New England 13 & Over Age Group Championships March 13-16, 2003 Blodgett Pool, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA Meet Information

New England 13 & Over Age Group Championships
Hosted by The Mass Bay Marlins/Bay & Ocean State Squids
Blodgett Pool, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
March 13-16, 2003
Sanctioned by NE Swimming: NE-03-27

Events List
Events List (Adobe PDF)
Events List (MS Excel)
Entry Cover Page (Adobe PDF)
Hy-Tek Events File for Team Manager

Meet Director: Carol Healey (healeymay@attbi.com, 781-444-2014)
Meet Referee: Priscilla Davis (PdswimNE@NETZERO.NET, 978-468-3786)
Entry Chairperson: Carol Healey (healeymay@attbi.com, 781-444-2014)
Operations Manager: Rick Osterberg (ne-13o@swimindex.com)
Official Meet Website: http://www.swimindex.com/meets/2003/ne-13o/

SESSIONS:
Thursday: 1000 Freestyle & 800 Free Relay: warm-up @ 4PM, start @ 5PM (NOTE TIME CHANGE)
Fri/Sat/Sun: Trials Session: warm-up @ 7AM, start @ 8:15 AM
Fri/Sat/Sun: Finals Session: warm-up @ 5PM, start @ 6 PM

MEET FORMAT: The meet will be conducted as Trials and Finals (championship and consolation, no bonus) in all individual events except the 1000 and 1650 yard freestyle events, which will be timed finals. Positive check-in for the 1000 yard freestyle will be by 5 PM on Thursday, and by 9:30 AM on Sunday for the 1650 yard freestyle. Relays will be timed finals and swum at the end of the Trials Session. At the discretion of the Meet Referee, there will be a 10 minute break between the end of Trials and the start of the relays. Heat sheets will be posted around the pool deck and available to coaches in the control office prior to the start of each session. Coaches are responsible for ensuring that their swimmers are in the correct heat and lane.

FACILITY: Blodgett Pool is an 8 lane, 25 yard competition course (7 foot depth) with a shallower 6 lane warm-up and warm-down course, with non-turbulent lane lines, a Colorado Timing System and scoreboard. The facility has ample seating and all members of New England Swimming, and all spectators, are restricted to the pool, stands and the concession area. Only people with the proper credentials will be allowed on deck.

ONLINE MEET COVERAGE: The meet will feature online heat sheets, results, live scoreboard and webcam at: http://www.swimindex.com/meets/2003/ne-13o/

DIRECTIONS: From the Mass Pike, get off at the Cambridge/Allston exit. Take the Cambridge ramp. Just before crossing the bridge into Cambridge, turn left onto the Storrow Drive entrance ramp. Go straight through the next intersection and take the next exit, marked Harvard Square, Cambridge. At the light at the top of the ramp, turn left onto North Harvard Street. The pool is the first building on the right. The pool is bounded on the south by Harvard Stadium, on the east by No. Harvard Street, and on the north by Storrow Drive. Swimmers should be dropped off at the pool gate on No. Harvard Street.

PARKING: After dropping the swimmers at the gate on No. Harvard St., proceed down to the parking lot entrance, across the street, to the Harvard Business School Parking Lot. It is a 5 minute walk to the pool. This will be in effect for all four days of the meet. Only cars with parking passes will be allowed to park around the stadium. All others will be towed. Street parking is limited, but allowed in available spaces. If these guidelines are not adhered to, we will be in jeopardy of losing the use of the Harvard pool for meets. PLEASE DO NOT PARK AROUND THE STADIUM.

ELIGIBILITY: All swimmers must be 2003 USA Swimming registered with New England Swimming. Swimmers may register with Mary Riddell, 20 Cleveland Rd., Needham, MA 02492. Age eligibility is determined by age of the swimmer on March 13, 2003. All coaches on the deck must be registered with USA Swimming and display their current coaches membership cards.

