2008 New England Swimming 13-19 Age Group Championships February 7-10, 2008 Blodgett Pool, Harvard University, Boston MA Hosted by Bay and Ocean State Squids Meet Information

2008 New England Swimming 13-19 Age Group Championships
February 7-10, 2008
Blodgett Pool, Harvard University, Boston MA
Presented by Bay and Ocean State Squids
Sanctioned by New England Swimming: NE-08-26 and NE-08-26-TT

Printable Meet Information (Adobe PDF)
Entry Cover Page (Adobe PDF)
Events and Time Standards
Events and Time Standards (Adobe PDF)
Hy-Tek Events File for Team Manager (zipped)
Application to Officiate (Adobe PDF)
Team Timing Assignments (Adobe PDF)
Warmup Format (Adobe PDF)
Important Deadlines (Adobe PDF)
Time Trial Request Form (Adobe PDF)

SESSIONS: (Please note new session starting times for all sessions)

Nobody will be permitted into the building until 15 minutes before the start of warmups, except officials and meet staff.

SITE: Harvard University Blodgett Pool features an 8-lane, 25-yard competition course with seven-foot-wide lanes, non-turbulent Kiefer Advantage II lane lines, and fully automatic Daktronics electronic timing and alphanumeric display.  Starting blocks are custom Track Start Competitor model blocks by Paragon Aquatics, with a 24”x 32” starting surface and Daktronics relay judging platforms.  The racing course has a depth of 7 feet.  There is a 6-lane, 25-yard warmup course at the far end of the pool.  There will be four additional 30-yard warmup lanes in the diving well area available.  There is spectator seating for 1200.

MEET FORMAT: The meet will be swum with circle-seeded preliminary heats in the morning session with a B‑Final and A‑Final (in that order) in the evening session, unless otherwise noted. All swimmers will report directly to the starting area for their event.  All relay events, as well as the 1000 freestyle and 1650 freestyle will be swum as timed final events.

• Relay Events: Relays are timed-final events.  All relays will swim during the evening finals. All relays must positively check-in at the Clerk of Course Course by the beginning of finals on the day of the event.  Relays that do not check-in by the deadline will be scratched.  Relay participants must be declared to the Clerk of Course by 7:30pm, but may be changed up to the time of the swim.  All relays are eligible to score points.
• Thursday Distance Events (1000 freestyle): These events are timed finals.  Age groups will be combined with 13-14 and 15-19 swimmers seeded together by time, but age groups will be scored separately.  Heats will be swum fastest-to-slowest, alternating heats of women and men.  All swimmers must positively check-in at the Clerk of Course by 5:45pm on Thursday.  Swimmers that do not check-in by the deadline will be scratched.  Swimmers must provide two timers and one counter for their swim.
• Sunday Distance Events (1650 freestyle): These events are timed finals.  Age groups will be combined with 13-14 and 15-19 swimmers seeded together by time, but age groups will be scored separately.  The fastest heat of the women’s 1650 freestyle and men’s 1650 freestyle will swim with the evening finals.  All other heats will be swum fastest-to-slowest, alternating heats of women and men, at the end of the morning preliminaries session.  All swimmers must positively check-in at the Clerk of Course by 9:00am on Sunday.  Swimmers that do not check-in by the deadline will be scratched. Swimmers in all but the fastest heat must provide two timers and one counter for their swim.
• A/B flight format: Dependent on the number of entries, and at the discretion of the Meet Referee, the 400 IM and/or 500 freestyle preliminaries may be conducted in an "A/B flight" format.

COURSE: Short course yards (25 yards).

EVENTS: See attached list.

ELIGIBILITY: All contestants must be 2008 United States Swimming registered athletes in the New England LSC. All swimmers must be registered before the entry is submitted.  Swimmers who are not registered with USA Swimming at the time of entry will be scratched, and entry fees will not be refunded, and teams will be subject to a fine of $100 per unregistered swimmer.  New England teams entering the meet are required to check their entries with the online registration check tool on the New England Swimming web site (www.neswim.com).  Entries with incorrect registration data will be scratched.  Please contact the New England Swimming Office for registration information. Disabled swimmer forms are available from the New England Swimming Office. New England Swimming Office: 20 Cleveland Road, Needham MA 02492, 781-449-0270, office@neswim.com. Age eligibility is determined by the age of the swimmer on the first day of the meet, and must be shown on the entry form.

