I'm thinking about going to this meet since he GA LMSC had to cancel its last SCY meet of the season. Anyone else going?
Does anyone have any info on this meet in April? What are the facilities like? Fast pool? Separate warm-up/down pool?
Is this meet well attended? Can I find any past results or this year's event order?
Edit: I found last year's results here.
Good meet, good pool, attendance varies by year but is normally well attended. Seems most meets this year are well attended. I know a few of us from Charlotte will head up. The hosting team is also great with many fast swimmers. I am holding out hope they eventually move it to the new TAC in Cary but the pool it is in now is more than adequate. Yes, there is a separate pool for cool down.
Past results for all NC meets:
www.ncmasters.org/results.html
Why don't you come up to the Sunbelt meet on th 24/25 of this month also? Very well attended and much closer to you than RTP.
Don't know the pool in Raleigh, but am from RTP (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, aka Research Triangle). It's a nice area. Raleigh has a cool revitalized downtown; Durham is struggling with its downtown but is working on rehabbing the tobacco barns into a performing arts center (finished), and you can catch a Durham Bulls game and then see the old movie, Bull Durham, and Chapel Hill is a cool college town.
How about coming up to New England and doing the SCY championships at Harvard in March? Usually there are 700 or more swimmers. A lot of fast people.
A bit colder here in April than in NC. Likely all flowers will have bloomed in NC, etcetera, whereas here it could still snow, but since you are from GA, as I recall, you know all this already.
Not much public transportation in any of these towns (Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill) so renting a car likely would be necessary.
WHEREAS, if you come to Boston, lots of public transportation. Only problem is, it's far, and much more expensive.
If I had a large mansion ... but I have a teensy tiny apartment. But someone likely would put swimmers up if you asked on the NEM site (www.swimnem.org).
Good luck! And don't count out the Charles River One-Mile swim sometime in June. Just to tell people you swam in the Charles River in Boston will cause them to faint (it used to be so polluted it would catch on fire); now it is clean most of the time; there are things you don't want to know about on the bottom of the pool, and sometimes unfortunate "deceased" people have been found floating in the area where the swim takes place, but it is an incredible sense of accomplishment to swim in water that has actually been cleaned up! Google Charles River One-Mile swim to get more info.
RTP - Research Triangle Park
One of the RAM swimmers can tell you the exact pool name, it's not on the tip of my tongue.
In the past the meet has been at Pullen Park, down by NC State campus. It is a fine pool, plenty fast. There is a separate warm-down area.
If they move it to Cary, that would be even better, that's an awesome pool.
I've been to the meet a few times, it is a good one.
Thanks, Geek. Is the Raleigh meet this at the MEP 50m x 25y pool in Raleigh?
Can't do the Charlotte meet. I'm already traveling to Auburn and one other season ending meet. Besides, I'm not in racing shape at this point:drown:
What is RTP?
Good meet, good pool, attendance varies by year but is normally well attended. Seems most meets this year are well attended. I know a few of us from Charlotte will head up. The hosting team is also great with many fast swimmers. I am holding out hope they eventually move it to the new TAC in Cary but the pool it is in now is more than adequate. Yes, there is a separate pool for cool down.
Past results for all NC meets:
www.ncmasters.org/results.html
Why don't you come up to the Sunbelt meet on th 24/25 of this month also? Very well attended and much closer to you than RTP.
For those on the East Coast who aren't planning to travel to Clovis for Nationals, this might be a good meet to cap off the short course yards season. It would be fantastic if we could get a big Eastern US turnout for the meet. And we offer a standing invitation to the Smiths, whether they are good or evil.
The meet will be held April 18-19, 2009 at Pullen Park Pool, which is 50 meters x 25 yards with a moveable bulkhead. It's adjacent to the NC State University campus here in Raleigh. The competition pool is 14 feet at its deepest, and 9 feet at the bulkhead. Good gutters, starting blocks, and lanelines. Spectator/competitor seating on the deck and on a 2nd level overlooking the pool.
Weather should be wonderful that time of year. Plenty of reasonable lodging nearby, though none within realistic walking distance. Barney Fife, Andy Griffith's Deputy, used to vacation at the (renovated 2008) YMCA on Hillsborough Street - he would always reserve a corner room. The Y and a couple of hotels are within about 6 blocks of the pool. There is a really cool restored 1920s Denzel/Wurlitzer carousel, some kiddie boat rides, paddle boats, and a miniature train at Pullen Park for those who venture outside the pool.
If Chris Stevenson reports it's a fast pool, he's probably right - if anyone should know, he should.
And Eastern NC barbeque is wondrous.
It is only a 6 hour drive from Philly for me, but I have Colonies Zones the following weekend. That will be my taper meet since I can't afford to go down to Lauderdale for YMCA Nationals.
