Meet Information

Location
Chatham County Aquatic Center, 7240 Sallie Mood Drive, Savannah, Georgia.

Facilities
Indoor, climate-controlled 50-meter x 25-yard competition pool with eight lanes, each 9' wide. Competition pool depth is 7' to 9'. Adjacent 25-yard warmup pool has six lanes. Colorado timing system with 8-lane Colorado scoreboard. Bleacher seating for 1,500 spectators.

Temperature and Climate
During August, the average outdoor high temperature is 90o, with an average low of 71o.

Concessions, Vendors & Souvenir Items
A concessions stand will be available each day of the meet. USMS sponsors will be on site selling various swimming merchandise. Meet souvenirs will be sold by the meet host.

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 at the Aquatic Center on Wednesday, August 11, from noon to 8pm and on Thursday, August 12 through Sunday, August 15, from 6:30am until the end of each day's last event. Check-in for all events and relays will be available in the same area.

Eligibility
The Championships are open to any registered Masters swimmer at least 19 years of age as of December 31, 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 as "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 12/31/04.
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
Custom-designed 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. 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 individual events of 200 yards or less. Women's heats will precede men's heats for each event except for the 800 and 1500 Free. 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. Women and men will be seeded together for the 800 and 1500 Free. In all other events, all women's heats will be completed before the men's heats start. The 800 and 1500 Free will be seeded slowest to fastest by entry time regardless of age or gender. 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
This is a deck seeded meet. Check-in is required for ALL events 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 on each morning for the day's events.

Check-in Times
For Friday, Saturday, and Sunday's events, you must check-in the day before between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm for the events you plan to swim the next day. For Thursday's events, 800 freestyle swimmers must check in by 7:00 am on Thursday, and 1500 freestyle swimmers must check in no later than one hour prior to the estimated start time of the 1500 freestyle. You may also check in for Thursday's events on Wednesday between 12:00 pm and 8:00 pm. The check-in deadlines for Thursday's events will be posted by August 6, 2004 on the USMS web site.

Warm-up Times
The competition pool will be open for warm-up on Wednesday, August 11 from noon until 8 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 pool will be available from 7:50 am until conclusion of the final event. On Friday through Sunday, the competition pool will also be open for warm-up for 30 minutes following the last heat of the first event, the 400 IM, Women's 400 Free, and Men'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 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 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 at the Aquatic Center on Wednesday, August 11 at 6:00 pm. Matters pertinent to the operation and conduct of the meet will be discussed.

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

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@mmode.com

Social
The meet will feature a Saturday evening Riverboat Cruise along the Historic Savannah River. The menu, "River Queen Buffet," will feature some of the finest in Low Country foods, including salads, delectable entrees, side dishes and desserts. The two-hour cruise features live entertainment. A cash bar will be available. Cost is $40.00 per person. Shuttle transportation to the social is provided from the pool and the hotels on the meet shuttle route. Cruise departure time is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

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 is $50. Gold Medal Sponsorships may be ordered on the meet entry form.

Meet Management
Meet Director: Scott Rabalais
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. A legible copy of the swimmer's Masters registration card (foreign swimmers) 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 June 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 when using the hardcopy entry form. 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 either the 800 or 1500 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 July 8. 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 July 8, 2004. No refunds will be given for 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 July 1, 2004 or received by July 8, 2004. Mail to:
Long Course Nationals
USMS National Office
9 Wiley Hill Rd.
Londonderry, NH 03053-3109

Questions?
Contact Scott Rabalais at 912-234-0679.

Entry Deadline
All U.S. entries must be postmarked with official US postmark (no business meters) by July 1, 2004, OR received by July 8, 2004. Entries received after this date will be returned to sender. Online entries are encouraged and will be accepted until 11:59 pm EDT on July 8, 2004. 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