ENTRY FEES: Please make checks payable to "The Mass Bay Marlins".
Individual Events: $5.00 electronic / $5.50 paper entry
Relays: $10.00 per relay
New England Swimming surcharge: $1.00 per swimmer (separate check payable to "New England Swimming")

ENTRY INFORMATION: A swimmer may enter as many events as they qualify for and scratch down to a maximum of nine (9) individual events with no more than three (3) events per day, including Time Trials. Entry times must be achieved between February 16, 2002 and the entry deadline of March 4, 2003. Meter times will be seeded after the yard times. All meter times must be circled in red pen on the entry form. All entries, on diskette, hand written, or emailed, must be received by 5:00 PM, MARCH 4, 2003. Email entries with a standard SD3 or CL2 data file of your team’s entries attached are encouraged, provided a hardcopy of the entry, with a signed entry cover sheet, and payment arrives on or before Saturday, March 8, 2003. Email entries to Carol Healey at healeymay@attbi.com. In the text of the email write all contact information, including team name, coaches name, contact person and phone numbers. An entry will NOT be accepted without the hard copy and payment. Payment is due by Saturday, March 8, 2003. NO EXCEPTIONS. No fax entries will be accepted. All hard copies and checks should be sent by US Postal Service certified mail, or hand delivered. Please check the "no signature required" box on overnight deliveries. All entries must be typed or legibly printed and must include all swimmer's USA Swimming numbers and ages. If there is a discrepancy between the hard copy and the electronic entry, the hard copy will be used as the official meet entry. Send the entries to: Carol Healey, 47 May Street, Needham, MA 02492, (781) 444-2014.

Long Course Meter times should NOT be converted and will be seeded after the yard times. Short Course METER times must be converted to Yard times by using the 0.9049 multiplier. Indicate on the entry form as conforming yard times.

NEW CUT TIMES ACHIEVED AT THE DISTRICTS MEET on March 7-9th may be entered by emailing the entry to Carol Healey, healeymay@attbi.com by Monday, March 10th at 5PM. The hard copy and check must be received by 5PM on Tuesday, March 11th at 5 PM in order for the entry to be accepted. These entries must be for new cuts only, not upgraded times.

RELAYS: A team may enter relays according to the number of swimmers per sex entered in individual events with a maximum of 2 relays, per team, per event. For each sex, the number of qualified individual swimmers entered in individual events will be divided by four up to the 2 relay maximum. A team with 8 to 11 qualified swimmers of one sex entered in individual events may enter 2 relays; a team with 4 to 7 qualified swimmers, in one sex entered in individual events, may enter 1 relay. All swimmers on these relays must be qualified swimmers who are entered in one or more individual events.

A team that has only 1, 2, or 3 qualified swimmers per sex entered in individual events may add enough non-qualified swimmers to enter 1 relay per event. If a qualified swimmer is unable to swim and there is no other qualified swimmer available, the relay must be scratched

TIME TRIALS: Time trials will be available at the discretion of the meet referee and meet director, and if time allows, after the Trials sessions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. All time trial swimmers must provide three timers for their swims. Time trials are $5 for individual events and $10 for relays.

DISTANCE EVENTS: The 1000 yard and 1650 yard Freestyles will be swum fastest to slowest, alternating heats of women and men. Both age groups will swim combined heats and will then be separated for scoring and awards. All distance swimmers must provide at least two timers with watches, and one counter for their swims. Positive check-in for the 1000 yard Freestyle will be by 5 PM on Thursday evening, and at 9:30 AM on Sunday for the 1650 yard Freestyle.

VERIFICATION & RULES: Refer to the verification information provided by New England Swimming. The 2003 USA Swimming rules will govern except as otherwise stated herein and the decision of the referee will be final. Disabled swimmer forms are required by USA Swimming and are available from the New England Swimming Office. All swimmers participating in the meet without a USA Swimming registered coach shall report to the referee before warm-ups prior to each session.

SCRATCHES:
Thursday events: The 1000 yard Free on Thursday evening will be a Positive Check-In, by 5 PM in the pool control office. The 800 Free Relay is a positive check in by 6 PM. Scratches before hand are encouraged.
Friday events: Scratch at the pool on Thursday evening before 6 PM, or call, on Thursday evening, between 5PM and 6PM: 617-495-5213. Scratches beforehand are strongly encouraged.
Saturday/Sunday events: Scratch deadline is 6:00 PM the night before the event, in the control office. The 1650 Freestyle is a positive check-in by 9:30 AM on Sunday
Scratches for Finals will be 30 minutes after the finalists are announced during the Trials Session.
NO EMAILED SCRATCHES WILL BE ACCEPTED after 5 PM, Wednesday, March 12th. If you have scratches before then, please email them to Carol Healey at healeymay@attbi.com and write “SCRATCHES from “team name” in the subject line.

