2016 Auburn Masters Short Course Yards Invitational

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Registration Schedule

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2016 AUBURN MASTERS SHORT COURSE YARDS INVITATIONAL
AUBURN, ALABAMA, FEBRUARY 13-14, 2016
Sanctioned by Southeastern Masters Swimming for United States Masters Swimming, Inc., Sanction No. 156-S003.

HOSTED BY:  Auburn Masters Swimmers.  Meet Director:  Conner Bailey.  Phone:  334.844.5632 (day); 334.332.1955 (evenings) Fax:  334.844.5639.  Email: cbailey@ag.auburn.edu.

FACILITY:   The James E. Martin Aquatics Center http://aquatics.auburn.edu/ on the campus of Auburn University is an indoor 25 yard, 8 lane competition pool equipped with Competitor non-turbulent lane lines, state-of-the-art gutter systems that absorb waves, minimum 9’ depth, and a fully automatic Colorado timing system.  A separate warm-up and warm-down pool will be available before and during competition.  The pool is FAST!

ONLINE ENTRY:  We encourage online entries through the Club Assistant system. You will be able to submit your entry times, use a secure site for payment of fees, sign the standard USMS waiver electronically, and have your USMS membership verified through this system.  You will also be able to access the USMS database of times associated with your USMS registration number to help you determine appropriate seed times.  Online entries will reduce the workload associated with putting together a meet.  Your credit card statement will show a charge from "ClubAssistant.com Events."

DEADLINE FOR ONLINE ENTRIES:  The online entry system will not allow late entries.  Entry deadline for online entries is 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time on Sunday, February 7, 2016. 

DEADLINE FOR PAPER ENTRIES:  Paper entries are available at the Dixie Zone webpage or the USMS Calendar of Events.  Paper entries must be received (not postmarked) by Friday, February 5, 2016.  Paper entries received after that date will incur a late fee of $20.  Paper entries received after Tuesday, February 9th will be considered deck entries.  Please mail to Conner Bailey, 323 Brookside Drive, Auburn, AL 36830.     

ENTRY FEES:  $60 flat rate for all entries, including individual events and relays.  

DECK ENTRIES:  Deck entries will be allowed at the discretion of the Meet Director.  We will try to accommodate deck entries but only if such entries do not require additional heats.  The fee for deck entries is $80 ($60 entry fee plus $20 late fee). 

PSYCH SHEET:  A psych sheet based on online entries will be posted on SwimPhone before 5 p.m. on Monday, February 8, 2016.  Please send any necessary corrections to the Meet Director (cbailey@ag.auburn.edu).  Corrections will be accepted until noon Central Standard Time on Wednesday, February 10, 2015, at which time the meet will be seeded and heat sheets printed.  

COMPETITION COURSE COMPLIANCE:  USMS requires the following statement be included in all meet information.  The Meet Director and staff of the Auburn Aquatics Center will be diligent in making sure that the pool is measured and the course is in compliance.  Here is the obligatory wording:  The length of the competition course is in compliance and on file with USMS in accordance with articles 105.1.7 and 107.2.1, but as a bulkhead course, is subject to length confirmation. Eligibility of times for USMS Top 10 and Records will be contingent on verification of bulkhead placement.

RULES:   2015 USMS Rules and Southeastern LMSC Safety guidelines and warm-up procedures will govern.  Safety guidelines specify feet-first entry during warm-ups except for designated sprint lanes.

ELIGIBILITY:   All swimmers must be registered for 2016 with United States Masters Swimming, Inc.  If you are not already registered with USMS, online registration will allow you to register with USMS when you register for the meet.  You will not be able to register online without being a USMS member. 

ENTRIES:   A swimmer may enter up to 4 individual events per day and 8 individual events for the meet, exclusive of relays.  Entry times shall be in yards.  During online registration you will find a link to a conversion calculator from meters to yards, if needed.  No Time (NT) entries (00:00.00 in online form) will be seeded as slowest times.  Please avoid using NT times whenever possible, and please use realistic entry times (no sandbagging!)

