA-FL) — 3:51.41
Denis Loktev (ISR) — 3:52.96
Luke Hobson (NYAC) — 3:54.03
Gabriel Jett (CAL) — 3:54.89
Daniel Wiffen (CAL) — 3:56.15

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Austin, TX

This quirky lakeside Austin home got featured on ‘Zillow Gone Wild’

Published

1 day ago

January 15, 2026

Press Room

This quirky lakeside Austin home got featured on ‘Zillow Gone Wild’

If “Keep Austin weird” is the city’s mantra, does that apply to homes too?

Zillow Gone Wild — the popular social media brand that showcases outrageous real estate listings — recently featured an Austin home so bold it dubbed the city the “Zillow Gone Wild Maximalist Capital of the World.”

The four-bedroom, four-bathroom home at 2900 Palmella Court, just off Lake Travis, is currently listed for $899,000, according to the real estate listing — down from $975,000 last week. The nearly 4,000-square-foot property leans hard into maximalist design, with vibrant colors, bold patterns and statement décor throughout.

If salmon-pink walls or floral-print wallpaper is your thing, maybe this is the home for you.

Commenters had mixed opinions on the home:

“I don’t know what I’m more upset about. The salmon walls or no shower door 😩,” said one commenter.

“The ability to get literally every single choice wrong is admirable,” said another.

But the house had some fans, too. One person wrote, “They picked a theme, and as far as I can tell, they stuck with it. It’s got a lot of personality, and I like it.” Another wrote, “Barbie in her Miami Vice era. I absolutely love it!”

Zillow Gone Wild was launched during the pandemic by Samir Mezrahi, who began sharing eye-catching real estate listings on Facebook. The account quickly gained a following across social platforms and later expanded into an HGTV series featuring tours of unusual properties. According to Deadline, “Zillow Gone Wild” has been picked up for a third season with Jack McBrayer set to return as host for the new 16-episode season.

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