2023 TEST Spring Splash

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Registration Schedule

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2023 TEST Spring Splash
April 15-16th, 2023
A Long Course Meters Timed Finals Meet
HOSTED BY
Texas Elite Swim Team


Sanctioned by Gulf LMSC for USMS, Inc, 253-S003 

LOCATION:    
Fort Bend Practice Facility
16701 Bissonnet St 
Houston, TX 77083

DIRECTIONS:    From Houston Follow I-69 and Westpark Tollway W to Westpark Dr. Take the exit toward FM 1464  from Westpark Tollway W and turn left, take FM 1464 ~2.7 mile to Bissonnet and turn left.  The pool is ~.7 miles on your right.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS:    
●    FBISD Policy: There is absolutely NO FOOD allowed on the pool deck. Violators of this rule will be asked to take their food outside and will be asked to leave the facility if they are asked a second time. FBISD will impose a $50 fine to the violating team if this occurs.
●    Spectators will be allowed in a designated viewing area for limited times, but must set up outside the facility. There will be limited adult volunteers that will be necessary to run the competition.

MEET STAFF:    
MEET REFEREE:    Kyle Stewart, kyle.stewart63@gmail.com 
ADMIN OFFICIAL:    Clay Pruitt coachclay@texaseliteswimteam.com, 832-348-0577
MEET DIRECTOR(S):    Jesse Newsom
SAFETY MARSHAL:    Ryan Dugal 

POOL:    One eight lane, 50 Meter indoor pool with non-turbulent lane lines will be used for warm-up and competition. A separate warm-up / warm-down area with 5 lanes will be made available during the competition.
    
TIME AND DATE:    This is a three session, 2 day timed finals meet.

    Saturday & Sunday AM Sessions:    Warm-ups: 7:30-8:45am, Meet Starts at 9:00am

    Saturday PM Session:    There will be a 45 minute open warm-up between the AM & PM Session.  The PM session will start 1 hour after warm-ups begin.

    *Split warm-ups will be in effect.  Masters lane assignments for warm-ups and timing will be designated in the psych sheet and posted on the TEST website by Monday, April 10th, 2023. Open warm-ups will be in effect for the Saturday PM Session. 

MEET TYPE:    This meet will be run utilizing “Chase Start '' procedures unless a waiver is received from the Technical Planning Committee Chair. Events will swim with heats in the order of fastest to slowest, including distance events with all odd heats starting at the Lobby End of the pool and all even heats starting at the Diving Well End of the pool.  All 50's will start at the Diving End and finish at the Lobby end.

SAFETY GUIDELINES AND WARM-UP PROCEDURES:
    See attached Safety Guidelines and Warm-up Procedures

SEEDING:    The meet will be pre-seeded with the exception of the 400 Free and 400 IM. All events will be seeded with heats in the order of fastest to slowest. As a courtesy to the host, swimmers should inform the clerk of course of swimmers not attending the meet. Empty lanes will be used for deck entries.

ORDER OF HEATS:    All events (w/ the exception of 50’s) will swim with heats in the order of fastest to slowest, including distance events with all Odd Heats starting from the Lobby End & all Even Heats starting from the Diving Well End of the pool. All 50’s will start at the Diving Well End & finish at the Lobby End of the pool.

400 IM AND 400 FREE:
These events will be limited to the fastest 24 USMS (male or female) entries  If a swimmer enters in either the 400 IM or 400 Free and is outside the top 24, they will be allowed to enter another event. All swimmers must circle in on sheets that will be available at the start of warm-up for the session.  Check in for the 400 IM and 400 Free are due at the start of each session, respectively. After the events are officially closed, no one may check-in or scratch. After checking-in, failure to appear at the starting blocks will result in the swimmer being assessed a $5.00 fine.  

ENTRY INFORMATION:
Entry Times: Swimmers should enter their best time. Swimmers should convert yard times to meters to help with seeding. If swimmers have never competed in an event, put NT where a seed time is requested.  

Age: As of Dec 31, 2023
    
Number of Events:  Swimmers may compete in up to six (6) individual events per day and are limited to seven (7) events for the entire meet.

Eligible Swimmers: Open to all swimmers who are currently registered with  USMS. TEST reserves the right to limit sessions to 4-hours. Updates will be posted on the TEST website. 

Entries: All USMS athletes MUST enter via Club Assistant Link:  2023 TEST Spring Splash (4/15/2023-4/16/2023) (clubassistant.com).

Deadline: Entries are due by Friday April, 7th at midnight.

Meet Entry Fee:     
$30/day  All USMS Masters Athletes

ON-DECK ENTRIES:    
On-deck entries will be accepted each day up to 45 minutes before the start of each session. Those swimmers missing the 11:59 pm, Friday, March 31st, 2023 deadline may enter the meet on-deck in the following manner:
1.    Swimmers must pay a $30/session entry fee at the time of entry..
2.    Swimmers must supply completed entry forms. The swimmers will be seeded into open lanes in the pre-seeded events and according to their best times in deck seeded events.
3.    Swimmers must enter all events for the session forty-five (45) minutes prior to the start of the session's first event.
4.    Swimmers must not exceed the allotted number of events allowed each day.
5.    Heats will not be added.  We will use empty lanes for on deck entries

AWARDS:    There will be no awards at this meet

SCORING:    Individual Events:  1st through 16th : 20-17-16-15-14-13-12-11-9-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

RULES AND SANCTIONS:
The current US Masters, USA Swimming, and Gulf Swimming rules will apply. The meet will be held under the sanction of US Masters Swimming, USA Swimming, and Gulf Swimming. 

