2014 Nationwide U.S. Masters Swimming Spring National Championship

Sanctioned by the Pacific LMSC for USMS Inc. Sanction number 384-S001.

Location

George Haines International Swim Center
Santa Clara Swim Club
2625 Patricia Drive
Santa Clara, CA 95051
408-246-5050

Facility

The George Haines International Swim Center is an outdoor complex with covered seating for up to 3,000 people and additional uncovered seating for up to 1,000. The venue includes three separate pools: a 50-meter by 25- yard championship pool, which will be divided into two 25-yard courses. Each course will have 10 lanes measuring 7 feet wide, and a water depth ranging from 4.5 feet to 6.5 feet. The diving well will have seven warm-up lanes available for continuous warmup and warm-down during the competition. The recreational pool will have an additional six 25-yard lanes available for warmup or warm-down.

Eligibility

Participants must be registered Masters swimmers and at least 18 years of age as of April 30, 2014. Eighteen year olds must enter the meet by the entry deadline and at the venue only 18 year olds may register with USMS on April 30, 2014. If a swimmer wishes to affiliate with a Masters club, the club and swimmer must both be registered with the same Local Masters Swimming Committee (LMSC). If there are questions about affiliation, the swimmer will be entered with the affiliation, “UC.” (See Paper Entries). International entries must include a copy of the swimmer’s Masters swimming registration card and fees in U.S. dollars.

Age Groups

Age for the meet is determined as of May 4, 2014, except for 18-year-olds, who must be 18 by April 30, 2014. Age groups for individual events: 18–24, 25–29, 30–34, 35–39 … (five-year increments as high as necessary). Relay events: 18+, 25+, 35+, 45+, etc. (10-year increments as high as necessary, determined by the age of the youngest relay member).

Registration

Prior to warm-ups or competition, all participants must register at the meet by signing an emergency card, safety information statement, and liability release. Registration will be held at the George Haines International Swim Center on April 30 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., and on all other days from 6:30 a.m. through the end of competition.

Seeding

Two courses will be used for all events. Women’s heats will precede men’s heats for each event, except that men’s and women’s heats may be seeded together for the 1000 and 1650 freestyles. A decision regarding this will be announced at usms.org by April 14, 2014. The 1000 and 1650 freestyles and 400 IM will be seeded slowest to fastest by entry time, regardless of age. The 500 free may be seeded slowest to fastest by entry time, regardless of age. All other 50, 100, and 200 events will be seeded by age group, with the oldest age groups first, slowest to fastest within each group. All 50-yard events will be preseeded. All 100 and 200 events will be preseeded unless meet management determines that the meet cannot be completed in a timely manner. A decision regarding preseeding and deckseeding for all 100-yard and 200- yard events will be announced at usms.org by April 14, 2014.

Event Check-in

Coaches or teammates may check in online or in person for those swimmers whose travel plans do not permit check-in by the deadlines. Failure to check in will result in the swimmer being scratched from the event and the swimmer will not be permitted to swim that event at another time.

Check-in Deadlines

Positive check-in is required for the 400 IM and 500, 1000 and 1650 freestyles, and will be required for the 100s and 200s if it is determined that deck-seeding is necessary. Check-in may be done in person at the registration area or at usms.org according to the following schedule:

Date	Event	In-Person Check-in*	Online Check-in*
Thurs., May 1	1000 freestyle 1650 freestyle	Weds. 3–8 p.m. - Thurs. by 7 a.m. Weds. 3–8 p.m. - Thurs. by 9 a.m.	Tues. 7 a.m.–Thurs. by 7 a.m. Tues. 7 a.m.–Thurs. by 9 a.m.
Fri., May 2	400 IM	Weds. 3–8 p.m. - Fri. by 7 a.m.	Tues. 7 a.m.–Fri. by 7 a.m.
Sat., May 3	500 freestyle (women)	Weds. 3–8 p.m. - Sat. by 7 a.m.	Tues. 7 a.m.–Sat. by 7 a.m.
Sun., May 4	500 freestyle (men)	Weds. 3–8 p.m. - Sun. by 7 a.m.	Tues. 7 a.m.–Sun. by 7 a.m.

*All times are Pacific Daylight Time. If the 100 and 200 events are deck-seeded, their check-in deadlines will be 9 a.m. on the days they are swum.

Heat and Psych Sheets

Psych sheets for all individual events will be available on the usms.org website on or about April 7, 2014. Heat sheets for preseeded events will be available online around April 18, 2014. Heat sheets for deck-seeded events will be posted at various places around the pool deck for swimmers after the check-in deadlines.

Warm-up Times

The competition pool will be open for warm-up on Wednesday, April 30, 2014, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. On competition days, the competition pool will be open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:45 a.m. and the warm-up pools will be available from 6:30 a.m. until the conclusion of the final event. The competition pool will be open for at least 30 minutes following the last event each day. On May 1 the competition pool will remain open for 1 hour after the end of the last heat, or just 30 minutes if the last heat is after 6 p.m.

Warm-up Procedures

Swimmers must enter the pool feet first in a cautious and controlled manner. No diving or backstroke starts will be allowed, except in designated sprint lanes. One or two lanes will be designated as one-way sprint lanes during the pre-meet warm-up sessions in the competition pools only. Any swimmer who acts in an unsportsmanlike or unsafe manner within the swimming venue may be considered for appropriate action or penalty by the referee (rule 102.13.3). Pull buoys, kickboards, fins, hand paddles, and snorkels are not allowed in the competition or warm-up pools.

