Site: Smith Swim Center, located on the campus of Brown University, Providence, R.I., has eight long course lanes for competition, with a small warm-up, warm-down area, non-turbulent lane lines and fully automatic Colorado timing system. There are two separate gallery areas for seating spectators.

Eligibility: All swimmers must be 2003 USA Swimming registered swimmers with New England, or Maine. Please include USA Swimming numbers with the entry. Maine swimmers will be admitted on a space available basis.

Entry Fees: $5.00 electronic entry/ $5.50 hand entry for all individual events, including distance events. $10.00 electronic relay entry/ $10.50 hand relay entry. In addition, there is a $1.00 per swimmer New England Travel Fund surcharge for every swimmer listed on the entry.

Entry Procedure:

Entry via email to: NSSC1@aol.com by 5:00 PM on Tuesday, July 22, 2003. Additional entries (new events only) from the 12 and under Championship only are due by 5:00 PM Monday, July 28, 2003 via email only with a contact phone number. No updated times will be accepted from the 12 & under meet or any other meets. Any errors to a team’s original entry will be accepted up until Monday, July 28 at 5:00 PM, but no updated times are allowed. These must also be sent by email and have a contact phone number with it. Entry information for each team will be posted on the New England web site for proofing after July 22.

Mail checks and hard copies to: Dan Warner 19 Fenley Rd. Gloucester, Ma. 01930. All forms must be typed or legibly printed and must include all swimmers’ USA Swimming numbers and ages. Checks for entries should be made payable to OSS. Checks for New England travel fund surcharge should be made out to NES and included with the hard copy. Computer entries are strongly encouraged. This meet will be run on Meet Manager from Hy-tek. This program accepts SD3 and CL2 file formats. For further information about computer entries, call Dan Warner @ 978-283-4456. Please ensure that the team contact information is filled out correctly in your computer entry file as this information will be used to send results and other information to your team. An active e-mail address for your coach or contact person is required.

Entry Times: Times must date from July 25, 2002. Short course meter times must be converted to short course yard times by using the .9049 multiplier and be entered on the entry form as yard times. Yard times will be seeded fastest to slowest after the meter times. All yard times must be circled on the entry form.

Format: The meet will be conducted in a trials/finals format. In the evening there will be 4 heats: a 13-14 year old heat of those swimmers not qualifying for any other heats in that event, bonus, consolation, final heats, in that order in all events except the two distance events and the relays. The relays will be conducted as timed finals in the evening. There may be a ten- minute break between the end of finals and the beginning of relays at the discretion of the meet referee. The top heat of the men and women’s 800 Meter freestyle will be swum at night.

Number of Events: A swimmer may swim a maximum of 9 events with no more than 3 events per day, including time trials. A swimmer may enter as many events as he/she has qualified in, and then scratch down to the allowed maximum 9 individual events for the meet.

Relays: All relays will be swum as timed finals at the end of the evening sessions. A team may enter a maximum of 2 relays per sex, per event. Non-qualified relay only swimmers will be allowed to fill a relay for a team that only has one, two or three qualified swimmers entered in the meet. Relay-only swimmers must be aged 12 or older.

Time Trials: According to USA Swimming rules, a swimmer may swim in no more than 3 individual events per day in a trials and finals format. This rule includes time trials and will be strictly enforced. Time trials will be held at the discretion of the Meet Referee, time permitting. All time trial swimmers must provide at least two timers for their swims. The cost for time trials is $5.00 per individual event and $ 10.00 per relay event.

Distance Events (800 and 1500): In timed finals, the 800 and 1500 meter freestyles will be swam fastest to slowest, alternating heats of women and men. The fastest heat of the 800 meter freestyle for women and men will be conducted at the beginning of finals on Sunday. The rest of the 800 heats will be conducted in trials. All heats of the 1500 will run in the morning session as timed finals. All distance swimmers must provide at least 2 timers with watches and 1 counter for their swims.

Awards:

Individual High Point Awards - Top 8 female and male swimmers (open)

Individual High Point Awards - Top 8 female and male swimmers (13-14)

Team Awards - Top 8 teams combined

Individual Events - Medals for 1^st through 8^th places

Relays - Medals for 1^st through 3^rd places

Ind. High Point Distance Awards -Top 3 female and male swimmers (open)

Note: Those 13-14 year old swimmers competing in the top three heats of the open competition will have their scores included in the tabulation of the 13-14 high point awards.

Scoring: 1-8 9-16 17-24

Individual - 32 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 / 20 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 / 9 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Relays - 64 58 56 54 52 50 48 46 / 40 36 34 32 30 28 26 24 / 181412 10 8 6 4 2

Please note that only finals, consolation, and bonus heats will be scored for team awards and open high point awards.

Award Ceremonies:

The award ceremony will consist of announcing the results of only the Championship Final heat immediately upon completion of that event. Swimmers competing in the final will be allowed to warm-down and then prepare for the awards to be held at the start end of the pool. Awards for all events will be available at the designated awards table.

Results: Event results will be posted throughout the building immediately after each event. Event results will be available on-line on a daily basis at the New England Web site.

Admission: $1 per session. No one will be permitted on deck except swimmers, registered coaches, and officials. All coaches and officials must display their current USA Swimming membership cards while on deck.

Programs: $1 per session

Refreshments: A limited concession stand (drinks and snacks only) will be available.

Vendor: A vendor will be available.

Scratches:

A scratch box will be located at the clerk of course desk. Scratch deadlines for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are due by 6:00 P.M. the night before the next day of trials. Scratches for Thursday’s events only need to be e-mailed to NSSC1@aol.com or made by phone to 978-283-4456 until 12:00 PM on Wednesday only. You must request confirmation of a scratch via e-mail or phone.