SPECIAL NOTES:

1. Coaches are expected to understand the scratch, verification and relay rules before the meet begins.
2. Any swimmer who fails to compete in an individual event in which he/she is entered and has not been scratched will be barred from further competition that day, including time trials and relays. The swimmer will automatically be scratched from the following day's events unless the Clerk of Course has been notified of the swimmer's intention to compete, by 6:00 PM.
3. Any swimmer who fails to compete in a Finals Event, without scratching, will automatically be barred from competing in the remainder of the meet, including all relays and Time Trials.
4. Any relay team that does not scratch (per above), or is not excused by the Meet Referee, must swim that event. If the relay team does not appear behind the blocks ready to compete, each member of the relay team will be barred from competing in the next individual event that they are entered in, as well as the next relay

AWARDS: Medals will be awarded for the first 8 places, in individual events, and medals for the first three places in relays. These awards will be presented throughout the finals session.

The top eight high point winners for both girls and boys, in both age groups, will be awarded a plaque. The high point ceremony will take place on Sunday evening at the conclusion of the session. Coaches are responsible for making sure their swimmer is present to receive their award.

SCORING: Top 16 places:

WORKERS & TIMERS: All teams will be given timing/work assignments based on their number of entries. Teams that send back the sign up sheet for Officials with their entry will get credit for those positions. The timing assignments will be posted on the web page with ample time to get workers. The Trials sessions are quite long, so it is advised to have relief timers scheduled for your team.

WARM-UPS: USA Swimming warm-up policies will be in effect for the whole meet. Swimmers without a coach must report to the Meet Referee before each session. Diving will be prohibited during warm-ups except at the designated times. No diving will be allowed, at any time, in the 6 lane warm-up course. Sprint lanes will be open at the end of the warm-up session. Teams will be assigned warm-up lanes for each Trials session. These lane assignments will be posted on the pool deck each morning. Coaches must instruct their swimmers to obey the warm-up rules.

COACHES NOTES: All coaches should check in with the control office upon arrival to the pool. Coaches' packets will be available at the beginning of warm-ups at each session. Each team will receive one complete meet program. Please turn in relay cards in a timely fashion. There will be a coaches meeting on Friday at 7:45 AM. Please do NOT ask to change entry times or events after the entry deadline. There will be no deck entries. Coaches are responsible for making sure their swimmers know when to swim. There will not be a bullpen, but heat sheets will be posted throughout the pool deck and available in the control office. The top 8 finalists will march out from a “ready area” during the Finals Sessions. The meet will be run according to the 2003 USA Swimming Rules & Regulations. The decisions of the Meet Referee as to procedures and conduct will be final. There will be no shaving allowed anywhere on the facility. Lockers will not be available for use by coaches or swimmers. Please respect the locker room and facility.

CONCESSION: There will be a snack bar open at all sessions.

HOSPITALITY: Coaches and officials will be served breakfast foods during Trials and a supper during the Finals session, with cold drinks and snacks available throughout the meet.

PROGRAMS: $6.00 Full meet program, or, $3.00 per Trials Session, $2.00 per Finals Session.

ADMISSION: $1.00 per session

HOTELS:
Doubletree Guest Suites (close to pool)
617-783-0090
King Suite Rooms are reserved under New England Swimming for $109 per night until February 11th.

Sheraton Hotel: Newton (8 minutes to pool)
320 Washington St., Newton, MA 02158
617-969-3010
Rooms reserved under “New England Swimming” for $90 per night until February 19th, 2003

Days Inn Hotel (4 minutes from pool, near I-HOP)
1800 Soldiers Field Road
617-254-0200
Rooms under “Mass Bay Marlins” for $80 per night, double occupancy.
Call by February 28th.

Days Hotel (close to pool)
1234 Soldiers Field Road
617-254-1234
Identify “Harvard athletic event” for a $89 rate.

Radisson Cambridge
777 Memorial Drive, Cambridge
617-492-7777
$99-$269 per night

Harvard Square Hotel
110 Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge
617-864-5200
$149-$199 per night