Meet Information

Location
The Sonny Werblin Recreation Center, 656 Bartholomew Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854. (732) 445-4189. From Newark Airport go south on the NJ Turnpike to exit 9, north on Rt 18 to the Busch Campus.

Facilities
One 8-lane 50-meter heated indoor competition pool kept at 80F. Adjacent are two indoor heated 4-lane 20-yard pools. Additionally there is one outdoor 4-lane 25-yard pool for warm-up. Electronic timing with Colorado Timing. Concession stand will be available.

Temperature and Climate
New Jersey climate in the summer is warm with daytime temperatures in the 80s-90s.

Concessions, Vendors & Souvenir Items
A full concession stand will be open throughout the meet. Fruit, bagels, danish, teas, coffee, juice, sandwiches, pizza etc. will be available for purchase. Several vendors (official USMS sponsors) will be on site selling merchandise. The host, Rutgers Aquatics and Rutgers Masters will also have a booth selling meet souvenirs.

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 lobby at the Natatorium on Tuesday, August 12, from noon to 8pm, on Wednesday, August 13 from 5:30am until the end of the day's last event, and on Thursday, August 14 through Sunday, August 17, from 6:00am until the end of each day's last event.

Eligibility
The Championships are open to any registered Masters swimmer at least 19 years of age as of December 31, 2003. 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 12/31/03.
Individual events: 19-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49 ... 100-104. 
Relay events: (aggregate age of relay members): 76-99, 100-119, 120-159, 160-199, ... (40-year increments as high as is necessary).

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 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. Individual swimmer's final results with splits will be available at the meet for $5.00 each. 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 fashion with pre-seeded events. Odd heats will start from one end of the pool and even heats will start from the other end unless the meet can be run in a timely manner without using the Chase Start format. Men's heats will precede women's heats for most events. All events except the 400 IM, 800 Free, and 1500 Free will be seeded by age group with the oldest age groups first, slowest heats seeded first in each age group. The 400 IM, 800 free and 1500 free will be seeded slowest to fastest by entry time for each sex regardless of age. Men and women's heats will be alternated for the 800 and 1500 Free (heat 1 of the men will swim first, then heat 1 of the women, etc.) unless the Championship Committee deems it necessary to seed men and women together. In all other events, all men's heats will be completed before the women's heats. If necessary, due to the possibility of a large number of entries for this meet, swimmers are encouraged to swim 2 per lane in the 800 and 1500 Free. Heats having 2 per lane will be swum before those with one per lane. Please mark on the registration form your willingness to swim 2 per lane.

Check-in Deadlines for All Events
This is a deck seeded meet. Check-in is required for ALL events and may be done in person in the registration area on the day prior to your events. 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 on each morning for the day's events.

Check-in Times
For Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday's events, you must check-in the day before between 7am - 6pm for the events you plan to swim the next day. For Wednesday's events (the 1500 Free), you may check in on Tuesday between 12:00pm - 8:00pm, or you must check in by 6:00am on Wednesday.

Warm-up Times
The competition pool will be open for warm-up on Tuesday, August 12 from noon until 8 pm. On competition days, the competition pool will be open for warm-up from 5:30 am until 6:50 am and the warm-up pools will be available from 6:30 am until conclusion of the final event. On Thursday through Sunday, the competition pool will also be open for warm-up for 30 minutes following the last heat of the first event, the 800 Free, 400 IM, Men's 400 Free, and Women's 400 Free. The competition pool will be open 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 in the warm-up pools. 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 pools. 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 pools.

Scratches
Any swimmer failing to report to the proper lane in the correct heat of their 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 in the Multi-Purpose Room in the Sonny Werblin Recreation Center on Tuesday, August 12 at 7 pm. Matters pertinent to the operation and conduct of the meet will be discussed.

Coaches Hospitality
Hospitality is available to coaches who are MACA and/or ASCA members. MACA membership is available through Emmett Hines, or on the MACA website: www.macacoach.org.

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@mobil.att.net

Social
Enjoy a buffet feast on Saturday, August 16 starting at 6:00 pm. Food to satisfy everyones tastes and appetite. Entertainment will also be provided. Shuttle service provided from your hotel. Tickets cost $30 and will be limited so make your reservations early.

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. Order sponsorships on the meet entry form.

Meet Management
Meet Director: Alex Antoniou
Meet Referee: Dottie Daniels

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. Foreign entries must include a legible copy of the swimmer's Masters Swimming registration card and fees in U.S. dollars. 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 May 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 the swimmer qualifies, they may swim up to three individual events per day with a maximum of six events during the meet. A swimmer may enter both the 800 and the 1500 freestyle only if the swimmer has made an NQT in either the 800 or 1500.

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 July 14, 2003. No refunds will be given for the dropped event.

Fees
Fees are $4 per individual event plus $38 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 July 9, 2003. No refunds for events not swum. The $38 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 "Rutgers University".

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 July 2, 2003 or received by July 14, 2003. Mail to:
2003 USMS LCN Entries: Rutgers University
Sonny Werblin Recreation Center
656 Bartholomew Road
Piscataway, NJ 08854

Questions?
Call (732) 445-4189 or email to antoniou@rci.rutgers.edu.

Entry Deadline
All U.S. entries must be postmarked with official US postmark (no business meters) by July 2, 2003, OR received by July 14, 2003. Online entries are encouraged and will be accepted until midnight EDT on July 14, 2003. No telephone, FAX 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