I am guessing this will be the fastest of the Masters SCM meets. Who is coming to town ? Who is ready to suit up one last time ?
Friday, December 4, 2009
Warm-up 8:00 a.m., Meet starts at 9:00 a.m.
Check in for 1500 m Freestyle closes at 8:30 a.m.
1. 1500 m Freestyle (Women, Men)
2. Women’s 200 m Individual Medley
3. Men’s 200 m Individual Medley
4. Women’s 100 m Freestyle
5. Men’s 100 m Freestyle
6. Women’s 200 m Backstroke
7. Men’s 200 m Backstroke
8. *800 m Freestyle Relay* (Women, Men, Mixed)
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Warm-up at 8:00 a.m., Meet starts at 9:00 a.m.
Check in for the 400 m Freestyle closes at 8:30 a.m.
9. Women’s 400 m Freestyle
10. Men’s 400 m Freestyle
11. Women’s 50 m Butterfly
12. Men’s 50 m Butterfly
13. 400m Freestyle Relay (Women, Men, Mixed)
14. Women’s 100 m Backstroke
15. Men’s 100 m Backstroke
16. Women’s 100 m Breaststroke
17. Men’s 100 Breaststroke
18. Women’s 200 m Butterfly
19. Men’s 200 m Butterfly
20. *200 m Medley Relay* (Women, Men, Mixed)
21. Women’s 50 m Freestyle
22. Men’s 50 m Freestyle
23. 400 m Individual Medley (Women, Men)
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Warm-up at 8:00 a.m., Meet starts at 9:00 a.m.
Check in for the 800 m Freestyle closes at 8:30 a.m.
24. 800 m Freestyle (Women, Men)
25. Women’s 100 m Butterfly
26. Men’s 100 m Butterfly
27. Women’s 50 m Breaststroke
28. Men’s 50 m Breaststroke
29. 400m Medley Relay (Women, Men, Mixed)
30. Women’s 200 m Freestyle
31. Men’s 200 m Freestyle
32. Women’s 200 m Breaststroke
33. Men’s 200 m Breaststroke
34. Women’s 50 m Backstroke
35. Men’s 50 m Backstroke
36. Women’s 100 m Individual Medley
37. Men’s 100 m Individual Medley
38. 200 m Freestyle Relay (Women, Men, Mixed)
The humongous Walnut Creek contingent (all 8 of us!) were discussing how it might be possible to speed up the meet. One suggestion was to put the 1500 on Thursday all by its lonesome. If you're going to let 106 people enter it, and mind you 115 entered the 100 free, then you need to give it its own day. Of course then you're asking to use the facility one more day, volunteers, etc. But if you did that you could move more events to Friday and shorten all the days. Just a thought.
I haven't been to that meet in at least 10 years. I must say that the timers were exceptionally friendly. I got so caught up talking at one point I missed the long whistle and said, "I'll be back in a minute!" Major kudos to all of the timers in all of the lanes. They were nice, supportive, and motivational. A great group of people!
:angel:
I ABSOLUTELY agree that this meet should be a 4 day affair!
There was some discussion at the officials table at one point during the meet EHOCH and I was looking around for you to join in with us!
There is always a place for constructive criticism and new ideas in the SPMA!
We have a new SPMA Chair, Nancy Reno and At-Large, Rob Dumouchel who are both at most meets. Rob has a super excellent SPMA blog at:
http://www.robaquatics.com
Swimmers should remember that their LMSC works for them and so does the USMS. Keep the communication open so at least your voice is heard.
I've still never made it to this meet (though I did enter and intend to go in 2007) primarily because it conflicts with a big age group meet here for my kids. So, the suggestion that will fall on deaf ears would be to move it one weekend later.
A serious suggestion, though I know everyone's partial to that pool and indoors and the great job I hear the Grunions do, would be to move it to a facility where you could run two 25 meter courses simultaneously. Then maybe you could expand to 1000+ swimmers and justifiably (if not officially) call in the Masters SCM Nationals.
Irvine anyone?
Belmont may not be warm and toasty, but at least you won't get rained on!
In my experience, that depends somewhat on where you stand. But yes, I do prefer the "indoor" environment at Belmont at this time of year to a totally outdoor pool.
And let me add mine to the voices thanking the Grunions once again for a fine meet. My swimming was not as fast as it might have been, but I'll have to look inward to find someone to criticize there.
No way!!! Belmont is indoors. Irvine is not.
Today it is 49 (and that's our HIGH) and raining. I don't think anyone would be comfortable at an outdoor pool today.
Belmont may not be warm and toasty, but at least you won't get rained on!
I don't think we have an indoor pool in Southern California that is capable of running two 25 m courses.
Don't get me wrong. Though I prefer training outside, I prefer racing inside. To shorten the meet, though, you either need to ...
Limit participants (e.g., qualifying times), OR
Have multiple courses, OR
Spread it out over more days
As to the temps, we had 14 & unders racing in 37 degrees yesterday outdoors in Arizona. I knew the Californians were soft, but 49 is quite nice. Shoot, chaos swam in 48 degree water yesterday!
Great meet everybody :applaud:
A lot world records, a lot of personal records.
It was long, but well worth it ... although my swimmers almost "revolted" on Friday evening at 8:30 pm waiting for the 800 Free relay. Gonna make some suggestions to speed things up at a later point ...
The Grunions did a great job hosting the meet as usual.
Call me a wimp or a diva,but I don't want to go to a taper meet and be cold and I REALLY don't want to be cold and wet.You can be macho,I'd rather be fast.The Grunions do a great job at the meet and it would be tough to top that,but 4 days might be nice(one day for each BR race after the distance day on Thur.)
But was it raining? To me, that makes all the difference in the world. Cold is bad, cold+rain is worse.
Not yesterday. Today, though. And, generally, it rains this first weekend in December and there's a big age group prelims-finals meet and the kids and parents tough it out. Maybe it's the months of baking in the sun that fires the bellies to keep them warm throughout the weekend. Or, they're just tough.:)
Hey, I'm totally in favor of indoor racing. I froze my butt off last spring at the Rinconada meet in mid-March (my wife hid out in the locker room in between my events to keep warm). I'm just saying that a 2 x 25 meter course could make the meet run faster and, apparently, no one in the state of California recognized that it actually gets cold there sometimes. (To be fair, neither has anyone in Arizona ... a fact that's even more stupid as October and April are about the only months where it is pleasant to have a swim meet here). BUT, there are a number of beautiful outdoor facilities in SoCal (UCSD?) that could host a bigger meet with 2 courses.
We were discussing the fact that the SW Zone Championships are now going to rotate between SoCal and Arizona year to year.
But no doubt The Grunions will continue to host their winter meet - and at Belmont Plaza as long as it is standing!
I'm not likely to ever pass up a Grunions hosted meet - but thats' just me.
Most clubs, even some with amazing perfect facilities, are not willing or "able" to host a masters meet.
I was just looking through the results and WOW that was a fast meet. I swam my personal best in the 100 IM at 1:06.97 and that was only good enough for 9th in my age group!!! Talk about stacked, it took a :58.xx to medal. Amazing.
Lots of incredibly fast swims. :applaud:
