Description

FACILITY

Fairland Aquatics Center 13820 Old Gunpowder Rd. Laurel, MD 20707 (301) 362-6060

• The pool at Fairland Aquatics Center is a 50m x 25yd pool with two moveable bulkheads. Timed Finals and Preliminary Competition will be held in 10 lanes, 25 yards, running from wall to wall. Finals Competition will be held in 8 lanes, 25 yards, running from wall to wall.
•  Eighteen (18) lanes will be used for warm-ups.
• Water depth range of 5’ – 13’ at the starting end and 5’ – 13’ at the turning end.
• The competition course has not been certified in accordance with current USA Swimming Rules and Regulations, Article 104.2.2(C)

SCHEDULE

Friday, March 17

• 9 & Over – Timed Finals

Saturday and Sunday, March 18 – 19

• 13 & Over Prelim Session
• 9-12 Prelim Session
• 11 & Over Finals Session

Meet Director reserves the right to adjust times/sessions after entries are received. 

Event Rules: 

• Swimmers shall compete at the age attained on the first day of the meet.
• Times achieved prior to February 25, 2021 will not be permitted. All times must have been achieved in USA Swimming sanctioned, observed or approved meets.
• Entry times will be verified through SWIMS. Coaches will be asked to provide proof of times when asked by the Meet Director for any time not found in SWIMS. Failure to prove such a time before the event, will result in the swimmer being scratched from that event.
• No Time (NT) Entries will NOT be accepted for this meet.
• All events are prelims and finals except the events offered during the Friday session and ALL Relays, which are timed finals.
• A swimmer may enter and compete in a maximum of 8 individual events and no more than three (3) individual events per day and one (1) relay per day.
• A club may enter up to 3 relay teams per relay event, but only one relay team per club per event may score.
• Preliminary events will be swum combined as 9-12 and 13 & Over. There will be one (1) heat at finals for 9-10. If a preliminary event has more than 24 swimmers in an age group (11-12, 13-14, or 15 & over), then the top 16 swimmers for that age group will qualify for finals and will swim in the order of “B” final and then “A” final, 8 swimmers in each heat. If a preliminary event has 24 or fewer swimmers in an age group (11-12, 13-14, or 15 & over), then only 8 swimmers for that age group will qualify for finals and will swim in a single heat.
  • Exceptions: There will be only one (1) heat for finals for the 9-12 200 Breaststroke and 9- 12 200 Backstroke with ages 9-12 combined.
  • There will also be only one (1) heat for the 13 & Over 200 Fly with ages 13 & Over combined.
• The 400 IM, 1000 Free and 500 Free events will be swum FASTEST to SLOWEST. The 1000 Free will be swum alternating women and men.
• Swimmers are responsible for providing their own lap counter (if desired) for the 500 and 1000 Free.
• All relays are timed finals and will be swum during the preliminary session.
• Entries for the 400IM, 500 Free & 1000 Free may need to be limited due to time constraints. If necessary, it will be done based on the verifiable proof of entry time. If a swimmer is removed from an event because of time constraints, they will be provided the opportunity to enter another event in the meet.

POSITIVE CHECK IN

The 500, 1000 Freestyle, and 400 IM will be positive check-in events. Any swimmer that fails to check-in will be removed from the event.

• Positive Check in times for Friday evening:
  • 500 Free closes at 5:00 p.m.
  • 400 IM closes at 5:30 p.m.
  • 1000 Free closes at 6:00 p.m.
  • Athletes who have checked in, have been seeded, and fail to swim the event will be barred from their next scheduled individual event, unless excused by the Meet Referee.

If the size of the Cherry Blossom Championships warrants, positive check-in for individual events 200 yd and shorter may be announced. Otherwise, all events will be pre-seeded.