ENTRY INFORMATION: 

• Qualification period: February 1, 2007 through February 3, 2008.
• Seeding order: SCY, LCM, SCM.
• Entry Fees: $5 for individual events, $20 for relay events (add $0.50 for non-electronic entries).
• Swimmer participation fee: $5 per swimmer
• New England Travel Fund surcharge: $2 per swimmer
• Entry Fee Payable To: Massachusetts Bay Marlins
• Regular Entry Deadline: Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at 6:00pm EST.
• Electronic Email Entries: Email a Hy-Tek entries file (preferred) or a SDIF file to nemeetentries@comcast.net.  Your email must be received before the regular entry deadline.  You must also complete the entry cover and waiver, and send with your payment and a hard-copy of your entry printout.  Your signed entry cover and waiver, hard-copy printout and payment must arrive no later than Saturday, February 2, 2008.  In the text of your email, please include all contact information, including team name, coach name, contact person, email address and phone numbers.  Please include your team initials in the email subject.
• Electronic Diskette/CD Entries: Send a 3.5” diskette or CD-ROM containing a Hy-Tek entries file (preferred) or a SDIF file to the entries address.  You must also include a hard-copy printout of your entries, as well as a completed and signed entry cover and waiver, and entry fee payment.  Your diskette/CD and entry materials must be received before the regular entry deadline.
• Non-Electronic Entries:  Send entry forms, completed and signed entry cover and waiver, and entry fee to the entry address.  Your entry materials must be received before the regular entry deadline.
• Hard-copy entry printout: Please print your report organized “by athlete” (and not “by event”), and include the meet name that the entry time was achieved at.
• Entry Limits: Swimmers may enter any number of events.  Swimmers may only compete in a maximum of three (3) individual events per day (including time trials) and a maximum of nine (9) individual events in the meet (not including time trials).  Teams may enter up to two relays per relay event.  All relays may score.
• Relay-Only Swimmers: Relay-only swimmers are allowed based on the number of qualifying athletes per age group and gender:
• 0 qualifying athletes = 0 relay-only swimmers
• 1 qualifying athlete = 3 relay-only swimmers
• 2 qualifying athletes = 2 relay-only swimmers
• 3 qualifying athletes = 1 relay-only swimmer
• 4 or more qualifying athletes = 0 relay-only swimmers
• Bonus Events: No bonus events are permitted.

NEW CUTS: New cuts only achieved after the regular entry deadline of  January 29, 2008 will be accepted until Monday, February 4, 2008 at 5:00pm EST.  These must be submitted via email to nemeetentries@comcast.net.  No updated times will be accepted.
 
TIME TRIALS: Time trials will be available at the discretion of the meet referee and meet director, and if time allows, after the prelims sessions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  Please be aware that time trials count towards the daily maximum of three individual events.  All time trial swimmers must provide two timers for their swims. Time trials are $5 for individual events and $20 for relays.  Sign-up for time trials at the Clerk of Course. Time trials are open to any swimmer registered with USA Swimming.

MEET RESULTS AND PUBLICITY: The official meet web site is http://www.meetresults.com/ne13o/   The meet web site will feature instant results, real-time online scoreboard, pool webcam, full results and full pre-meet reports and entry confirmation lists.

SCRATCHES and POSITIVE CHECK-IN: The scratch box will be located at the Clerk of Course table.  After the preliminaries and/or timed finals have been seeded, any swimmer who fails to compete in an individual event preliminary or timed final heat in which they have been entered and have not been scratched will be barred from further individual and relay events that day, including time trials.  In order to swim any events on remaining days the coach and/or swimmer must positively check-in with the Clerk of Course prior to the scratch deadline of that day’s events.  Before the meet starts, coaches can email scratches to Carol Healey (nemeetentries@comcast.net) until Wednesday at 6:00pm EST.  For events that require positive check-in, athletes or relays that do not check-in will be scratched.  Scratch and positive check-in deadlines are as follows:

• Thursday, 5:45pm: Positive check-in for Thursday distance events (1000 freestyle).
• Thursday, 7:00pm: All Friday events.  Scratches for Friday events may also be made via telephone to Mariella Allard (508-633-8821) until Thursday at 7:00pm.
• Friday, 6:30pm: Positive check-in for Friday relays (400 free relay).
• Friday, 7:00pm: All Saturday events.
• Saturday, 6:30pm: Positive check-in for Saturday relays (800 free relay).
• Saturday, 7:00pm: All Sunday events except 1650 freestyle.
• Sunday, 9:00am: Positive check-in for Sunday distance events (1650 freestyle).
• Sunday, 6:30pm: Positive check-in for Sunday relays (400 medley relay).

