Meet Information

Location
Indiana University Natatorium, 901 West New York Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202. On the campus of IUPUI.

Facilities
The IU Natatorium is an indoor facility with spectator seating for 4700 and a 50 meter championship pool with two 25 yard courses, each with eight nine-foot lanes and a water depth of nine to ten feet. The IU Natatorium includes an eight lane, 25 yard diving tank and a 50 meter instructional pool, available for continuous warm-up during the meet.

Temperature and Climate
The IU Natatorium is an indoor facility and has a climate control environment. Temperatures in Indianapolis in the Spring will range from 55-65 degrees.

Registration
All participants must register prior to competing to sign an emergency card, safety information statement, and liability release. Registered swimmers will receive a meet program, optional social tickets, and other meet information. Registration will be held in the Natatorium on the upper level on Wednesday, April 21, from noon to 7 pm and on Thursday, April 22 through Sunday, April 25 from 6:30 am until the end of each day's last event. Check-in for all events and relays will be available in this area.

Eligibility
The Championships are open to any registered Masters swimmer at least 19 years of age as of April 25, 2004. 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 "unattached." Foreign entries must include a copy of swimmer's Masters Swimming registration card and fees in U.S. dollars.

Age Groups
Age for the meet is determined as of 4/25/04.
Individual events: 19-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49 ... 100-104. 
Relay events: 19+, 25+. 35+, 45+, etc. (in ten year increments as high as necessary determined by the age of the youngest relay member).

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 divisions: Large, Medium, and Small. 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 team divisions after the entry deadline based on the number of entrants from each club.

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 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 three teams in each category of each division.

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. Split results will be available at computer terminals during the meet. The USMS website will post results.

Seeding
All events will be deck seeded unless meet management determines that the meet can be completed in a timely manner by pre-seeded individual events of 200 yards or less. Women's heats will precede men's heats for each event except for the 1000 and 1650 Free. Women and men will be seeded together for the 1000 and 1650 freestyles, slow to fast regardless of age, by time only. In all other events, all women's heats will be completed before the men's heats start. The 400 IM will be seeded slowest to fastest by entry time for each sex regardless of age. All other events will be seeded by age group with the oldest age groups first, slowest to fastest within each age group.

Check-in Deadlines for All Events
For all deck seeded events, check-in is required for each event and may be done in person in the registration area or via the Internet at www.usms.org. 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 will be available each morning for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday's events. If meet is pre-seeded, heat sheets will be in the meet program and deck seeded distance events will be posted.

Check-in Times -- All Times are EST
For all deck seeded events on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, you must check-in the day before between 6:30 am and 4 pm for the events you plan to swim the next day. For Thursday's events, you must check in by 7:00 am that day for the women's and men's 1000 Free and approximately one hour prior to the estimated time the other events will start that day. You may also check-in for Thursday's events on Wednesday between 12 pm and 7 pm in person or via the Internet.

Warm-up Times
The competition pool will be open for warm-up on Wednesday, April 21 from noon until 7 pm. On competition days, the competition pool will be open for warm-up from 6:30 am until 7:50 am and the warm-up pools will be available from 6:30 until conclusion of the final event. The competition pool will be open for warm-up for 30 minutes following the last event each day.

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 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 warm-up pool.

Scratches
Any swimmer failing to report to the proper lane in the correct heat of his/her 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 Natatorium on Wednesday, April 21 at 6 pm. Matters pertinent to the operation and conduct of the meet will be discussed.

Time Verification (formerly OVCs)
Swimmers needing verification of time(s) or who wish their time(s) to be entered into the USA Swimming Database (for entry into USA-S national meets) should complete a form at the meet and prior to the swim. Contact the Administration Referee: Bob Brown, telephone (503) 806-0783, or e-mail rlhlbrown@mobile.att.net

Concessions, Vendors & Souvenir Items
A full service snack bar will be available on the upper concourse of the IU Natatorium. The USMS National Sponsors vendors village will be set up in the IUPUI gym with meet registration and award distribution.

Coaches Hospitality
Hospitality is available to coaches who are ASCA members.

