Eastern Express 5th Annual Masters Meet

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Registration Schedule

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Meet Dates: Saturday & Sunday, November 5-6, 2016.

Meet Sanction: Sanctioned by New Jersey Masters for USMS Inc. # 076-S001

Meet Director: Michael Randazzo. Michael.Randazzo87@gmail.com (908) 448-8476

Meet Referee: Saturday Frank Fitzgerald ; Sunday Carl Nielsen
Location: The College of New Jersey, Packer Hall Aquatic Center. 2000 Pennington Road, Ewing, NJ, 08268

Parking: Ample parking will be available in on-campus garages and lots on both days of the competition. All parking areas are located on TCNJ’s closed-campus within a 5-minute walk of the natatorium.  

About the Venue: TCNJ is proud to unveil its brand new LED Video Scoreboard, accompanied by the latest in Omega Timing Systems.  This meet will mark the first ‘official’ use of the new board, and the TCNJ Lions' Community looks forward to many years of seeing fast times displayed in style! The TCNJ Aquatic Center boasts a beautiful eight-lane, 25-yard competition course, complete with starting blocks, new non-turbulent competition lane-lines, and overflow gutters. The pool depth is 6.5ft (starting end) and 4.5ft (turn end) In addition, there will be four 22-yard warm-down lanes available in the diving well throughout the meet for athlete warm-up and cool-down.  
      
USMS Disclaimer: 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.  We take this matter seriously, and make sure to measure before and after each session.  There have been National Records set at previous EEX Masters Meets, so we are accustomed to the protocol and follow it exactly.

Eligibility: This meet is open to all 2016 USMS-Registered Athletes  A swimmer’s age for this meet will be determined by his/her age as of June 4, 2016.  A copy of your current USMS registration card must accompany swimmers’ entry forms to corroborate membership.  This will be done automatically for those entering online.

USMS: The 2016 USMS Swimming Rules and USMS Handbook will apply to and govern this competition. If you have lost or misplaced your USMS card, simply log on to www.usms.org/reg for an e-mailed copy of your card. 
Need to register with USMS to participate?  Go to: www.usms.org/reg/ to signup!

Entry Limits: Swimmers may enter a maximum of five (5) individual events per day and two (2) relay events per day. Note that events 400 Yards and longer will be contested in separate sessions with their own additionaln warm-up periods.

Entry Times: All entry times should be submitted in Short Course Yards.  ‘NT’ or ‘No Time’ entries will NOT be permitted. Swimmers should provide actual OR estimated entry times for all events; no official “proof of time” will be required.  Unsure of your Short Course Yard Times? Use this handy time conversion utility at: www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/results/conversions.asp

Individual Event Entry Deadline: All Online Entries due by 11:59PM EST on Thursday, October 28th, 2016. (PREFERRED). All mailed-in entries must be post-marked by 10/25/2016. No faxed or deck entries will be accepted for individual events.

Relay Entry:  Relays may be deck-entered at the meet.  Entry forms will be available before and during warm-up, and will be due 30 minutes prior to the start of the session. Relays wishing to enter in advance may do so by having one “spokesperson” e-mail the Meet Director and provide Team Name, Event(s), and Entry Time.  It is NOT necessary to declare the age of your relay or names of its members in advance – just having the basics in the system will go a long way toward saving time and confusion on race day!

Entry Fees: $40 per day flat rate Entry Fee (covers up to five (5) individual events per day). $10 per Relay Team per Event. Online Entries: Credit Card Payment (your credit card statement will reflect a charge from "ClubAssistant.com Events"); Make Checks Payable to: Express Sports Inc.

Online Entry (PREFERRED): EEX strongly encourages and prefers that you utilize our Online Event Registration to ensure that your entries and USMS Membership are quickly and accurately processed.
Online Entries open at 9:00AM EST on Monday, September 12th, 2016, and close 11:59PM EST Thursday,October 28th, 2016.  LATE ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED from October 29th to 11:59PM on November 2nd, 2016, but entering during this period will come with a $10 surcharge. USMS Registration Info will be verified automatically, no need to send copy of USMS Card. You will need a credit card on hand to satisfy the meet fees upon completion of your entry form.

Mail-In Entries (If Necessary):

• Download Entry Form (Microsoft Word Doc) *Fill out Entry Form (type contact & event info into the MS Word Doc)
• Please then print Entry Form, and enclose it, along with a copy of your USMS Registration Card and a  check for $40 per day of competition (plus any known Relay dues), in an envelope labeled EEX 5th Masters Meet: c/o Michael Randazzo. 48 Baryberry Road, Ewing, NJ, 08618.
•  Please make all checks payable to: Express Sports INC.

Warm-up: Warm-up will be conducted in accordance with the current USMS Policies and Procedures.  Feet-first entry only during general warm-up. Designated sprint lanes will be available beginning 30 minutes prior to clearing the pool.

Check-In: No check-in will be required for swimmers competing in events 200-Yards and shorter. Positive check-in will be required for swimmers competing in events 400-Yards and longer.  Check-in will close 30 minutes prior to the start of the event, and swimmers who fail to confirm their participation in these events will be scratched automatically. Check-in sheets will be available on-deck before and during warm-up each day.

Seeding: Swimmers will be seeded in heats according to entry time, not by age. All Events 200 Yards and shorter will be pre-seeded before the meet, and will be contested slowest to fastest. All events 400 Yards and longer will be seeded following positive check-in, and will swim fastest to slowest.

Distance Events: The 400 IM, 500 Freestyle, and 1650 Freestyle will be Mixed events (combined heats of Women & Men) based on entry times.  Eastern Express will provide all swimmers participating in the 500 and 1650 Yard Freestyle with their own lap-counter and backup timer.

Results: While all events will be seeded and contested as “Open Events,” results will be recorded and published in accordance with USMS Age Group designations. All times achieved at this Meet will be imported into the USMS SWIMS Database and will be eligible to set NJ LMSC and/or USMS Age Group Records. Results will be posted on the NJ LMSC and Host Club’s (EEX’s) website within 48 hours of the competition’s conclusion.

Hospitality: Eastern Express will be providing complimentary snacks (granola / power bars, fruit, veggies, etc) and drinks (water / Gatorade), for all participating athletes.  There will be a table setup right on-deck, so please don’t hesitate to stop by and fuel up before or after a race!

Awards: There will be no team scores or individual awards at this meet.

Food Drive: Eastern Express will be sponsoring a Thanksgiving Food Drive, collecting non-perishable food items to be donated to Mercer Street Friends Food Bank.  Please consider making a contribution to help those in need this Summer.

T-Shirts: We will have a commemorative 5th EEX Masters Meet T-Shirt for $15.  Athletes who have attended ALL FIVE EEX Meets will receive a FREE T-Shirt, please send me your size in advance

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