📊 FAQ: Why is an 11-Year-Old Still Ranked in 10-and-Under?

adam

Resources
Mobile‑friendly qualifying times:
https://swimstandards.com/times/2026-iasi-short-course-championships-time-standards

📍 Wellmark YMCA – Des Moines, IA
📅 February 26 – March 1, 2026
🏊 Hosted by Des Moines Swimming Federation

The 2026 Iowa Swimming Short Course Championships are set for four days of championship racing in Des Moines. This meet is sanctioned by USA Swimming and IASI and will feature both 13–14 and Senior divisions.

Meet Format

• Thursday evening: Distance events & relays (timed finals)
• Friday–Sunday: Morning prelims / Evening finals
• A & B Finals (Top 16 back in finals)
• Special seeding format for 1000 & 1650 Freestyle

Eligibility

• Must be current USA Swimming & IASI registered athlete
• Must meet published 2026 IASI Q-Time standards
• Bonus events allowed under meet rules

Entry Deadline

🗓 Friday, February 20, 2026 – 12:00 PM

Entry Fees

• $10 Individual
• $14 Relay
• $4.50 IASI surcharge per swimmer
• Outreach swimmers: $5 total

Awards & Recognition

🏅 Top 8 medals (individual)
🏆 High Point awards (individual & team)
🏆 Traveling Team Trophy
⭐ IASI Sportsmanship & Spirit Award
🎓 Senior Coaching Staff of the Year

Spectators

🎟 $30 All-Session Wristband
🎟 $10 Daily Pass

Download the full official meet announcement (PDF)

adam

Resources

Mobile‑friendly qualifying times:

https://swimstandards.com/times/2026-pvs-junior-olympic-championships-time-standards

Official meet announcement (PDF):

https://www.pvswim.org/2526meet/26-88-ma2.pdf

The PVS 2026 SC 14 & Under Championships will take place March 12–15, 2026 at the University of Maryland, Eppley Recreation Center (College Park, MD). Sanction # PVS-26-88.

Host: Tollefson Swimming
Format: Prelims/finals for most events; distance (11–12 & 10&U 500 free, 14&U 1000/1650 free, 13–14 800 free relay) as timed finals. 11–14 prelims run in two courses (separate boys/girls); 10&U prelims on the shallow course alternating girls/boys; all finals in the shallow course.
Age groups: 10 & Under, 11–12, 13–14, plus 12&U and 14&U combined events where noted.

Eligibility

Open to PVS-registered athletes only.
Swimmers compete in their own age group based on age on March 12, 2026.
Must have SCY or LCM qualifying times achieved on or after March 3, 2024 in USA Swimming–sanctioned, observed, or approved meets.
Swimmers may not enter an event they are swimming at the 2026 PVS Short Course Open Championships.
No NT or converted times; SCY is conforming, LCM is non‑conforming and seeded after SCY.

Entry Limits & Key Rules

Max 6 individual events for the meet, no more than 3 per day.
Most 10&U events have 1 heat at finals; 11–12, 12&U, 13–14, 14&U events have 2 heats (“B”, then “A”) at finals.
11–12 & 10&U 500 free and 14&U 1000/1650 free are timed finals; distance swimmers must provide their own timer/counter except when swimming those events in Sunday finals.
Positive check‑in required for all events 400y and up, all mixed relays, and the 13–14 800 free relay; Sunday 1000 free check‑in is due Saturday 6:30 pm.

Entry Deadlines

Team entry deadline: Tuesday, March 3, 2026, 5:00 pm (no event changes after this).
Late entries (new swimmers/new events): allowed until Monday, March 10, 2026, 12:00 pm with surcharge ($150/club + 2× event fee).

Daily Session Schedule

Thursday, March 12 – Distance Timed Finals
- Warm‑up 4:30–5:20 pm; events 5:30 pm
- 13–14 800 free relay, 11–12 500 free, 14&U 1650 free (all positive check‑in; fastest to slowest, swimmers provide timer/counter).
Friday & Saturday, March 13–14
- 11–14 prelims: Warm‑up 7:00–8:20 am; events 8:30 am
- 10&U prelims: Warm‑up 12:40–1:20 pm; events 1:30 pm
- Finals: Warm‑up 4:30–5:20 pm; events 5:30 pm
- Includes age‑grouped 50s, 100s, 200s, IMs, 400 IM, 500 free, 200/400 medley and free relays, plus mixed‑gender 400 free relay (Fri finals) and 200 medley relay (Sat finals).
Sunday, March 15
- 11–14 prelims: Warm‑up 7:00–8:20 am; events 8:30 am
- 10&U prelims: Warm‑up 12:40–1:20 pm; events 1:30 pm
- Finals: Warm‑up 4:00–4:50 pm; events 5:00 pm
- Mixed‑gender 200 free relays to start finals; 14&U 1000 free and 10&U 500 free as timed finals with top 8 in finals, plus remaining strokes by age group.

Relays (Key Points)

Single‑gender relays: up to 3 teams/club/event, 2 can score; all single‑gender relays are timed finals in prelim sessions.
Mixed‑gender relays:
- Swum at the start of finals (Fri 400 free, Sat 200 medley, Sun 200 free).
- 1 team per club; each relay must be 2 boys + 2 girls; swimmers must already be entered in the meet individually or on a qualified single‑gender relay.
- Mixed relays swim fastest to slowest; positive check‑in closes at the end of the relevant 11–14 prelim session.

