Hi Peter,
You are absolutely correct that we do not have as many swimmers as they did in Baltimore two years ago. I was there and Barb (meet director) and everyone else did a great job in that they handled that many swimmers in ONE POOL. Frankly, we are grateful that we have an optimum number of swimmers (1020+).
Here are the number of entrants for the past LCN:
2001 - Seattle - 959
1999 - Minneapolis - 949
1998 - Ft. Lauderdale - 922
1997 - Orlando - 881
1996 - Ann Arbor - 1176
1995 - Gresham (OR) - 1010
1994 - Buffalo - 716
1993 - Minneapolis - 1085
Attendance is terrific considering 911 and the other factors that you have listed!!!!!
Laura Kessler
P.S. It's gonna be fun. THAT I guarantee.
Based on the numbers Laura listed, it seems that Baltimore's attendance was anomalously high. My theory is that this was because Baltimore is in the Boston-NY-Washington corridor. This is the most densely populated region of the United States and, not coincidently, has a high concentration of Masters swimmers.
Since Rutgers University, in New Jersey, is right in the middle of this region, we may see a similarly high attendance next year.
I don't doubt that it will be fun (fellow posters already planning big beer-up; Ion to demonstrate rapid reply techniques), but one of the reasons I didn't come (in my year of aging up!) was fear of encountering the sheer numbers that showed up in Baltimore (something in the vicinity of 1500-1600 wasn't it?) Also for me, the economy had a great impact as well. So, considering the great population bases to draw upon for several of the past LCNats, was the Baltimore turnout an aberration?
Originally posted by Denise Brown
IF THE NUMBERS ARE SO LOW FOR CLEVELAND, THEN WHY WAS THE 6TH EVENT DROPPPED?
Actually, if you leave Baltimore out of the average, the entries for Cleveland are fairly high and definitely above average.
The Championship Committtee has decided to invoke the sixth event rule as a result of the number of swimmers entered in the meet and the projected long time lines.
What is the estimated time we are saving each day by dropping the 6th event? How many swimmers losing an event?
