Which Meet is Which?
Which Meet is Which?
This past week I have had at least three conversations about what meets are more competitive and what the difference is between different levels of meets and the various pros and cons of each. I am going to address this issue so swimmers, coaches and parents alike a clear vision of meet progression in swimming in general. Lets go from the simplest meets to the more complex meets.
Invitationals: These meets are for everyone who wants to enter or swim there are no qualifying times for these meets, but sometimes a meet host will limit certain events to be under the USA Swimming mandated 4 hour per session rule.. This season some examples would be: the LFSC Monster Mash and Mustang Classic.
Lower Level Qualifying Meets: Lower level qualifying meets generally require a USA Swimming BB Time or faster to be able to swim in the meet. Every 4 Years USA Swimming puts out time standards ranging from B—slower to AAAA—faster for each age group, these standards are on the swimbsc website. These meets may be timed final or prelim/final. Examples of this type of meet this season: Waukesha Meet, Feb. St. Charles Meet.
ISI Regionals: ISI or Illinois Swimming Inc., Regionals is a qualifying standard based on a time percentage of the Age Group or Senior Championship time standard. These time standards vary in difficulty based upon the number of athletes that typically enter the event. The times for the distance events are quite easy because not a lot of kids are swimming them. This meet is held twice per year; once in the spring, February, and once in summer, July. The quality of this meet is usually lower than the quality of a Lower Level qualifier or even an Open invite because athletes with faster times are excluded from the meet.
ISI Age Group Championships: The Age Group Championship qualifying times are based on the number of athletes in an event. Example ISI only wants 50 swimmers in the 11-12 Girl's 50Free the qualifying time will be last year's 50th place time in the 11-12 Girl's 50Free. As the X place time gets faster so the cuts get faster. This meet is held twice per year once in March, and once in July. This meet is usually a decent meet with AAA times or better scoring top 16 places, a higher level meet than Regionals, lower level qualifiers and open invitationals.
ISI Senior Championships: Qualifying times for the Senior Championship Meets are determined exactly the same way as the Age Group Championship times. Sometimes the qualifying time for an event will be slower than the Age Group standard due to the number of entries in a certain event. The depth and quality of this meet will vary wildly based on the placement of the meet in regards to Sectionals or a Grand Prix Meet. Many teams use this meet more as a qualifier for Sectionals and above rather than a championship meet. This meet is held twice per year in March and July.
Central Zone Championships: The “Zone” meet refers to an age group meet that is swum by region of the country as divided by USA Swimming. The meet requires swimmers to have a AAA time to enter an event at the meet. This is generally the highest level meet attainable by a 12 and under swimmer, unless they qualify for a Senior Championship or Sectional Meet. Illinois typically sends over 300 swimmers to this meet in August making this meet a well populated meet, but the level of competition is about the same as an Age Group Championship meet. The Zone meet is also swum at the Senior level with the same qualifying times, but is generally a lower level meet.
Speedo Central Zone Sectional Championships: Sectionals is a meet where qualifying times are usually better than Senior and Age Group Championships. This meet is a great springboard to higher level meets because there is a great mix of both National level swimmers and non-National swimmers. One may swim in a heat with a Michael Phelps or Ryan Lochte! This meet is held in March and July and will vary according to region of the country. Qualifying times are generally determined based on how many swimmers the Sectional wants to allow in the meet. Sometimes Bonus events are allowed—if you have 1 or 2 cuts you are allowed to swim 2 extra events. There are no age groups for this meet---IF YOU MAKE THE CUT YOU SWIM!!
NCSA Junior Nationals: Too many teams here in IL call this meet “Juniors” when really it is not a true Junior National Championship meet at all. In 2000 USA Swimming decided to discontinue its' version of Juniors, to build the Sectional meets. A coach stepped up and formed the National Club Swimming Association which holds its' own “Juniors” with qualifying times from the old USA Swimming format. This meet is held in Orlando at the end of March every year. This is “big” meet in terms of population. The age group for this meet is 18 and under—IF YOU MAKE THE CUT YOU SWIM. Sometimes Bonus events are allowed—if you have 1 or 2 cuts you are allowed to swim 2 extra events. Depending on the year in relationship to an Olympic year this meet can draw some of the best young swimmers in the U.S.
USA Swimming Grand Prix Meets: Grand Prix meets are Long Course invitationals designed to draw 700-800 of the best competitors in America together to compete as part of a racing series. The qualifying standards are almost identical to the NCSA qualifying standards. The main differences are as follows: Grand Prix meets are held regularly as part of a series leading up to Nationals in August, there are HALF the swimmers allowed in the meet compared to the 1500+ at the NCSA meet, the meet will always contain Olympic Medalist Level talent, Grand Prix meets are always long course. The Grand Prix series provides enough diversity it is a great springboard to the National stage. Being able to rub shoulders with the Elite of the sport is always valuable. Grand Prix meets are one of the highest level meets available in USA swimming and are held all over the country. Sometimes Bonus events are allowed—if you have 1 or 2 cuts you are allowed to swim 2 extra events. IF YOU CAN MAKE THE CUT YOU CAN SWIM.
USA Swimming Junior Championships: When most coaches across America talk about Juniors this is the meet they mean. This meet is the best 18 and Under swimmers in the US and the World! The qualifying times are the third toughest in the world behind US Nationals and the Olympic Team Trials. The qualifying times are designed based on the number of swimmers desired in the meet, about 800, this makes those times very close to US Nationals and the Trials. This meet is held short course in December and long course in August. USA Swimming recently agreed that a swimmer could only achieve a Junior cut for the long course meet long course, which makes it developmentally necessary to participate in long course Grand Prix meets and Sectional meets that support this long course Olympic Development. Sometimes Bonus events are allowed—if you have 1 or 2 cuts you are allowed to swim 2 extra events. IF YOU MAKE THE CUT YOU CAN SWIM.
National Championships: Just simply called Nationals or Nats, this meet is held short course in December and long course in August. USA Swimming recently agreed that a swimmer could only achieve a National cut for the long course meet long course, which makes it developmentally necessary to participate in long course Grand Prix meets and Sectional meets that support this long course Olympic Development. Sometimes Bonus events are allowed—if you have 1 or 2 cuts you are allowed to swim 2 extra events. IF YOU MAKE THE CUT YOU CAN SWIM.
Olympic Team Trials: The US Olympic Team Trials is arguably the fastest meet in the world! This meet is only held once every four years, and only 48 slots are available for the Team. A swimmer must make the Long Course qualifying time to be able to swim in the meet. To make the meet is an honor, to make the Team is a High Honor. To make the 100% commitment to Attendance, Attitude, Effort and Performance there is no higher or more worthy goal than trying to compete for one's country at the Olympic Games!! Who will be the first BSC Athlete Ever to Swim for a U.S. National Team? Could it be YOU?
RACE LIKE A CHAMPION AT SECTIONALS, JUNIOR OLYMPICS and NATIONALS!!