SCRATCHES FOR FINALS: This meet will follow the National Championship Scratch Rules as specified in rule 207.12.10.  Any swimmer who competes in an individual prelims heat and qualifies for finals and fails to notify the Clerk of Course of his/her intention to withdraw from the finals within 30 minutes of the posting of the results and qualifiers for that event, and does not compete nor is excused by the meet referee, will be barred from all subsequent competition in the meet, including relays and time trials.  Any team that has a no-show swimmer in the finals on Sunday evening will be fined $100 per no-show.

WARMUP PROCEDURE: A full schedule of warmup information will be published before the start of the meet.  The competition course will close 10 minutes before the start of each session.  USA Swimming warm-up policies will be in effect for the meet. Diving will be prohibited during warm-ups in the warm-up/down pool at all times during the meet. One way sprint lanes will be announced during warm-ups for starting practice only. Coaches must instruct their swimmers to obey these rules. Failure to comply with a designated safety marshal’s orders could result in disciplinary action. All swimmers participating in the meet without a USA Swimming registered coach shall report to the referee before warm-ups prior to each session.

VERIFICATION: There will be a verification table on deck. At this meet teams must submit to the verification table a copy of their meet entry with verification of all times indicated. Teams must also include a copy of any non-New England calendar meet results used for entry times. Any swimmer unable to verify entry time will be barred from the rest of the meet.

RULES: Current USA Swimming rules will govern all competition.  Decisions by the Meet Referee will be final unless a written protest is lodged within 30 minutes of the heat swum. Disabled swimmer forms are required by US Swimming and are available from the New England Swimming Office.

DECK ACCSS: Only athletes, coaches, officials, and official meet staff are permitted on the pool deck.  All non-athletes on the pool deck must display their USA Swimming registration card at all times.  Individuals without their USA Swimming registration card will be removed from the pool deck, and will be subject to a fine by New England Swimming.

TIMERS and OTHER WORKERS: According to New England Swimming policy on Championship meets, the meet host will make timing assignments for this meet based on the size of each team’s entry. Please be cooperative and punctual. We need the full cooperation of all teams, large and small, to adequately run this meet. All teams will be given timing/work assignments based on the number of entries. Teams treating this meet as a team travel meet need to assure that they have enough parental workers at the meet to fulfill their team obligation. The timing assignments will be posted on the web page with ample time to get workers

All swimmers in the 500 freestyle preliminaries, 1000 freestyle and 1650 freestyle must provide 2 timers and 1 counter for their swim. All swimmers in the 400 IM preliminaries must provide 2 timers for their swim.

SCORING: Scoring will be to 16 places.

AWARDS: Results of each event will be announced immediately following the conclusion of the A-Final heat in finals.  There will be no formal awards presentation for individual and relay events.  Awards for individual and relay events may be picked-up at the Clerk of Course table.  Team awards and individual high point award swill be presented at the conclusion of the Sunday finals session.

• Individual events: Top 8 finishers (available at the Clerk of Course table)
• Relay events: Top 3 teams (available at the Clerk of Course table)
• Team awards (combined scores): Top 8 teams
• Individual high point: Top 8 female and top 8 male in each age group

SPECTATOR ADMISSION and HEAT SHEETS: The spectator seating area will open one hour before the start of each session.  The spectator entrance is on the upper level of Blodgett Pool.  Prices are as follows:

• Admission: $1.00 per session
• Heat Sheets: $3.00 per session

FACILITY RULES AND SAFETY:

• Diving will be prohibited during warm-ups except in specifically announced one-way sprint lanes.  There will be no diving in the warm-up and warm-down areas at any time
• No shaving is permitted at the competition site.
• No glass containers are permitted within the facility.
• No smoking is permitted within the facility.
• Swimmers must be in direct contact with their supervising coach before they will be allowed to enter the pool for warm-up.
• No camera cell phones are permitted in the locker rooms.
• Team banners must not exceed 5’ x 8’ and will be hung by facility staff.  No handmade signs are allowed in the facility.

LOCKER ROOMS: Day lockers will be available for use at Blodgett Pool for athletes, coaches and officials.  The locker room area will be strictly for use by properly credentialed individuals.  Do not leave locks on lockers overnight.  Do not leave valuables in your locker.  Neither Harvard University, the Massachusetts Bay Marlins nor the Bay and Ocean State Squids are responsible for lost or stolen property.