Social
YMCA Indy SwimFit is planning a meet social at the NCAA Hall of Fame on Saturday, April 24th, a great experience for all who attend. The social will include entrance into the Hall of Fame dinner. The social will be limited to the first 300. Tickets can be purchased in advance on this entry or at registration if available. Cost is $25.

Attractions
The NCCA Hall of Fame, Circle City Mall, Indianapolis Zoo and Victory Field home of the Indianapolis Indians AAA Baseball, all of these attractions are within walking distance of the meet hotels.

Platinum/Gold Medal Sponsorship
Gold Medal Sponsors will be recognized in the official program as supporters of Masters swimming, entitled to V. I. P. hospitality on deck, and receive a commemorative gift. Cost of one sponsorship will be $50. Platinum sponsors will also receive tickets to the Fri/Sat/Sun finals of the 2004 World Championships October 7-11. Cost is $100. Order sponsorships on the meet entry form.

Meet Management
Meet Director: Mel Goldstein
5735 Carrollton Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46220
317-253-8289 email
Meet Referee: Lucy Duncan
235 Poplar Grove Dr.
Danville, IN 46122
317-745-6817 email

Entry Procedures
Use official entry form or 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. A legible copy of the swimmer's Masters Swimming registration card (foreign swimmer) must accompany the entry form. Failure to include a Masters registration card may result in swimmer being charged a fee before being allowed to compete. A USMS swimmer changing club affiliation prior to the meet must send either a USMS registration card or a letter from the local registrar with the new club affiliation and effective date.

On-line Entries
On-line entries are encouraged. This method provides immediate confirmation that the entry has been received. On-line entries will be available after February 1.

National Qualifying Times
Competitors may enter a maximum of three (3) individual events without meeting the National Qualifying Times (NQTs) established for those events. Competitors may enter up to three additional events in which they have swum a time equal to or better than the NQT in the past two years. The NQTs for all events are listed here. Designate the events in which NQTs have been met with a "T" in the designated column. There are no NQTs for the 90 and over age groups.

Entry Times
All entered events must include an entry time. "NT" entries will be rejected.

Number of Events
If you qualify, you may enter up to three individual events per day with a maximum of six events during the meet. A swimmer may enter either the 1000 or 1650 freestyle, but not both.

Sixth Event Rule
If, in the opinion of the USMS Championship Committee, the meet is deemed too large to be run efficiently, every swimmer's sixth event will be dropped. If six events are entered, indicate with the number "6" your least desired event in the designated column. If no indication is given, the last event entered on the entry form will be dropped. No changes of the designated 6th events will be allowed after March 18, 2004. No refunds will be given for the dropped event.

Fees
Fees are $4 per individual event plus $30 surcharge per swimmer. Fees must accompany entry form and must be paid in U. S. dollars by check or money order. Do Not Send Cash. The entry is not complete until check has cleared the bank. If there are questions about an entrant's check, full cash payment in US dollars will be required before entrant is allowed to swim. Refund requests must be received in writing by March 18, 2004. No refunds will be given for events not swum. The $30 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 Events
Relays may be entered at any time until 4:00 pm the day before that relay is scheduled to be swum. After that time, only the swimmers on the relay may be changed. Such changes must not affect the age group of the relay. The relay entry fee is $12.00 per relay. Forms are available for downloading here.

Mail Entry and Fees
Postmarked by March 11, 2004 or received by March 18, 2004. Mail to:
Short Course Nationals
USMS National Office
P.O. Box 185
Londonderry, NH 03053-0185

Questions?
Call Mel Goldtein at 317-253-8289 or send an email. All telephone calls for information before 9 pm EST.

Entry Deadline
All U.S. entries must be postmarked with official US postmark (no business meters) by March 11, 2004, OR received by March 18, 2004. Entries received after this date will be returned to sender. Online entries are encouraged and will be accepted until midnight EST on March 18, 2004. No telephone or email entries will be accepted. Mail entries early. Include a SASE (Self Addressed Stamped Envelope) with entry for proof of receipt. Do not send certified or overnight mail requiring signature. Allow sufficient time for mail delivery. Photocopy completed entry forms and personal checks for your records and verification.

Travel Information