1650 FREE ON SATURDAY:  We will offer a 1650 free event Saturday morning to the first 32 swimmers who register for this event.  Positive check-in required in person at the registration desk by 10:00 a.m. on the day of the event.  We will seed the event at 10:15 a.m.  If there are swimmers who have not checked in by that time, other swimmers on “stand by” will be given their place.  Swimmers wishing to swim the 1650 are especially encouraged to use the online system.  The system will accept entries as long as the limit has not been reached.  After the limit has been reached, the system will put you on a waiting list.  If you use a paper entry form, we will enter you in the 1650 as quickly as we can after receipt of your entry.  But please understand that the delay of sending a mailed entry may result in your being on the waiting list. 

SEEDING: The 1650 free will be seeded fast to slow without regard to age or gender.  All other events will be seeded slow to fast without regard to age or gender.  Results will be tabulated by gender and age group as defined by USMS.

SCHEDULE:  Warm-up for the 1650 will begin at 10 a.m.  The first heat of 1650 will start at 10:45 a.m.  Warm-ups for the Saturday afternoon session will begin at 12:30 p.m. with competition to follow at 1:15 p.m.  Sunday morning warm-ups will start at 8:45 a.m. with competition at 9:30 a.m.

SCORING:   First 8 finishes in each event, by age and gender, will be scored as follows: Individual events 9-7-6-5-4-3-2-1; Relay events 18-14-12-10-8-6-4-2.

RELAYS: Relays will be deck-entered using forms provided at the meet.  Relay team members must be registered with the same club. For purposes of awards and scoring, the age of the youngest relay team member shall determine the age group in the following age categories: 18+, 25+, 35+, 45+, 55+, 65+, 75+, 85+, 95+, etc.  No charge for relay entries.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS:  Individual ribbons will be awarded for 1st through 3rd place by age group and gender.   High point awards will be given to top male and female swimmers in each age group based on points scored in individual events.   A swimmer must swim in at least four individual events to qualify.  Relay points will not count towards individual awards, but they will count for team awards. 

TEAM AWARDS: Trophies will be awarded to the top three teams in each of three categories: large, medium, and small teams.  The Meet Director will determine the break-off point between the three categories once entries have been received.  The host team will not be a contender for team awards.

SWIM GEAR SALES: All American Swim Supply www.allamericanswim.com from Florence, Alabama, will be on hand and offer suits, goggles, and sundry other items and toys for Masters swimmers.  All American Swim Supply is an official USMS sponsor. 

EMERGENCY PHONE CONTACT:  The phone number at the pool office is 334.844.4182.  Campus security is 334.844.4158.  These numbers are for emergency purposes only during competition.

DISABLED SWIMMERS: Disabled swimmers are welcome.  Please let Conner Bailey, Meet Director, know what accommodations are necessary and also communicate these needs to the meet referee on the day of the meet.

HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS:

Auburn University Hotel & Conference Center.  Recently renovated.  Special room rates are $124 plus taxes (13%).  A block of 20 rooms have been reserved for Friday, February 12th and 40 rooms for Saturday, February 13th.  Cutoff date for making reservation at this rate is January 29, 2016.    Reservations at 334.821.8200 or 800.228.2876.  If you call in, tell the reservations clerk you want the rate for "Auburn Masters Swimmers 2016."   The direct link for making online reservation:  https://bookings.ihotelier.com/The-Hotel-at-Auburn-University/bookings.jsp?hotelID=6493&groupID=1547341

Auburn Marriot Opelika Hotel & Conference Center at Grand National, 3700 Robert Trent Jones Trail, Opelika, AL 36801. This hotel is a 15 minute drive from the pool and is on one of Alabama’s famous Robert Trent Jones golf courses, for those who want to come early or stay afterwards and get in a round or two of golf.  Reservation at 800.593.6456.

EconoLodge, 2145 South College St., Auburn (800.553.2666 or 334.887.3462.

