Dates
Competition: Thursday, May 9 - Sunday, May 12
Pool available for warm-ups Wednesday, May 8 from 3 - 8 p.m.

Location
IU Natatorium on IUPUI campus
901 W. New York Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202
317-274-3518

Facility
The IU Natatorium will accommodate two 25-yard competition courses and seating for 5,000. The pool is 9 feet deep at the ends and 10 feet in the center. Water is kept at 79 degrees F. For more on the facility, see the first page of the Spring Nationals Preview.

Eligibility
Participants must be registered Masters swimmers and at least 18 years of age as of May 8, 2013. Eighteen-yearolds must enter the meet by the entry deadline and only 18-year-olds may register with USMS on May 8, 2013, 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 Swimming 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 12, 2013, except for 18-yearolds, who must be 18 by May 8, 2013. 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+ … (10-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 IU Natatorium on the IUPUI campus on May 8, 2013, from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and on all other days from 6:30 a.m. through the end of competition.

Seeding
All events—with the exception of the 1650, 1000, and 500 freestyles and 400 IM—will be preseeded unless meet management determines that the meet cannot be completed in a timely manner. A decision regarding preseeding and deck seeding for all 100-yard and 200-yard events will be announced at usms.org by April 22. Two courses will be used for all events. Men’s heats will precede women’sheats for each event, except that men’s and women’s heats may be seeded together for the 1000 and 1650 freestyles. A decision regarding this will be announced at usms.org by April 22. The 1650 and 1000 freestyles and 400IM will be seeded slowest to fastest by entry time, regardless of age. The 500 free may 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.

Event Check-in
Coaches or teammates may check in online or in person 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.

Check-in Deadlines
Positive check-in is required for the 400 IM and 500, 1000 and 1650 freestyles, and may be required for the 100s and 200s if it is determined that deck seeding is necessary. Check-in may be done in person at the registration area or at usms.org according to the following schedule:

*All times are Eastern Daylight Savings Time. If the 100 and 200 events are deck-seeded, their check-in deadlines will be at 8 a.m. on the days they are swum.

Heat and Psych Sheets
Psych sheets for all individual events will be available on the usms.org website on or about April 19, 2013. Heat sheets for preseeded events will be available online around April 24, 2013. 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, May 8, from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. On competition days, the competition pool will be open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:50 a.m. and the warm-up pools will be available from 7:50 a.m. until the conclusion of the final event. The competition pool will also be open for warm-up for 30 minutes following the last heat of the 400 IM and 500 freestyle events on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The competition pool will be open for at least 30 minutes following the last event each day and until at least 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 8.
 
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. One or two lanes will be designated as one-way sprint lanes during the pre-meet warm-up sessions in the competition pools only. 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 102.13.3). Pull buoys, kickboards, fins, hand paddles, and snorkels are not allowed in the competition pool.
 
Scratches
Any swimmer failing to report to the proper lane in the correct heat of an event will be scratched from that event and will not be permitted to swim that event at another time.
 
General Meeting
All swimmers, coaches, and officials are encouraged to attend or be represented at a general meeting at the lU Natatorium on Wednesday, May 8, at 6:00 p.m. Matters pertinent to the operation and conduct of the meet will be discussed.
 
Gold Medal Sponsorship
Gold Medal Sponsors will be recognized in the official program as supporters of Masters swimming. They will receive a commemorative gift and will be entitled to VIP hospitality, which will include breakfast, lunch, snacks, and drinks. Cost is $85 and the pass can be ordered on the meet entry form.
 
Online Entries
Online entry is encouraged and provides immediate entry confirmation. Online registration will open no later than February 1, 2013, and will close at midnight Eastern Daylight Saving Time on April 4. The meet surcharge increases from $50 to $60 on March 15 (see Entry Deadline/Variable Surcharge/Mail Entry for dates applying to both online and paper registration).
 
Paper Entries
Paper entry forms can be downloaded here or will be mailed upon request by calling 1-800-550-SWIM (7946). 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 for 18-year-olds who turn 18 after the meet entry deadline, but before the first day of the meet, who must enter the meet by the meet entry deadline, but may register at the venue on May 8). A legible copy of a foreign swimmer’s Masters registration card must accompany the entry form. A swimmer whose club affiliation differs from what is listed on his or 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.
 
Fees
Fees are $4 per individual event plus a surcharge per swimmer. The surcharge varies according to date of entry. (See Entry Deadline/Variable Surcharge.) Fees must accompany the entry form and must be paid in U.S. dollars by check or money order. Do not mail cash. The entry 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 (USPS or email) by April 11. No refunds will be given for events not swum. The 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 “U.S. Masters Swimming.”

Entry Deadline / Variable Surcharge / Mail Entry
Online entries are encouraged and will be accepted until midnight Eastern Daylight Saving Time on April 4, 2013. All mailed entries must be postmarked with an official U.S. postmark (no business meters).

Surcharges:
Entry Postmarked By March 7 or
Entry Received By March 14
Amount: $50

OR

Entry Postmarked After March 7 or
Entry Received Between March 15 and April 4
Amount: $60

Entries received after April 4 will be returned to sender. No telephone or email entries will be accepted. Mail entries early. 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: USMS Spring Nationals, P.O. Box 185, Londonderry, NH 03053-0185.

National Qualifying Times / Number of Events / Sixth Event
Competitors may enter up to three individual events without meeting the national qualifying time, or a maximum of six events if they meet the NQTs (i.e., have swum a time equal to or better than the NQTs during the past two years). All swimmers are limited to three individual 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.

Distance Events
Swimmers may enter either the 1000 or the 1650 free, but not both.

Relay Information
Swimmers can enter relays until 3:00 p.m. on the day before the relay is scheduled. Each competitor will be allowed to swim only one freestyle relay, one medley relay, one mixed freestyle relay, and one mixed medley relay. 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 fees is in addition to individual events. Relay entry forms are available for download at usms.org.

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 "U.S. Masters Swimming 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 combined clubs in the Regional and Local Club divisions.

Final Results
Complete final results may be ordered with your online entry. Cost will be $15.00 per copy. The usms.org website will post complete results, including splits.

Time Verification (formerly OVCs)
Swimmers needing verification of times or wishing to have their times entered into the USA Swimming SWIMS Database (for entry into USA-S national meets) should complete a form at the meet prior to the swim. Contact the administrative referee at the meet.

Service Animals
Please contact the meet director by April 4, 2013, if you require the use of a service animal. Animals other than service animals will not be permitted on deck or at the venue.

Questions/Additional Information
Contact Meet Director
Mel Goldstein