2021 USMS Sprint (1-Mile) and Long Distance (5K) Open Water National Champs and Family Festival

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Registration Schedule

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Sanctioned by: South Texas LMSC for U.S. Masters Swimming, Inc. #431-W001
Date: September 18th & 19th, 2021
Host: Masters of South Texas

Event Location: Boerne City Lake.  Boerne, Texas.  For general lake information:  https://www.ci.boerne.tx.us/169/City-Lake-Park

Open Water Course: The Event Director, Head Official, and Safety Officer reserve the right to determine the start procedure, taking in considerations for safety, as time nears the event date.  An email will be sent to each participant 30 days in advance of the race with start details.  The finish will be an out of water run up the ramp.  Disposable timing chips will be used.

Average water temp on race day is 78. Average high for air temp on race day is 90. Average low for air temp on race day is 77. No wetsuits will be permitted.

The 2021 USMS Long-Distance Open Water National Championship (5K) swim will held on Saturday, set to begin at 9:00 am. Swimmers will be placed in waves by age/gender.  Seed times are for 1500 meter or 1650 yard Freestyle from a pool swim, would be helpful in determining each wave size.  We ask that you include times on your entry form.  For all waves of the (5K), the maximum time limit will be 2 hour 15 minutes (2:28 per 100 yard).  Please do not enter the 5K if you cannot complete the race in this time.  Swimmers will be removed from the course after 2 hour 15  minutes from the start of their wave and will not be allowed to complete the event.

The 2021 USMS Sprint-Distance Open Water National Championship (1-mile) will be swum on Sunday, followed by a non-championship 1-mile for OEVT (single day registrants) and Age Group swims.  Family swim events will follow shortly after that.  The maximum time limit for swimmers in each wave of the 1-mile is 1 hour. The course will be cleared of any swimmer still on the course after one-hour from the start of the last wave.

Eligibility: Persons eighteen (18) years of age and older are welcome. Age is determined by swimmer’s age on December 31, 2021, except 18-year-olds must be 18, no later than September 19, 2021 for the 2021 USMS Open Water Nationals.  All other Family Festival entrants age is determined as of September 19, 2021.

The 2021 USMS Open Water National Championship eligibility: All swimmers must be current members of U.S. Masters Swimming or FINA Masters organization. You may apply for USMS membership online prior to registering for the event at the USMS website http://www.usms.org/reg/. Late entries and on deck registration will be accepted for USMS/FINA members. OEVT entries will not be accepted for the 2021 Open Water National Championships.

Non-Championship 1-mile and Family Swims: Adult participants must be 2021 USMS or FINA members or pay the additional $15 OEVT fee. One Day USMS registration (OEVT) of $15 is available for the non-championship races with online registration or by paper registration.  Late entries and on deck registration will be accepted for all these events.  Youth event participants must be registered members of USA Swimming. The entry link for the Youth event is HERE. 

Entry Limits:  There will be a cap of 200 swimmers each for the 2021 USMS Open Water National Championships.  All other swim events will not have entry limits.

Entry Procedure: Online registration through Club Assistant for both 2021 USMS Open Water National Championship events is preferred, but paper entry forms will be accepted if received with correct entry fee payment by the entry deadline and entry limits have not yet been met. Online entries are paid by credit card to ClubAssistant.com Events. Paper entries must be paid by check to AQUATEX. Entry forms may be mailed to the address listed at the bottom of this form.  Fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.
 

• USMS Long-Distance Open Water National Championship (5K) registration - $60 Deadline August 13th
• USMS Sprint-Distance Open Water National Championship (1-mile) registration - $60 by August 13th
• Adult Non-Championship (Open Age) 1 mile registration - $65 Deadline August 27th
• Age Group 13-17 yrs, 1 mile - $40 Deadline August 27th
• Age Group 11-12 yrs (with or without adult escort) .50 mile - $40 Deadline August 27th
• Age Group 10/under (must have adult escort) .25 mile - $40 Deadline August 27th

OEVT (One Event) Registration: Available for those who are not current USMS or FINA members at a cost of $15 in addition to the appropriate entry fees.  OEVT participants are not eligible to enter the 2021 USMS Open Water National Championships.  They must complete a separate OEVT registration form during online registration and pay the additional $15.

Entry Deadline: Online entries are expected to be available at Club Assistant by July 5, 2021. Early entry deadline is 11:59 PM Central Time August 1st. Entries for the 2021 USMS Sprint-Distance Open Water National Championship (1-Mile) and 2021 USMS Long-Distance Open Water National Championship (5K) will close at 11:59 PM Central Time August 13th or when 200 entries (each) have been reached, whichever is sooner. Entries for all other events will close 11:59 PM August 27^th.  On site / race day entries will be accepted at an additional $10 above the regular registration fee per that listed event. Email receipt of all entries will be sent for all participants.