Fairfield Inn & Suites Auburn Opelika, 2257 Interstate Drive · Opelika, Alabama 36801.

Crenshaw Guest House (Bed and Breakfast), 371 North College St., Auburn (800.950.1131 or 334.821.1131).  Rooms can be viewed at http://www.crenshawguesthouse.com/.  

Holiday Inn Express, 2013 S. College Street, Auburn (334.502.1090)

Comfort Inn, 2283 S. College St., Auburn (821.6699)

Hilton Garden Inn, 2555 Hilton Garden Drive, Auburn (800.445.8667 or 334.502.3500)

Hampton Inn, 3000 Capps Way, Opelika.  Exit 58 on I-85. 334.745.4311.  www.opelikasuites.hamptoninn.com
Golden Cherry Motel, 1010 2nd Avenue, Opelika (334.745.7623).  About a 20 minute drive from Auburn.  This place is for fans of the movie Norma Rae, part of which was filmed at this 1950s style motel.   

DIRECTIONS TO POOL:  Approaching Auburn via I-85 from either North or South, take Exit 51 (Hwy 29, also known as South College St.).  Follow South College approximately 3 miles until you reach the Auburn University campus, on your left.  Turn left on Samford Street and follow approximately 1 mile to Donahue.  Turn right at Donahue and then left at first street (Biggio).  You will see the old Coliseum, a large oval structure.  The pool is immediately to the west of the Coliseum.  Campus map at:  www.auburn.edu/its/ducapps/aumap/main.html.  If you are coming to Auburn from the northwest via U.S. Hwy 280, turn right at Alabama Hwy 147 (which becomes North College St.) Follow for approximately 5 miles.  Campus will be on your right immediately after downtown.  Turn right at Samford Street, just after the Heart of Auburn Motel and just as you are leaving campus.  From there follow directions above. 

PARKING:  The best parking is immediately to the east of the old Coliseum.  Parking is free and open to the public on Saturday and Sunday.  Short 2 minute walk to the pool. 

NO SATURDAY NIGHT SOCIAL THIS YEAR:  There has been a proliferation of good restaurants in Auburn in the past few years.  Since our meet is on Valentines weekend, restaurants will be suby and you make want to make reservations. The Saturday afternoon session should be done by 5 pm and making a reservation for very early evening may be to your advantage.      

DINING OPTIONS IN AUBURN:  Most of the top restaurants in the area have online menus which you can peruse.   Among the restaurants you might want to consider, listed in alphabetical order:

Acre.  210 East Glenn Ave, Auburn. 334.246.3763.  Emphasis on local sourced foods.  www.acreauburn.com

Amsterdam Café.  410 South Gay St, Auburn. 334.826.8181.  www.amsterdamcafeauburn.com

Ariccia.  241 South College St., Auburn (the hotel at the Auburn University Hotel & Conference Center.  334.844.5140.  http://www.auhcc.com/dining/ariccia-auburn-restaurant/ 

Hamilton’s.  174 East Magnolia Ave., Auburn.  334.887.2677.  www.hamiltonsonmagnolia.com

Pho Lee. 756 East Glenn Ave., Auburn.  334.209.2979. Vietnamese.  Probably do not need reservation.  https://www.facebook.com/pholeeauburn 

The Depot. 124 Mitcham Ave., Auburn.  334.521.5177. http://allaboardauburn.com/#_=_

The Hound.  124 Tichenor Ave., Auburn.   334.246.3300.  http://thehound-auburn.com/#_=_

Trip Advisor ratings for restaurants in Auburn can be found at http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g29006-Auburn_Alabama.html.  I have left off barbeque and pizza joints, which as a college town there are many in Auburn.

There are also a number of good places to eat in our neighboring town of Opelika.  Conner's favorite is "Acre" but feel free to ask people at the meet registration desk for their own take on local food options.

Note: If paying by credit card, your credit card statement will reflect a charge from "AUBURN MASTER SWIMMERS."