Positive Check In:

All 800 and 1500 freestyle swimmers and all relays must confirm their intention to participate with a positive check-in for those events. Deadline: 8:30 a.m. - Thursday for the 1500 meter freestyle and 8:30 a.m. Sunday for the 800 meter freestyle. Deadline for positive check-in for all relays is by 6:00 PM for Friday and Saturday and by 5:15 on Sunday.

Relay Cards: names must be turned in by 7:00 PM each day of the event (the deadline for Sunday’s relay cards is 6:15). Relay name/or order changes may be done at the computer until the relay event is called.

Failure to check-in will result in a swimmer being eliminated from the event. Any swimmer or relay team that does affirm his/her/their intent to swim and does not compete, unless excused by the Meet Referee, will be barred from further competition at the meet, including relays and time trials.

Special Scratch Notes:

1. Any swimmer who fails to compete in an individual event heat in which he/she is entered and has not been scratched will be barred from further competition for that day, including time trials and relays. The swimmer will also be automatically scratched from the following day’s events unless the Clerk of Course has been notified of the swimmer’s intention to compete by 6:00 PM. NOTE: Finals are considered continuations of events started with trials.

2. A swimmer who competes in an individual heat and qualifies for championship, consolation, bonus and the 13-14 heat and 1.) fails to notify the Meet Referee of his/her intention to withdraw from the final within 30 minutes of the announcement of the results and qualifiers for that event, and 2.) does not compete nor is excused by the Meet Referee, will be barred from all subsequent competition in the meet, including time trials and relays.

3. All relays and distance event swimmers must confirm their intention to participate with a positive check-in (see above for events and times). A swimmer or relay team that does affirm his/her/its/ intent to swim and does not compete, unless excused by the Meet Referee, will be barred from further competition at the meet, including relays and time trials.

Timers and Other Workers: According to NES policy, BOSS will make timing assignments for this meet. Please be cooperative and punctual. We need the full cooperation of all teams; large and small, to adequately run this meet. Assignments will be posted on the NE web site.

All timing assignments will be based on the number of entries per team. All swimmers in the 800 and 1500 freestyle are reminded that they must provide at least 2 timers with watches and 1 counter for the distance events. Officials who would like to officiate at the NE Open meet should fill out the application form to officiate by July 12 and send it to Bill Geary, the officials chairman. The application, Bill’s email, and fax number are located on the New England website under Officials. Those officials who submit this information will be counted as part of their team’s work assignment.

Verification: Verification information is posted on the website.

Disabled Swimmers: Disabled swimmer forms are available from the New England Swimming office.

Warm-up: USA Swimming warm-up policies will be in effect for the meet. Diving will be prohibited during warm-ups in the warm-up/down pool at all times during the meet. One-way sprint lanes will be announced during warm-ups for starting practice only. This policy will be strictly enforced at all times. Coaches must instruct their swimmers to obey these rules. Failure to comply with a designated safety marshal’s request or an official’s orders could result in disciplinary action. Check the NE Website for lane assignments.

Other Meet Notes:

1. Coaches are expected to understand the scratch, verification and relay rules before the meet. All coaches should check-in with the office upon arrival at the pool. Coaches’ packets will be available at the beginning of warm-ups at each session from the office. These will include the heat sheets for that session and any notes that may be needed. There will be a coaches meeting at 8:20 AM on Thursday, and after that, when needed.

2 Coaches are responsible for the behavior of their swimmers at all times. Any damage to the premises or equipment is the responsibility of those doing the damage. Swimmers, parents, coaches, and spectators are restricted to the pool, spectator stands and concession area. No glass bottles are allowed in the pool areas or locker rooms. No smoking is permitted inside the building. Brown University, the Boston Ocean State Squids, and New England Swimming will not assume responsibility for lost or stolen articles. Parents are in charge of supervising younger children in attendance at the meet. Officials will be patrolling the facility and locker rooms and will have the authority to dismiss swimmers and spectators immediately from the facility. There will be no exceptions. Coaches are responsible for communicating this to both swimmers and parents.

3. Please do not ask to change entry times or events after the entry deadline. No deck entries will be accepted.

4. The meet will be run according to the 2003 USA Swimming Rules and Regulations, except where this meet information provides a different procedure. The decision of the Meet Referee as to procedures and conduct will be final.

5. There will be no shaving allowed anywhere in the swimming venue, including the locker room, bathrooms, and shower area.

6. All graduating seniors will be recognized by NES at the start of Sunday’s finals. Swimmers not participating in the meet are invited to attend and should notify the NE Swimming office (office@neswim.com/ 781-449-0720) of their intention to participate.

New England Web Site: www.neswim.com. We expect that the team entry sheets, warm-up assignments, work assignments, and any other necessary communication will all be posted on the web site, as well as results.

Directions: Smith Swim Center, Brown University, 226 Hope Street, Providence, Rhode Island

From the North: Route 95 South to Branch Avenue exit. Turn left on Branch Avenue. Go straight through the intersection at North Main Street (by KFC) and go up the hill. Turn right on Hope Street, go through two sets of lights and bear left at the fork. The pool will be on your left.

From the South: Route 95 to Route 195 East to Wickenden Street. Turn left on Wickenden Street. At the top of the hill, turn left on Hope Street. Go through two sets of lights. The pool will be on your right behind the stone wall.

Area Hotels:

Radisson (less than one mile) 401-272-5577

Comfort Inn (Pawtucket) 401-723-6700

Westin Hotel 401-598-8000

Radisson Inn (Warwick) 401-739-3000

Holiday Inn (downtown) 401-831-3900

Sheraton Tara (airport) 401-738-8206

Marriott (downtown) 401-272-2400

Biltmore (downtown) 401-421-0700

Courtyard (downtown) 401-272-1191