Attention all regional championship meet directors! This message comes from the capital of master racing--New England. Here in the upper right hand of the U.S. our members participate in competitons at rate of close to 50%. This year, we are putting out a challenge to all other parts of the country for this year's SCM season. We propose to score our 2002 New England Short Course Meters Competition, scheduled for December 14-15th against all other regional SCM competitions to determine regional bragging rights for SCM Regional Team Championship. SPMA has already accepted the challenge and will go head-to-head against New England.
Here's how it works: We will take results file from all participating regional USMS sanctioned SCM championship meets held from October 1st through December 31st of this year. We will treat ever participant in that meet as a member of one "regional team" and score to the 16th place by age group (relays score twice the number of points and will also be scored to the 16th place). We will include all individual events through the 1500 m and all realys through the 800m. We will present results in two different ways: 1) Virtual SCM Championship and 2) Bilateral Regional meets (NE vs SPMA, for example).
Here's how you can participate: Send me an email "registering" your regional championship in this contest. We plan to score this meet using Hy Tek so we ask that people provide appropriate Hy Tek file.
Why are we doing this?
Over the years, we've learned that getting people to participate in competition keeps them swimming masters longer. New England's membership really took off when we created large regional championship meets with LOTS OF RELAYS. This made the meet fun for everyone and first-time competitors find relays the least intimidating way of getting into the racing spirit. We believe the regional championships are the key to getting USMS membership growth up to 25% range and getting our membership retention rate over 80%- that has been our four year average rate in both categories here in New England.
More information on the New England meet can be found at:
www.greatbaymasters.org/02scmchamp.html
How can you help?
I need a good list of regional SCM championship meets (I do have the list from the USMS calendar but it's not complete) and also need the email contacts for people, other than meet directors, who can help promote this in their region
Bob Seltzer
NEM Championship Meet Coordinator
NEM proclaimed first ever "mythical" 2001 SCM Champion. In a very creative application of database technology and Hy Tek software, Ed Gendreau of NEM, with the help of Pieter Cath, Esther Lyman, and Louise Valois have created a "mythical" 2001 SCM National Championship based on top ten times.
To view the results and associated data go to:
www.greatbaymasters.org/mythical.htm
Points were awarded based on the results of the USMS 2001 SCM National Top Ten Times. The top ten individual swims in each age group event were scored in the following sequence: 11, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Double points were awarded for relays. To view the USMS top ten times see the following link: www.usms.org/.../
The data analysis proves another point, easily observed at USMS Nationals, that current age group racing format eliminates some very competitive racing across age groups. For example, the mythical SCM Championship for the Women's 100 free would include swimmers from ages 23-38 and the winner would be: Tracy Moll at age 38 beating out her competitor Emily Wang who is 15 years younger.
Based on distribution of "all-in" top ten times the fastest age groups were Women 35-39 and Men 30-34 --interestingly enough there was almost an even distribution of top ten times from ages 25-39 for both genders. Wouldn't a nationally recognized "all-in" ages competition be great publicity for masters swimming?
Looking towards the close of the SCM Season, NEM will defend it's mythical SCM title on December 14-15 as well as take on all comers in the regional SCM Championship Team Competition against Pacific Masters, Southern Pacific Masters, Norwest Zone, Great Lakes Zone and Arizona State meet. Other regional meet directors are invited to participate (see above for details)
NEM proclaimed first ever "mythical" 2001 SCM Champion. In a very creative application of database technology and Hy Tek software, Ed Gendreau of NEM, with the help of Pieter Cath, Esther Lyman, and Louise Valois have created a "mythical" 2001 SCM National Championship based on top ten times.
To view the results and associated data go to:
www.greatbaymasters.org/mythical.htm
Points were awarded based on the results of the USMS 2001 SCM National Top Ten Times. The top ten individual swims in each age group event were scored in the following sequence: 11, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Double points were awarded for relays. To view the USMS top ten times see the following link: www.usms.org/.../
The data analysis proves another point, easily observed at USMS Nationals, that current age group racing format eliminates some very competitive racing across age groups. For example, the mythical SCM Championship for the Women's 100 free would include swimmers from ages 23-38 and the winner would be: Tracy Moll at age 38 beating out her competitor Emily Wang who is 15 years younger.
Based on distribution of "all-in" top ten times the fastest age groups were Women 35-39 and Men 30-34 --interestingly enough there was almost an even distribution of top ten times from ages 25-39 for both genders. Wouldn't a nationally recognized "all-in" ages competition be great publicity for masters swimming?
Looking towards the close of the SCM Season, NEM will defend it's mythical SCM title on December 14-15 as well as take on all comers in the regional SCM Championship Team Competition against Pacific Masters, Southern Pacific Masters, Norwest Zone, Great Lakes Zone and Arizona State meet. Other regional meet directors are invited to participate (see above for details)