USMS POOL MEASUREMENT:
The length of the competition course is not on file with USMS. Eligibility of times achieved in this meet will be contingent upon pool length measurement and approval with USMS; if bulkheads are present, their placement must also be confirmed by measurements at the meet (USMS articles 105.1.7 and106.2.1). The pool will be measured and turned in for certification so all times will count.  

TIMING SYSTEM:    A Colorado Model 6000 electronic timing system with electronic scoreboard will be used. Pending acceptance of the pool measurements, times from this competition will be eligible for world record, USMS record, and Top 10 consideration.
Swimmers in the 400 IM and 400Free must provide their own timers and counters.

POOL DECK RESTRICTION:
Spectators will be allowed in a designated viewing area for limited times, but must set up outside the facility. 

DECK CHANGES:    Deck Changes are prohibited. Deck Change definition – “changing, in whole or in part, into or out of a swimsuit when wearing just one suit in an area other than a permanent or temporary locker room, bathroom, changing room or other space designated for changing purposes”.

AUDIO/VIDEO RECORDING DEVICES:
Use of audio or visual recording devices, including a cell phone, is not permitted in the area behind the starting blocks, in changing areas, restrooms, showers or locker rooms. Violators may be reported to law enforcement or other governmental authorities and/or may be barred from the facility during the sanctioned event.

DRONES:    Operation of a drone, or any other flying apparatus, is prohibited over the venue (pools, Athlete/coach areas, spectator areas and open ceiling locker rooms) any time athletes, coaches, officials and/or spectators are present.  Exceptions may be granted with prior written approval by the Vice President of Program Operations.

SWIMMERS WITH DISABILITIES:
Swimmers are responsible for notifying the Meet Referee of any disability prior to the competition and for providing their own assistant or equipment. However, Coaches/Swimmers may contact the Meet Director at least two weeks in advance of the meet to reserve Gulf Swimming equipment (remote strobe).
    
MEET RESULTS:    Meet results will be posted on the Gulf Swimming Web Page (www.gulfswimming.org), within three days after the conclusion of the meet.
Unofficial real time results will be available on MEET MOBILE.

CONCESSIONS:    Concessions will be available as well as food trucks.

MERCHANDISE:    D&J Sports will be at the meet selling swim apparel and swim gear.

FACILITY RULES:    
●    FBISD Policy: There is absolutely NO FOOD allowed on the pool deck. Violators of this rule will be asked to take their food outside and will be asked to leave the facility if they are asked a second time. FBISD will impose a $50 fine to the violating team if this occurs.
●    Spectators will be allowed in a designated viewing area for limited times, but must set up outside the facility. There will be limited adult volunteers that will be necessary to run the competition.


GULF SAFETY GUIDELINES AND WARM-UP PROCEDURES
    
WARM-UP PROCEDURES
A.    General warm-up (Initial portion [1/2] of the warm-up session or with the agreement of all of the coaches in a particular lane.)
    1.    NO DIVING OR RACING STARTS allowed from the blocks edge of the pool. Swimmers must enter the pool feet first cautiously.
    2.    NO SPRINTING OR PACE WORK allowed during this general warm-up session.
B.    Specific warm-up (Last portion [1/2] of the warm-up session or with the agreement of all of the coaches in a particular lane.)
1.    RACING STARTS ONLY, either from blocks or from backstroke starts.
2.    Lanes are ONE WAY ONLY.

SAFETY GUIDELINES
A.    Swimmers Responsibilities
    1.    All swimmers without a registered coach to observe them at the meet, and/or their coaches, should arrange, prior to their arrival at the meet, for a registered coach to observe them during the warm-up, competition and warm-down. Any unattached or unattended swimmers who have not made previous arrangements with a coach to observe them at the meet should contact the Meet Director, Safety Marshal or Meet Referee for assistance in making such arrangements prior to their participating in the warm-up.
B.    Coaches Responsibilities
    1.    Coaches shall instruct their swimmers regarding safety guidelines and warm-up procedures as they apply to conduct at meets and practice.
    2.    Coaches shall stand near the starting end of the pool when starting swimmers on sprint and pace work.
    3.    Coaches shall actively supervise their swimmers throughout the warm-up session.
4.    Coaches shall maintain as much contact with their swimmers as possible, both verbal and visual, throughout the warm-up period.
5.    Registered coaches of unattached swimmers and registered coaches of non-Gulf teams should notify the meet host by the entry deadline if they will be at the meet, so that they may be assigned to a warm-up lane. 
C.    Safety Marshals
1.    Appointed Safety Marshals are members of USA Swimming and have the authority to remove from the deck for the remainder of the warm-up session, any swimmer or coach who is in violation of safety guidelines or warm-up procedures. THE MEET REFEREE MAY EXERCISE ADDITIONAL ADJUDICATION AUTHORITY AS NECESSARY.
D.    Miscellaneous
    1.    Swimmers should be reminded by coaches that breaststrokers need more lead time than freestyle or butterfly swimmers.
    2.    Backstrokers shall ensure that they are not starting at the same time as a swimmer on the blocks. Swimmers shall not step up on the starting blocks, when a backstroker is waiting to start.
    3.    Swimmers shall not jump or dive into the pool to stop another swimmer on a recalled start.
    4.    Swimmers are required to exit the pool upon completion of their warm-up to allow other swimmers adequate warm-up time. The pool is not for visiting or playing during warm-up periods.
    5.    Warm-up procedures shall be enforced for any breaks, scheduled or otherwise, during the competition.
    6.    All diving boards and equipment are OFF LIMITS.
E.    Pool Rules
    1.    Smoking or use of other tobacco products is not allowed on the grounds of USA Swimming meets.
    2.    Glass containers are prohibited.
    3.    Swimmers, coaches, and spectators are expected to observe all rules and regulations included in the announcement.

 

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