Scratches

Any swimmer failing to report to the proper lane in the correct heat of an event will be scratched from that event and will not be permitted to swim that event at another time.

General Meeting

All swimmers, coaches, and officials are encouraged to attend or be represented at the general meeting at George Haines International Swim Center located at 2625 Patricia Drive, Santa Clara, Calif., on Wednesday, April 30, at 6 p.m. Matters pertinent to the operation and conduct of the meet will be discussed.

Gold Medal Sponsorship

Gold Medal Sponsors will be recognized in the official program as supporters of Masters swimming. They will receive a commemorative gift and will be entitled to VIP hospitality, which will include breakfast, lunch, snacks, and drinks. Cost is $90 and the pass can be ordered on the meet entry form.

Online Entries

Online entry is encouraged and provides immediate entry confirmation. Online registration will  close at midnight Pacific Daylight Time on March 27, 2014. The meet surcharge increases from $50 to $60 on March 7 (see Entry Deadline/ Variable Surcharge/Mail Entry for dates applying to both online and paper registration).

Paper Entries

Paper entry forms can be downloaded here or will be mailed upon request by calling 1-800-550- SWIM (7946). Read all instructions and fill out the form completely. Incomplete forms or forms with “pending” in place of a USMS registration number will be rejected (except for 18-yearolds who turn 18 after the meet entry deadline, but before the first day of the meet, who must enter the meet by the meet entry deadline, but may register at the venue on April 30). A legible copy of a foreign swimmer’s Masters registration card must accompany the entry form. A swimmer whose club affiliation differs from what is listed on his or her USMS registration card must send either a new USMS registration card or a letter from the local registrar with the new club affiliation and effective date.

Fees

Fees are $4 per individual event plus a surcharge per swimmer. The surcharge varies according to date of entry. (See Entry Deadline/Variable Surcharge.) Fees must accompany the entry form and must be paid in U.S. dollars by check or money order. Do not mail cash. The entry is not complete until the check has cleared the bank. If there are questions about an entrant’s check, full cash payment in U.S. dollars will be required before the entrant is allowed to swim. Refund requests must be received in writing (USPS or email) by April 3, 2014. No refunds will be given for events not swum. The surcharge also applies to relay swimmers not entered in an individual event. Relay- only swimmers must submit an entry form with payment by the entry deadline. All fees should be payable to “U.S. Masters Swimming.”

Entry Deadline/Variable Surcharge/Mail Entry

Online entries are encouraged and will be accepted until midnight Pacific Daylight Time on March 27, 2014. All mailed entries must be postmarked with an official U.S. postmark (no business meters).
Surcharges:
Entry Postmarked By February 27 or Entry Received By March 6 Amount: $50
OR
Entry Postmarked After February 27 or Entry Received Between March 7 and March 27 Amount: $60
Entries received after March 27 will be returned to sender. No telephone or email entries will be accepted. Mail entries early. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope with entry for proof of receipt. Do not send certified or overnight mail requiring a signature. Photocopy completed entry forms and personal checks for your records and verification. Mail to: USMS Spring Nationals, P.O. Box 185, Londonderry, NH 03053-0185.

National Qualifying Times/Number of Events/ Sixth Event

Competitors may enter up to three individual events without meeting the national qualifying time, or a maximum of six events if they meet the NQTs, i.e., have swum a time equal to or faster than the NQTs during the past two years. Exception: Competitors entering the 1650 freestyle must meet the NQT. All swimmers are limited to three individual events per day. All events must include an entry time. If the meet is deemed too large, an athlete’s sixth event will be dropped. On the entry form, indicate this event with a “6” in the designated column. No refunds will be given if the 6th event is dropped. If a swimmer enters an event with a time significantly slower or faster than that swimmer’s recorded time in the previous two years, the meet director may, after a discussion with the swimmer, change the seeded time to a realistic time.

Distance Events (1000/1650)

Swimmers may enter either the 1000 or the 1650 free but not both. Swimmers entering the 1650 free must meet the NQT.

Relay Information

Swimmers can enter relays until 3 p.m. on the day before the relay is scheduled. Relay-only swimmers, i.e., those not entered in an individual event, must have entered the meet and paid the surcharge by the meet entry deadline. Each competitor is allowed to swim only one freestyle relay, one medley relay, one mixed freestyle relay, and one mixed medley relay. The entry fee for each relay is $12. Relay entries may be submitted at the relay desk in the registration area. Each of the four members of any relay team must be registered with the same Masters club. Relay entry fee is in addition to individual entry fees. Relay entry forms are available for download here

Scoring

Individual Events: 11-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. Relays: 22-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2.

Team Scoring

Team scoring will be tabulated in three categories: Men, Women, and Combined. Mixed relays score points only in the Combined category.

Awards

Medals will be awarded for first through 10th places in each age group. A "U.S. Masters Swimming Championship Patch" will be given to each individual and relay team member for the first event won. Swimmers winning more than one event may purchase additional patches. Unclaimed awards will not be mailed unless arrangements are made at the meet. There will be a charge for mailing awards. Awards will be presented to the top ten combined clubs in the Regional and Local Club divisions.

Final Results

Complete final results may be ordered with your online entry. Cost will be $15.00 per copy. The usms.org website will post complete results, including splits.

Time Verification (formerly OVCs)

Swimmers wishing to have times entered into SWIMS (USA Swimming times database) must complete a form at the meet prior to the swim. Contact the administrative referee at the meet.

Service Animals

Please contact the meet director by March 27, 2014, if you require the use of a service animal. Animals other than service animals will not be permitted on deck at the venue.

Additional Information

Contact Meet Director Jaime Benes