Competition

Saturday, March 16, 2024, will be the Montgomery Ancient Mariners’ Albatross Open. ANCM will host the meet in the Eunice Kennedy Shriver & Sargent Shriver Aquatic Center. The pool will be configured as a 25-meter course. The water depth varies from 7-18 ft deep making it a very fast pool. Dozens of USMS National and World Records have all been set at this meet!


ENTRIES: Entries are limited to the first 215 individuals. If we reach 215 swimmers prior to the entry deadline, the online entry system will shut down.  Online entries will be accepted until midnight, March 10, 2024 (relay-only swimmers may enter online through March 14, 2024). NEW THIS YEAR: There will be no individual event deck entries for this year’s meet. Due to time constraints, swimmers are limited to four events exclusive of relays. We are limiting the 400 IM to three heats. Please remember that your age is as of 12/31/2024 for this meet per USMS rules.

RULES: Current USMS rules apply. All swimmers must be registered with USMS. If you are not registered for USMS you may register online at: https://www.usms.org/join-usms/join-or-renew. 

SEEDING: Once again we will seed all the 50s men & women separately (slow to fast within gender). All other events will be seeded slow to fast, men & women combined. Please enter with a seed time in SHORT COURSE METERS even if it is an estimate. "No time" entries will be seeded at the discretion of the Meet Director.


RELAYS: Teams are strongly encouraged to submit relay entries online through Club Assistant in advance of the meet (relays may be entered online March 11, 2024, through March 14, 2024). Relay entries will be accepted at the meet. The deadline for all relays is at 2 p.m. the day of the meet.  They must be paid for, initialed, and turned in at the registration desk upstairs. 

FEES: $6 per event plus a $11 meet surcharge. Relays are $10. 

AWARDS AND RESULTS: Awards for first through third place in each age group must be picked up at the meet; special awards for USMS National or World Records (one per relay) and the man and woman recording the fastest time (regardless of age) in the 50 freestyle. Some special awards (1^st-3^rd place excluded) will be mailed post-meet. Results will be mailed out only by request. Results will be posted on https://pvmasters.org/newsite/index.php/results/ AND www.ancientmariners.org/albatross-open. Unofficial results will be posted at the meet. LOOK FOR THE YELLOW & BLACK SIGN THAT SAYS RESULTS AT THE SHALLOW END OF THE POOL, NEAR THE PACE CLOCK.

WORLD AND NATIONAL RECORDS:  Every year world and national records are broken at this meet. To facilitate the timing, approval, and processing of those records, we ask that you notify us in advance that you will be trying.  Please send the Entries Chair or the Meet Director an e-mail (addresses are at the bottom of this announcement) indicating in which event(s) you will be vying for a new record.

FINA COMPETITORS: International entries are subject to verification and may require additional documentation. Please submit a copy of your Masters’ registration card/letter from your governing body to the Meet Director Kara Permisohn (kpermisohn@minkoff.com). Verification is required at the time of online entry. If you do not present verification, you will not be permitted to swim in the competition.

FACILITY: The Eunice Kennedy Shriver & Sargent Shriver Aquatic Center (KSAC) is an indoor 50-meter, 8-lane pool with non-turbulent lane lines. The pool will be configured in a 25-meter course* with full electronic timing. Concessions are not sold on the premises so please plan accordingly.

* The length of the competition course complies and is on file with USMS in accordance with articles 105.1.7 and 107.2.1. However, as a bulkhead course, the pool is subject to length confirmation on the day of the meet. Eligibility of times for USMS Top 10 and records will be contingent on verification of bulkhead placement.

WARM-UPS: Warm-ups will be 12:00-12:45 P.M. TWO LANES in the shallow end and the DIVING WELL will be available for continuous warm-up/down. Please respect the KSAC request not to use the areas open to the public. The main pool will NOT be open during the break for additional warm-ups.

T-SHIRTS: We are selling soft cotton short-sleeve T-shirts for $18 and soft cotton long-sleeve shirts for $23 before the meet. A limited supply will also be sold at the meet for an additional cost. We will post the T-shirt design on the Albatross Open webpage, https://ancientmariners.org/albatross-open, when it is ready.


PAYMENT: Payment by credit card is required for online entry.  Cash and checks are acceptable payment methods ONLY for relay entries and merchandise on the day of the meet. 

LODGING: A small block of rooms is available across the street from the Kennedy Shriver Aquatic Center at the Bethesda North Marriott (5701 Marinelli Road, North Bethesda, Maryland 20852). The room rate of $169/night will be offered from Friday, March 15-Sunday, March 17, 2024. Please use this link for more information: https://book.passkey.com/event/50766096/owner/2644099/home


DIRECTIONS:
*From I-495 (Capital Beltway): Take Old Georgetown Road (Rt 187) exit North. Go approximately 2 miles. Turn right on Nicholson Lane. Turn left at next traffic light onto Executive Blvd. Take first left into the parking lot for the KSAC.
*From DC: Take Wisconsin Avenue north through Bethesda. The road turns into Rockville Pike (Rt 355). Take a left on Marinelli Road (Metro stop on the corner) and continue straight into the KSAC parking lot.
*From the Metro: The KSAC is one long block west from the White Flint Metro stop.

PARKING: Limited parking is available at the KSAC. Nearby street parking is available on Executive Blvd and Woodglen Drive.

COVID SAFETY PROTOCOLS/MASKS: Everyone inside the Kennedy Shriver Aquatic Center is required to follow state and local laws. If you do not follow these rules the meet director and/or officials may ask you to leave the premises. This facility is owned by Montgomery County, Maryland. Policies and updates can be found at the pool and county website: 
https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/rec/facilities/AquaticCenters/KennedyShriver.html.

QUESTIONS:
Meet Director: Kara Permisohn | 301-252-3845 | kpermisohn@minkoff.com)
Entries Chairman: John McCaffrey | 703-887-3173 |johnemccaff@gmail.com
No calls after 9 p.m. please.