Safety/Conduct/Rules: 2020-2021 U.S. Masters Swimming rules for open water events will apply.  COVID requirements for event pandemic protocols will be posted and distributed as it gets nearer to the event. 

Boerne’s City Park Lake: The Park area is an entirely smoke-free location. No smoking of any kind is permitted.  No glass containers are allowed.  Port-a-potties will be staged throughout the race area.  We kindly ask participants and spectators not use the single bathroom located in the area, as to not overload their system.

Parking: Parking passes will be sent to each paid participant.  There will be a $15 parking fee for all other attendees to the event.   Parking is permitted in designated parking areas only. Do not park to keep the boat ramp area clear for participants. Please obey parking attendants to optimize parking area usage.

Registration Table: All swimmers must report to the registration area and will need to show ID for race caps, timing chips, and body numbering. Swimmers will be marked with numbers on one shoulder, one leg, and cap in the registration area.

• There will be no penalty for scratching (entry fees will not be refunded)
• Athletes must notify personnel at the timing table if they decide to scratch after completing morning registration.
• Personal fitness watches may be used
• No additional devices to help speed, pace, buoyancy, or endurance are allowed (such as webbed gloves, fins, snorkels, therapeutic tape, etc.).

Safety/Warm-up Procedures: Colored caps will be issued to each athlete. Swimmers must wear their assigned cap during warm-up and their race.  Warm-up will be on a limited portion of the course.
Abandonment: When emergency conditions require a race to be halted before it is completed, the race shall be restarted at the earliest possible time and the full distance completed.

In the event of severe inclement weather or other unsafe conditions, Saturday’s 5K event will be either delayed or moved be combined with Sunday events.
If unsafe conditions occur Sunday morning, events will be delayed to later in the day, or be cancelled.

Officials and Meet Personnel Technical Meeting:
7:30 am CST Mandatory Officials and meet personnel meetings will be in the corral area located in the parking lot above the boat ramp.
 
6:00 am: Lake Park opens
7:00 am: Check-in and On-Site Registration opens
7:00-8:00 am:  Warm-ups allowed in designated area on the lake
8:00 am: On-Site Registration closes
8:15 am: Check-in closes.  Athletes will not be able to compete if they have not checked in
8:15 am: Mandatory Athlete Meeting for 2021 USMS Open Water Nationals participants
8:30-8:45 am:  Additional Warm up
8:45 am:  Clear the Course
9:00 am:  Swim Competition Begins for Long-Distance (Saturday) & Sprint-Distance (Sunday)

Awards:
Individual awards for the 2021 USMS Open Water National Championships:
           1st through 6th place for each age group and gender.
USMS Open Water Nationals patch to first place finisher in each age group and gender.
Individual awards for Non-Championship 1-mile and Age Group Events
           1st through 3rd place for each distance, age group, and gender.

Results: Results will be posted at the timing trailer as they become available. Any protest shall be made to the event referee (Bill Spurgeon) within 30 minutes after the release of the results. Final results will be posted on the USMS and South Texas LMSC web sites. An Awards Ceremony is not planned at this time.  After results are officially posted, swimmers may pick up their awards from the Awards Table.

Apparel: Event T-shirts (brushed, soft cotton) will be available for purchase during event registration for $15. There will be a limited number of shirts sold during the event.  We recommend you pre-purchase your shirt.

Lodging Information: 
The Bevy  - 101 Herff Road, Boerne, Texas 78006.  830-816-5606.
Hampton Inn  & Suites - 34935 I-10 West, Boerne, TX 78006.  830-816-8800.
Best Western Inn & Suites - 36756 I-10 W Boerne, TX 78006.  830-249-1212.

Travel Information: Closest local airport is the San Antonio International Airport (SAT).    Driving time from the airport to the event venue is approx. 45 minutes.

Contacts:
Event Director:  Susan Ingraham
Mailing Address:  302 Happy Trail, San Antonio, Texas 78231
Phone: 210-859-2859 (text and cell – leave message)
EMAIL: Aquatex101@aol.com

USMS Certified Safety Director:  Martha Towers
Phone: 210-632-5734
Email: mtowers25@gmail.com

USMS Certified Event Referee:  Bill Spurgeon
Phone: 210-363-7506
EMAIL: wspurg@neisd.net
Officials interested in working should contact Bill Spurgeon

Timing System:  Redemption Race Productions
Contact: Brian Schmidt
Phone: 210-912-8874

 

Note: If paying by credit card, your credit card statement will reflect a charge from "AQUATEX OF SAN ANTONIO."