Swim Meet 101
Swimmers have the opportunity to participate in at least one meet per week. Weekly Monday Developmental meets and Saturday NVSL meet are offered. Additional events include Time Trials, Divisional Relays, All Star Relays, Divisionals, and Individual All Stars.
Time Trials (Intrasquad Meet)
The Time Trial is our first meet. Only our team participates, it is open to all swimmers on the team, and the meet is run like a "regular" meet. It allows swimmers a real meet feel, and to experience the clerk of course and beep of a starting system. First-time parents are encouraged to work as timers at Time Trials to become accustomed to meet rules and protocols.
Unlike all other meets, swimmers can compete in each of the four competitive strokes (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) to get an official time. This allows each swimmer a benchmark from which to set personal goals for the summer, and establishes our initial list of times to facilitate event selections for the first Saturday NVSL meet. Parents are encouraged to sign their swimmer(s) up for any event that they think the swimmer is able to swim legally. Coaches will answer questions regarding swimmer legality.
Monday Developmental Meet (B Meets)
Open to every swimmer on the team, held at 6:00pm on Mondays. Swimmers may select a maximum of two events. The four competitive strokes are offered, and some meets offer Individual Medley. Coaches identify strokes each swimmer is ready to swim and will help with stroke selection. Parents should register swimmers for specific events by the Saturday midnight deadline.
Swimmers may not repeat events from the previous Saturday meet on Monday.
Saturday NVSL Meet (A Meets)
Consist of 40 Individual events and 12 relays.
Who Swims Saturday Meets? NVSL meets are competitive dual meets; generally the fastest swimmers get to swim. Both teams may enter three swimmers per individual event; no swimmer may swim more than two individual events. Coaches position swimmers to optimize points for the team.
Families must indicate their swimmer's availability for these meets each week with a firm commitment. A swimmer that no-shows to an A meet will not be eligible to swim in the following A Meet. The next person on the list would love to have the opportunity to swim.
Saturday Meet Events and Distances
8 & Under: 25M of each stroke & 100M freestyle relay
9-10: 50M free, back, breast, 25M fly & 100M medley relay
11-12: 50M of each stroke & 100M medley relay
13-14: 50M of each stroke &100M medley relay
15-18: 50M of each stroke & 200M medley relay
Mixed Age Relay: a 200M freestyle relay swum by: 11-12, 9-10, 13-14, 15-18
Meet Sheets Will be distributed each Friday.
Scoring Individual events are worth 9 points. 5 for first, 3 for second, 1 for third. Relays are worth 5 points to the winner, 0 points to the loser. Ties split points. There are 420 total points in Saturday meets. With the exception of empty lates or DQs, 211 points are needed to win.
Relay Carnival (NVSL Divisional Relays)
Our lone Wednesday evening team meet. The six teams from each division compete at one pool for a relay only meet. One heat per event, one lane per team. The meet begins with mixed age relays, and follows with each age group's freestyle relay and medley relay. The meet serves two purposes: to crown a division team champion, and serve as the qualifier for NVSL All Star Relays.
All Star Relays: The 18 fastest times from each event at the NVSL's 17 Relay Carnivals qualify for All Star Relays. The meet is held the Wednesday after the Relay Carnival, with rotating hosts.
Divisionals (NVSL Division Individual Championships)
After the final dual meet, each division has an Individual Championship meet (Divisionals), in which the four strokes and IM are competed. Teams are allowed two entrants per event. After the Blue & White meet, swimmers indicate event preference, with the fastest times receiving the right of first refusal to participate. This is an unscored individual meet with a cap of two events per swimmer. The meet serves two purposes: to crown division individual champions, and as the qualifier for NVSL Individual All Stars.
Individual All Stars: The 18 fastest times from the NVSL's 17 Divisional meets qualify for All Stars. The meet is held the week after Divisionals, with rotating hosts, this year at Vienna Woods.
updated 5/2/2026
