Open (B) Meet Details
Gators swimmers participate in about 5 Monday evening, Open Meets (B-meets). These meets are typically a swimmer’s introduction to competitive swimming. The goal of these meets is to maximize participation within the allotted time. They provide an opportunity for Dual Meet swimmers to compete in strokes not swum on Saturday morning. They also provide an opportunity for non-Dual Meet swimmers to “climb the ladder” to qualify for the next Dual Meet.
Events
Open Meets offer the same four individual events as Dual Meets (Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly) as well as, optionally, the 100 meter Individual Medley, which is held as either the first or last event. No relay events are held.
Swimmer Selection
All swimmers are encouraged to participate in as many events as possible, and swimmers are largely free to choose their own events, within the constraints described here. The primary consideration for a swimmer’s participation in a particular event is the likelihood of that swimmer completing the event legally, as assessed by the Coaches. Swimmers who place (1st, 2nd, 3rd) in an event at the preceding Dual Meet are often prohibited from swimming the same event. These swimmers may be allowed to “age up” or swim the event/stroke in the next oldest age group. Due to time limitation at particularly large meets, event limits may be placed on all swimmers.
Lane Assignments
Heats are designed to be competitive by sorting swimmers, regardless of team, by seed time, the best time previously achieved by a swimmer. Within a heat, the fastest swimmer is assigned to the middle lane (#3), then swimmers are distributed by seed time in the order 3-4-2-5-1-6 for a six lane pool. Heats are then ordered “slow to fast.” Clerk of Course officials organize these events on the deck, on the fly; while these officials do their best to seed heats as described above, perfect seeding of events is not always possible. For efficiency, heats may contain combined events of different age groups and/or genders swimming the same stroke and distance.
Logistics
Swimmers should arrive in the team area at least 10 minutes prior to scheduled warm ups and check in with their assigned Assistant Coach or Head Coach. Swimmers should remain in the team area for the duration of the meet or until they have completed their final event. Parents may escort younger swimmers to the team area, but parents should not remain in the team area or on deck unless acting in an official capacity. After a heat it is common for younger swimmers to seek out Mom and Dad for encouragement and congratulations. Mom and Dad should dispense both copiously, then send the swimmer back to the team area to receive feedback from his/her Coach and to get ready for his/her next big race.
Location
Since the Gators can choose their competition, AWAY Open Meets are held at nearby pools. (Stratford, Mansion House, Virginia Hills, Mount Vernon Park).
