Austin, TX
National Teamers Hunter Armstrong, Grant House Withdraw from Pro Swim Series – Austin
2026 PRO SWIM SERIES – AUSTIN
A revised version of the heat sheets for this weekend’s Pro Swim Series opener in Austin, Texas is absent a number of big names, with a handful of other significant scratches revealed by the Wednesday morning heat sheets.
Out of the Meet
The biggest names to have fully withdrawn from the meet include US National Team members Hunter Armstrong and Grant House.
The two-time Olympian and three-time Olympic relay medalist Armstrong has raced sparingly since the Paris Olympics, citing financial hardship behind the hiatus. That included skipping the World Championship Trials in 2025.
He did race at the U.S. Open in December, but only briefly: he finished 14th in the 50 free final (22.35) and 14th in the 50 back prelims (25.65) before scratching the B-Final.
In Austin this week, he was scheduled to race the 50 free (#8 seed), 100 back (#2 seed), 50 fly (#8 seed), 50 back (#2 seed), and 100 free (#6 seed).
Fellow U.S. National Team member Grant House has also pulled out of the meet. He had 5 entries in the meet including 5th in the 200 IM and 6th in the 100 fly.
House recently posted a video of a “speed practice” at Arizona State, so the reason behind his withdrawal is not obvious.
Other full-meet withdrawals include:
- 17-year-old Addison Bitel from Laker Swim in Florida, who was the #5 seed in the thin women’s 50 and 100 meter breaststroke fields, plus 6th in the 200 breast. Her teammate Brynn Lavigueur, the #6 seed in the 50 back and #7 seed in the 100 back, also scratched the meet.
- 16-year-old Natalie Bradac from the University of Denver Hilltoppers club team, the #9 seed in the 100 breast
Last-Minute Additions
In addition to the scratches, there were some last minute additions to the meet entries. That includes breaststrokers Luke Barr and Mitch Mason, who are both training with Coley Stickels‘ pro group at Texas Ford Aquatics.
They are the #7 and #8 seeds in the 100 breaststroke, with the versatile Barr also holding high seeds in the 50 fly (#9), 100 fly (#7), and 50 back (#6).
Wednesday Scratches
The most significant scratch from the final psych sheet to Wednesday’s heat sheet is French international Pauline Mahieu. Part of a large contingent of French swimmers at the meet, Mahieu was the #2 seed in the 100 back.
That is her only entry of the meet, so in essence she has scratched the meet.
While one recent Instagram post from last week said that she planned to leave for Los Angeles for a camp with the French team on January 5, her Instagram story on Tuesday shows her dragging a sled with groceries across the snow with the caption “change of scenery.”
The women’s 1500 free also saw scratches from the #2, #3, and #4 entries behind the event’s most dominant swimmer ever Katie Ledecky.
The #2 seed Claire Weinstein, the #3 seed Ashley Twichell, and the #4 seed Caroline Pennington are all absent from the heat sheets in a field that has been reduced to only its 8 swimmer ‘fastest heat.’
Weinstein, a freshman at Cal, is still entered in the 50 free as the #11 seed, while Twichell and Pennington won’t race on Wednesday at all.
The other big scratch from Wednesday’s heat sheets is Kato Trinquesse, another Denver Hilltopper drop from the women’s 100 breaststroke field. She was promoted to the #7 seed after her teammate withdrew from the meet.
There was a significant reduction in the number of antisemitic incidents in Rhode Island in 2025, according to a national Jewish advocacy group.
According to the Anti-Defamation League’s latest Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, there were 26 antisemitic incidents in the state last year. That’s down from the 52 incidents counted by the group in 2024.
Samantha Joseph, New England regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, says a big reason for the reduction is a steep decline in antisemitism on college campuses.
“It shows that campus administrators are taking their responsibilities very seriously to provide a safe environment for all of their students,” said Joseph.
Brown University had over $500 million in federal funding frozen by the Trump administration last year following investigations into alleged antisemitism on campus. The funding was restored after Brown reached a settlement with the administration.
The reduction in antisemitic incidents in Rhode Island reflects a wider trend in New England as a whole. According to the ADL’s report, there were 400 antisemitic incidents in the region in 2025, compared to 638 the previous year.
While she’s pleased about the overall drop in antisemitic incidents in Rhode Island, Joseph says a number of concerning trends continue to persist. In particular, the state is still seeing more anti-Jewish incidents than it did prior to the October 7 attacks on Israel that launched the Gaza War in 2023.
Joseph is also concerned about the violent nature of local incidents of antisemitism.
“Even though overall incidents are down, assaults are up and assaults with a deadly weapon are up significantly,” said Joseph. “Our communities remain concerned for their safety, and our work is far from done.”
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Severe thunderstorms are possible Sunday evening as a cold front arrives in Central Texas. KXAN’s First Warning Weather Team will keep you updated on the weather coverage.
Risks to be aware of are damaging wind gusts that could reach as high as 60 to 75 mph and large hail up to quarter size.
Weather Resources:
Live Updates:
5:22 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is issued for all counties except for Milam County.
3:51 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for Mason, San Saba, and Lampasas County until 9:00 p.m.
3:30 p.m.: The primary risk for Sunday’s severe weather is damaging wind gusts which could cause power outages.
3:26 p.m.: Storms will likely move toward the I-35 corridor around 6 p.m. Most of the storms will enter the Hill Country around 6 p.m. and the Austin metro counties after 8 p.m.
Video of new Texas Tech System chancellor home at historic Lubbock property
The Texas Tech System is acquiring the historic Tudor Revival ‘English Home’ in Lubbock to serve as the new chancellor’s residence.
Money and rankings don’t make a great university. Providing opportunities for disadvantaged students and protecting academic freedom, however, do.
Case in point: Michael and Susan Dell recently surpassed $1 billion in giving to the University of Texas at Austin, launching a plan to build a new medical center and advanced research campus in north Austin.
To be sure, this is a magnanimous gift that will fund important initiatives. While enormously grateful for this contribution, I am disappointed that this gift was not accompanied with a strong message from Michael Dell admonishing the University for gutting DEI and infringing upon academic freedom.
As a colleague of mine astutely observed: “Good luck recruiting doctors and med students. The attacks on DEI and political climates will mean a lot more than rankings and money long-term.”
UT System Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife, referencing the Dell gift, is right: “We are transforming this site into a new campus the world has never seen before.” Yes, never seen, but in a very negative and dangerous way!
Last week, I received a message from the Texas Exes: “This is your last chance to show your support during 40 Hours for the Forty Acres, UT Austin’s Texas-sized fundraising event. Can we count on you?”
My answer: “No, absolutely not. I won’t give one dime to a university that no longer is committed to diversity and preserving academic freedom.”
Having proudly taught at UT for 41 years, I am sad to say this.
– Richard Cherwitz, Ph.D. is the Ernest A. Sharpe Centennial Professor Emeritus, Moody College of Communication and Founding Director, Intellectual Entrepreneurship Consortium (IE) at The University of Texas at Austin.
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