Meet Information

DATES
Competition: Thursday, May 1 - Sunday, May 4 2008.
Pool available for warm-ups Wednesday, April 30 from 3 - 7 p.m.

LOCATION
Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center
1900 Robert Dedman Dr.
Austin, TX 78712-0363
512-471-7703

FACILITIES
The Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swim Center (TSC) at the University of Texas at Austin is considered one of the fastest pools in the world due to its depth, gutter system, high filtration rate, and lane width. The indoor facility includes two separate pools: the racing pool and diving well. The racing pool is 50 meters x 25 yards and will be divided into two 25-yard courses, each with eight nine-foot-wide lanes and a water depth of nine feet. The diving pool will be the primary warm-up pool during competition. It will have 10 lanes open for continuous warm-up and warm-down during the meet.

ELIGIBILITY
Participants must be registered Masters swimmers and at least 18 years of age as of April 30, 2008. Eighteen-year-olds must enter the meet by the entry deadline and only 18-year-olds may register with USMS on April 30 at the venue. If a swimmer wishes to affiliate with a Masters club, the club and swimmer must both be registered with the same Local Masters Swim Committee (LMSC). If there are questions about affiliation, the swimmer shall be entered as "unattached" (see entry procedures). 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, 2008, except 18-year-olds, who must be 18 by April 30, 2008.
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. (in ten 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 Texas Swim Center on Wednesday, April 30, 2008, from 3 to 8 p.m., and starting at 7 a.m. on all other days through the end of competition.

SEEDING
All events � with the exception of the 1650, 1000 and 500 freestyles, and 400 IM - will be pre-seeded. Two courses will be used for all events. Women's heats will precede men's heats for each event, with the exception that men's and women's heats may be seeded together for the 1000 and 1650 frees. A decision regarding this will be announced at www.usms.org by April 17, 2008. The 1650, 1000, and 500 freestyles, and 400 IM will be seeded slowest to fastest by entry time, regardless of age. All other events will be seeded by age group, with the oldest age groups first, slowest to fastest within each group.

CHECK-IN
Coaches or teammates may check in 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. Heat sheets for the deck-seeded events will be available each morning and posted around the facility.

Check-in Deadlines
Positive check in is required for the 400 IM and 500, 1000, and 1650 free. This may be done in person at the registration area or via the Internet at www.usms.org according to the following chart.

Date	Event	In Person Check-in*	Online Check-in*
Thurs, May 1	1000 Free	Wed 3 p.m. - 8 p.m. or Thurs by 7:30 a.m.	Tues 7 a.m. - Thurs 7:30 a.m.
Thurs, May 1	1650 Free	Wed 3 - 8 p.m. or Thurs by 9:30 a.m.	Tues 7 a.m. - Thurs 9:30 a.m.
Fri, May 2	400 IM	Thurs 7 a.m. - Fri 7:30 a.m	Wed 7 a.m. - Fri 7:30 a.m.
Sat, May 3	500 Free Women	Fri 7 a.m. - Sat 7:30 a.m.	Thurs 7 a.m. - Sat 7:30 a.m.
Sun, May 4	500 Free Men	Sat 7 a.m. - Sun 7:30 a.m.	Fri 7 a.m. - Sun 7:30 a.m.

* All times are Central Daylight Time (CDT)

 

HEAT AND PSYCH SHEETS
Psych sheets for all individual events will be available on the USMS web site (www.usms.org) on or about April 17, 2008. Heat sheets for pre-seeded events will be available online around April 21, 2008. 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, from 3 to 7 p.m. On competition days, the competition pool will be open from 7:30 a.m. until 8:30 a.m., and the warm-up pool will be available from 8:30 a.m. until the conclusion of the final event. The competition pool will reopen for a 30-minute warm-up on Friday after the 400 IM, and Saturday and Sunday after the 500 free. The competition pool will be open for at least 30 minutes following the last event each day, and until at least 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 1.

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. No diving or backstroke starts will be allowed into the warm-up pool. One or two lanes shall be designated as one-way sprint lanes during the pre-meet warm-up sessions in the competition pool only. No sprint lanes will be designated in the warm-up pool. 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 102.15.3). Pull-buoys, kick boards, fins and hand paddles are not allowed in the competition pool or the warm-up pool.

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

GENERAL MEETING
All swimmers, coaches and officials should be represented at the General Meeting at the Texas Swim Center (in the grandstands) on Wednesday, April 30, at 7 p.m. There will be a discussion of matters pertaining to the operation and conduct of the meet.

TIME VERIFICATION (FORMERLY OVCs)
Swimmers needing verification of time(s) or wish their times to be entered into the USA Swimming SWIMS Database (for entry into USA-S national meets) should complete a form at the meet and prior to the swim. Contact the Administrative Referee at the meet.

GOLD MEDAL SPONSORSHIP
Gold Medal Sponsors will be recognized in the official program as supporters of Masters swimming and will be entitled to hospitality on deck, including food. Cost is $65 and can be ordered on the meet entry form.

ONLINE ENTRIES
Online entry is encouraged, and the system provides immediate entry confirmation. Visit www.usms.org/comp/ scnats08. Online registration will open no later than Feb. 4, 2008, and will close at midnight (CDT) on April 3, 2008.

ENTRY PROCEDURES
Use official entry form or a photocopy of the entire form. 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 18-year-olds who must enter the meet by the meet entry deadline but may register at the venue on April 30). A legible copy of the swimmer's Masters registration card must accompany the entry form for foreign swimmers. Failure to include a Masters registration card may result in the swimmer being charged a fee before being allowed to compete. A USMS swimmer whose club affiliation differs from what is listed on his/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.

NATIONAL QUALIFYING TIMES / NUMBER OF EVENTS / SIXTH EVENT
Competitors may enter up to three events without meeting the national qualifying time (NQT), or a maximum of six events if they meet the NQTs, i.e., have swum a time equal to or better than the NQTs in the past two years. All swimmers are limited to three 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.

ENTRY DEADLINE / MAIL ENTRY
Online entries are encouraged and will be accepted until midnight CDT on April 3, 2008. All mailed entries must be postmarked with an official U.S. postmark (no business meters) by March 20, 2008, or received by March 27, 2008. All mailed entries received after this date will be returned to sender. No telephone or email entries will be accepted. 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: Short Course Nationals, USMS National Office, 8 Rockwood Lane, Londonderry, NH 03053.

FEES
The entry fee is $4 per individual event plus the meet surcharge. A $40 surcharge per swimmer will apply to online entries submitted by March 20, 2008, or mailed entries postmarked by March 20, 2008. A $50 surcharge applies to all online entries received after March 20, 2008. For entries received in the mail, fees must accompany the entry form and must be paid in U.S dollars by check or money order. Do not send cash. The entry form 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 by April 3. No refunds will be given for events not swum. The $40/$50 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 "United States Masters Swimming."

RELAY INFORMATION
Swimmers can enter relays until 4 p.m. on the day before the relay is scheduled. 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 events. 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 USMS 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 teams in each category (Men, Women, and Combined).

FINAL RESULTS
Complete final results may be ordered in advance or at the Awards Table during the meet. Cost will be $15.00 per copy. The USMS website will post results.

QUESTIONS?
Contact Ann Nellis or Christie Binkley at 512-471-7703 (before 5 p.m. CST) or email meet.admin -AT- austin -DOT- utexas -DOT- edu.