MEDICAL ASSISTANCE: Medical assistance will be provided at the facility.  If you require medical assistance, please notify a facility lifeguard, or a member of the meet staff.  The closest hospital and emergency room is Mt. Auburn Hospital, 300 Mt. Auburn Street, Cambridge MA 02138.  It is located one mile from Blodgett Pool.
CONCESSIONS: There will be a concession stand open for the duration of the meet.  The concession area is on the upper level of the pool, by the spectator entrance.

EQUIPMENT VENDOR: A swimming equipment vendor will be selling suits, goggles and other accessories for the duration of the meet.  The vendor location is on the upper level of the pool, by the spectator entrance.

HOSPITALITY: A hospitality area will be available for coaches and meet staff.  Coaches and meet staff must have appropriate credentials to enter the hospitality area. The Hospitality Area will be in the Hall of History, adjacent to the pool entrance on the street level.

OFFICIALS: Officials are requested to help with the pre-meet planning for this meet by stating their availability to help as soon as possible.  Please provide the information requested on the Application to Officiate for this meet (linked above).  Host Team officials are reminded that they also need to submit an application. All applications that are received by the meet entry deadline (January 29, 2008) will count towards the work requirements for the official's team. Applications to officiate that are received at least ten days prior to the meet, and declare a commitment to serve at most of the meet, will be given priority consideration in deck assignments. Please do not submit an application within three days of the meet. “Walk-on” officials are always welcome and will be assigned to positions that are not filled.

COACHES NOTES: All coaches should check-in with the Clerk of Course table upon arrival at the pool. Information for Coaches will be available at the beginning of warm-ups at each session from the Clerk of Course. This will include the heat sheet for that session and any notes that may be needed. There will be a coaches meeting at 8:40am on Friday. Coaches are responsible for the behavior of their swimmers at all times. Any damage to the premises or equipment is the responsibility of those doing the damage. Swimmers, parents, coaches, and spectators are restricted to the pool, spectator stands and concession area.  Harvard University and New England Swimming will not assume responsibility for lost or stolen articles. Parents are in charge of supervising younger children in attendance at the meet. Officials will be patrolling the facility and locker rooms and will have the authority to dismiss swimmers and spectators immediately from the facility. There will be no exceptions. Coaches are responsible for communicating this to both swimmers and parents. Please do not ask to change entry times or events after the entry deadline. No deck entries will be accepted.

PARKING: Parking will be available in the Harvard athletics complex area around the football stadium for a cost of $10. Enter at Gate 6 from North Harvard Street near the closed end of the stadium.

DIRECTIONS: The street address for Blodgett Pool is 65 North Harvard Street, Boston MA 02163.
From the West: Take the Massachusetts Turnpike east to Exit 18 (Allston/Cambridge). After paying toll, bear left at fork towards Allston. Turn right at second set of lights onto North Harvard Street. Proceed approximately one mile. The entrance to the Harvard Business School parking lot will be on your right, on Albert H. Gordon Road, opposite the football stadium.
From the North: Take I-93 south to Storrow Drive exit. Take Storrow Drive west for approximately five miles. Exit at Harvard Square/North Harvard Street. At the top of the exit, turn left onto North Harvard Street . Approximately 1/4 mile on your left will be the entrance to the Harvard Business School parking lot, on Albert H. Gordon Road, opposite the football stadium.
From the South: Take I-95 north to I-93 north. Follow I-93 to Exit 20 (Massachusetts Turnpike). Take Mass. Pike west to Exit 20 (Allston/Cambridge). After paying toll, bear left at fork towards Allston. Turn right at second set of lights onto North Harvard Street. Proceed approximately one mile. The entrance to the Harvard Business School parking lot will be on your right, on Albert H. Gordon Road, opposite the football stadium.
Via M.B.T.A. (subway/bus): The Red Line subway stops at Harvard Square. Blodgett Pool is a 10-minute walk from the square, down John F. Kennedy St. and over the Charles River. Several bus routes make stops at Harvard Square as well. The 66 and 86 routes include stops on North Harvard Street in front of Harvard Stadium and Blodgett Pool.

LODGING: The following hotels are in the area.  Please identify yourself as a “New England Swimming” affiliate when making reservations.

Doubletree Guest Suites Boston ($125)
400 Soldier's Field Road, Boston MA 02134
617-783-0090
http://www.hiltonfamilyboston.com
1.0 mile to pool

Residence Inn by Marriott Boston Cambridge Center ($129)
6 Cambridge Center, Cambridge MA 02142
617-349-0700
2.2 miles to pool
http://www.marriot.com
2.2 miles to pool