Meet Information

Registration:
Before competing, all participants must register to receive a meet program, tickets to meet events, and other information. Registration will be in the Aquatic Center Lobby on Wednesday, August 18 from 12:00 - 7:00 pm, and on Thursday through Sunday from 7:00 am until the end of each day's events.

Distance and Relay Events:
Check-in for distance and relay events will take place in the Registration area throughout the meet. Distance check-in is 6:00 pm the evening before the event is swum except for the 1500 free which is 4:00 pm the afternoon before the event is swum. Relays may be entered until 6:00 pm the day before the relay swims.

Check-in (events > 200 mtrs in length):
All swimmers desiring to compete in the 400, 800, and/or 1500 Freestyles and the 400 IM are required to check-in before the check-in deadlines. Check-in can be done at any time before the deadlines by the swimmer, the swimmer's coach or their teammates.

800 Freestyle:
Wed, August 18, 1999     6:00 pm

400 Individual Medley:
Thursday, August 19, 1999     6:00 pm

400 Freestyle:
Friday, August 20, 1999     6:00 pm

1500 Freestyle:
Sunday, August 22, 1999     4:00 pm

Swimmers entering the distance events will receive a card advising them how and when to check-in. Telephone check-in will be available: Tuesday from 2 - 6 pm and Wednesday from 9 am - 6 pm. Thereafter, check-in must be done in person. Swimmers will receive a confirmation number with their telephone check-in. DO NOT LOSE THIS CONFIRMATION NUMBER - you will be asked to provide this number if necessary.

Eligibility:
The National Championship is open to any swimmer at least 19 years of age as of July 15, 1999. If a swimmer wishes to affiliate with a masters club, the club and the swimmer must both be registered with the same Local Masters Swim Committee (LMSC). If there are questions about affiliation, the swimmer shall be entered "unattached." Foreign swimmers are welcome. All entries must include a copy of the swimmer's USMS registration card or International Travel Permit. All fees shall be in U.S. dollars.

Age groups:
Individuals events: 19-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49...100-104. Relay events: 76-99, 100-119, 120-159, 160-199... (40 year increments calculated as the aggregate age of the relay members as high as necessary). Age for the meet is determined as of 12/31/99.

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

Team Scoring:
Team scoring will be divided into three divisions: Division I (large teams), Division II (medium teams), and Division III (small teams). Each division contains three categories - men, women, and combined. Mixed Relays score points only in the combined category. The USMS Championship Committee will determine the divisions based on the number of entrants from each club after the entry deadline.

Awards:
Medals will be awarded for first through tenth places in each age group. A USMS Championship patch will be given to each individual and relay team members for the first event won. Swimmers winning more than one event may purchase additional patches ($2.00 each) for each event won. Unclaimed awards will not be mailed unless arrangements are made at the meet (mailing charge - $5 per medal). Awards will be made to the top three teams in each category of each division.

Final Results:
Final results, mailed after the meet, may be ordered for $10.00. Individual swimmer's final results, including splits, will be available at the end of the meet for $6 each. Team results are available for $9.

Seeding:
Individual events 200 meters or less will be pre-seeded and swum slowest to fastest within each age group, oldest to youngest. The 400 Free shall be deck seeded by age group, with the oldest age group first, slowest heats seeded first within each age group. The 400 IM will be deck-seeded by a) entry time only, slowest to fastest, b) by age group, the oldest age group first, slowest heats seeded first within each age group, then by time, or c) by combination of (a) and (b). The 800 and 1500 Free will be deck seeded, slowest to fastest by time for each sex regardless of age. If two per lane seeding is used for the 800 and/or 1500 Freestyles, two per lane swimmers will swim before single lane swimmers. Men's heats will precede women's heats for all events. Partial heats will be combined.

Warm-up Times:
On Wednesday, August 18, the competition pool will be available for warm-up from 12:00 noon until 7:00 pm. The diving tank will not be open on Wednesday (8/18). On competition days, only the competition pool will be open @ 6:00 am for warm-up prior to competition. Competition will commence at 7:00 am each day except Sunday (8:00 am). Diving tank will open 15 minutes prior to competition. The competition pool will open for a 30 minute warm-up after the distance events on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The competition pool will re-open after each day's final event for 30 minutes.

Warm-up Procedure:
Swimmers must enter the pool feet first in a cautious manner. No diving is allowed at any time in the diving tank. Racing dives, including backstroke starts, are allowed only in designated sprint lanes during the pre-meet warm-up sessions. These lanes shall be designated "One Way Sprint Lanes." ANY SWIMMER ACTING IN AN UNSPORTSMANLIKE or UNSAFE MANNER WITHIN THE SWIMMING VENUE WILL BE SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATE DISCIPLINARY ACTION AT THE DISCRETION OF THE MEET REFEREE (Rule 102.15.2). Pull-buoys, kick boards, fins, and hand paddles are not allowed in the competition or warm-up facility.

Sixth Event Rule:
If, in the opinion of the USMS Championship Committee, the meet is deemed too large to be run in an efficient manner, all swimmers' sixth event will be dropped. Each swimmer entering six events must designate their sixth event as directed on the entry form. The sixth event cannot be changed after the entry deadline (July 15, 1999). No refunds will be given if the 6th event is dropped.

Scratches:
Any swimmer failing to report to the proper lane in the correct heat of their event will be scratched from that event. They will not be permitted to re-swim that event.

Official Verification Card (OVC):
For an OVC, contact Dave Shapley (612-937-1832) before the meet begins.

Entry Form Instructions