Scoring & Awards

Individual scoring: 20–17–16–15–14–13–12–11–9–7–6–5–4–3–2–1.
Relay scoring: 40–34–32–30–28–26–24–22–18–14–12–10–8–6–4–2.
Medals: 1st–8th for individual events, 1st–3rd for relays.
High Point awards for 10&U, 11–12, 13–14 (male & female), based on individual events only; winners receive an embroidered PVS High Point Jacket.

Fees & Spectators

Per swimmer surcharge: $10.00
Individual event: $12.50
Relay event: $20.00
Late relay‑only athlete fee: $20.00
Spectator passes: $20 all‑session, $5 per session; siblings free.
Meet will be on Meet Mobile; programs posted on the PVS site; separate parking document with day‑by‑day details and purchase links will be provided by PVS.

Download the full official meet announcement (PDF)

adam

Resources

Mobile‑friendly qualifying times:

https://swimstandards.com/times/2026-pvs-short-course-open-championships-time-standards

Official meet announcement (PDF):

https://www.pvswim.org/2526meet/26-85-ma2.pdf

The PVS 2026 Short Course Open Championships will take place March 5–8, 2026 at the University of Maryland, Eppley Recreation Center (College Park, MD).

Sanction: USA Swimming / Potomac Valley Swimming, Sanction # PVS-26-85
Host: Patuxent Aquatic Club
Format: Prelims/finals for most events, with Thursday distance as timed finals; finals run in a single 25-yard course.
Eligibility:
- Open to all PVS-registered athletes and invited USA Swimming athletes.
- Athletes must have achieved published qualifying times in USA-Sanctioned, observed, or approved meets since February 24, 2024.
- Swimmers may not enter events they are swimming at the 2026 PVS 14 & Under SC Championships.

Key Dates & Deadlines

Entry deadline (teams to Entry Chair): Tuesday, February 24, 2026, 5:00 pm
Late entry deadline (extra fees apply): Monday, March 2, 2026, 12:00 pm (noon)

Session Schedule

Thursday, March 5 – Timed finals
- Warm-up: 4:30–5:30 pm
- Events: 5:40 pm (1000 free; positive check-in by 5:00 pm; swimmers provide own timer and counter)
Friday, March 6 – Prelims & Finals
- Prelims warm-up: 7:00–8:20 am, events: 8:30 am
- Finals warm-up: 4:30–5:30 pm, events: 5:40 pm
- Includes 50 back, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 fly, 400 IM, 800 free relay (check-in for 400 IM & 800 FR: Thursday 6:10 pm).
Saturday, March 7 – Prelims & Finals
- Prelims warm-up: 7:00–8:20 am, events: 8:30 am
- Finals warm-up: 3:20–4:20 pm, events: 4:30 pm
- Includes 50 fly, 200 breast, 50 free, 100 back, 500 free, 200 free relay (prelims), 400 medley relay (finals).
Sunday, March 8 – Prelims & Finals
- Prelims warm-up: 7:00–8:20 am, events: 8:30 am
- Finals warm-up: 3:20–4:20 pm, events: 4:30 pm
- Includes 50 breast, 200 back, 100 free, 200 fly, 200 IM, 200 medley relay (prelims), 400 free relay (finals), 1650 free (positive check-in by Saturday 5:00 pm; swimmers provide own timer and counter).

Entry Limits & Extras

Max 7 individual events per swimmer for the meet, no more than 3 per day.
Bonus swims allowed (up to 2 bonus events if qualified in at least one event), with specific rules for distance and 500/400 IM bonus entries.
SCY is conforming; LCM is non-conforming and seeded after SCY; no NT entries accepted.

Fees

Per swimmer surcharge: $10.00
Individual events: $12.50 each
Relay events: $20.00 each
Time trials: $15.00 per attempt (limit 1 per session, 2 for the meet; must be entered in at least one individual event).

Other Notes

Meet will appear on Meet Mobile; programs posted on the PVS website.
Spectator passes: $20 all-session, $5 per session; siblings and Thursday distance session are free.
Standard USA Swimming rules, MAAPP, and PVS policies (no deck changes, no behind-the-block photography, etc.) apply.

For full details (qualifying times, event-by-event order, positive check-in rules, officials and timer requirements), please refer to the official PVS meet announcement PDF.

adam

📊 FAQ: Why is an 11-Year-Old Still Ranked in 10-and-Under?

Short answer: Rankings are based on the swimmer’s age at the time of the swim, not their current age.

How Swim Standards Rankings Work

Swim Standards uses season-based rankings, for every swim:

The swimmer’s age on the date of that swim determines the age group
That swim stays in that age group for the entire season

Why This Happens

It’s common for swimmers to age up during a season.

For example:

A swimmer competes in October at age 10 → swim ranks in 10-and-Under
The same swimmer turns 11 in December
Their earlier swims remain in 10U rankings
Any swims after turning 11 appear in 11–12 rankings

Because of this, a swimmer may:

Appear in both age groups during the same season
Still show up in 10U rankings even though they are now 11

adam

Wishing you faster swims, personal bests, and strong finishes in 2026!

adam

Thank you so much! This should be fixed now. @Bold_Archer441

adam

@Tasty_Walrus291 Should be good now. Thank you!

adam

@Tasty_Walrus291 Is it this one? https://swimstandards.com/meets/2025-va-rays-nutcracker-classic-1204

adam

@Tasty_Walrus291 We just added this one, but not sure it's what you are looking for.
https://swimstandards.com/meets/2025-va-mach-lc-spring-invitational-0516

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Meet Format

Eligibility

Entry Deadline

Entry Fees

Awards & Recognition

Spectators

📊 FAQ: Why is an 11-Year-Old Still Ranked in 10-and-Under?

How Swim Standards Rankings Work

Why This Happens

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