2020  State Swimming & Diving Coaches & Competitor Information

State Meet Information:  Congratulations on qualifying to the 55th Iowa Girls State Swimming and Diving Meet. It is our goal that you and your athletes have a memorable experience at the state meet. Due to COVID-19, there are some changes in protocol. In order for the meet to run well, we ask that coaches and competitors read the information below carefully.

Competitors: competitors are required to wear a mask in the YMCA gymnasium and when they are not competing in the pool. The Marshalltown YMCA will have runners with baskets for competitors to place their masks and belonging before the start of their race. There will also be hand sanitizing station throughout the Marshalltown YMCA/YWCA complex. Please utilize these resources and remember to practice social distancing throughout the meet.

Coaches: Coaches are required to wear masks in the YMCA/YWCA throughout the meet. In order to maintain social distancing, the deck cannot be as congested as it typically is. Coaches may be on the deck when their swimmers are competing. Coaches that have swimmers in lanes 1, 2, 3, and 4 should be on the south side of the deck while coaches with swimmers competing in lanes 5-6-7 and 8 should coach on the north side of the deck. Coaches should be watching from the stands when they do not have swimmers competing in a race.

Competitors in the natatorium: Marshall County Public Health has limited the seating in the natatorium to 250 people. Swimmers will be allowed to watch their teammates swim in their designated team area in the stands. We want to give swimmers the opportunity to cheer on their teammates while also keeping the natatorium at the acceptable capacity. Capacity will be monitored and there may instances where some swimmers may need to go to the gymnasium if the natatorium become too crowded. Masks must be worn by all swimmers who are watching the meet in the natatorium.

Competitors List and Entry Form:  The form MUST be received by the State Office by 4:00 p.m. Monday, November 9. Forms should be e-mailed to Jason Eslinger at ([email protected]). No faxes. 

Virtual Parade: There will be no grand march of teams this year, but we plan to have a virtual parade of teams. Schools with qualifiers were asked earlier in the year to provide a team photo to me at [email protected]. Many of you have already done so. If you have not, please email the photo to me with your competitors’ list.

Spectators and Live Stream Information: No spectators will be permitted at the State Swimming and Diving Meet. There will be a pay-per-view live stream available on the IGHSAU Digital Network (www.watchighsau.com). Links to the three sessions will be posted later this week. The cost per session to view the stream is $10.

YMCA Gymnasium: Swim teams will have their team camps in the YMCA/YWCA gymnasium. No camps or belongings are to be in the competition or cool down pool. All bags, coolers and team items are to be put in the gymnasium. There will be monitors in the gymnasium for swimmers to view the races as well as personnel to help swimmers report to their races. To gain access to the east side seating, swimmers should enter and exit the pool area through the south doors of the wet hall. Masks must be worn at all times in the gymnasium.

No Event or Award Marches: There will be no event or award marches at this meet due to COVID-19. Competitors will need to report to the blocks on their own. There will be closed circuit monitors in the gymnasium along with available personnel to help alert competitors to report. However, it is the athlete’s responsibility to report to the starting blocks for races and awards.

Awards: In order to social distance, the awards stand will not be used at this year’s state meet. The top six finishers in each event will report to the starting blocks based on their order of finish one event following their race (For example – first place will report to lane 1; second to lane 2, etc.). Medals will be handed to each competitor and masks must be worn during the awards ceremony. Competitors recognized must be dressed appropriately. This means warm-up or other school issued clothing must be worn over the suit. Coaches, please remind your swimmers in order to be recognized in the awards are, they must report to the appropriate location at the appropriate time. We will wait a reasonable time for your athletes to report, but we will not hold up the flow of the meet waiting for them. We will proceed without your athlete if they fail to report in a reasonable time frame. Team trophies for first, second and third place teams will be presented at the end of the meet. The awards itineraries can be downloaded by clicking here

Pass Gate: ONLY actual contestants (qualifiers) including one designated alternate per relay, head coach, assistant coach and team manager may enter through the pass gate. Packets with bag tags and deck passes are to be picked up at the pass gate. Reminder, only coaches employed by the school will be allowed on deck. This does NOT include club and volunteer coaches. DECK PASSES WILL BE LIMITED TO THREE (3) PER SCHOOL.  Schools who make passes available to non-school coaches or athletes in addition to those who qualified risk forfeiture of team allowance

Manager’s Pass: In an effort to keep the south deck less congested, enclosed in your packets is a manager’s pass for your team manager. The pass is designated for managers and gives them access to the back hall and warm-up/cool-down pool. It does NOT give them access any deck areas. We are trying to keep this area restricted only to coaches with deck passes. 

Diving Sheets: We ask coaches to turn in diving sheets during warm-up in order for computer operators to input data. Finalized diving sheets must be filled out and turned in to the Diving Referee no later than 9:00 a.m. Friday morning. A reminder, the Excel-based diving sheet must be used. The diving sheet can be downloaded from the Swimming and Diving Coaches & Administrators section on the IGHSAU website. No swimming competitors will be allowed on deck during the diving competition Friday morning - all must be in the bleachers. Diving awards will be presented immediately following diving competition.

Diving Warm-up Schedule: The warm-up schedule for the State Diving Meet has been posted and can be viewed by clicking here.

NOTE: The natatorium will be cleared and closed immediately following the diving competition as YMCA/YWCA personnel prepare for the Friday night preliminary meet. Competitors, coaches and team personnel may go back to the gymnasium. The competition pool will not be open until 3:00 p.m. for warm-ups Saturday afternoon.

Rec Pool (Warm-up/Cool Down): The Rec pool (the warm-up/cool down pool) is available only for  swimmers preparing for their upcoming race or for swimmers that have just completed the race. Teams may not use this area as a team camp. NO INDIVIDUAL is to be on the equipment (slide, boat, etc.) in the rec pool. The Rec Pool area is specifically for swimmers to warm-up or cool-down. Should an athlete be observed on the equipment, they will be disqualified from the meet.

Relay Changes: To promote social distancing, coaches with relay changes are asked to email those changes to Mike Johnson at [email protected] by 4:00 p.m. Thursday, November 12. Coaches will also have an opportunity to make changes at the coaches meeting.

Warm-up after races: In order to make sure swimmers have enough warm-up/cool down time, the five-minute cool down period after each event that is used at regional meets will be implemented at this year’s state meet. After all each event is concluded, all swimmers will be allowed in the main competition pool to cool down.

The COVID-19 procedure of having swimmers swim to the opposite side of the pool after finishing their races will be utilized to limit contact with timers. There will be runners that will have a basket for competitors to place masks and other gear in. The runners will then be pool side with the basket when they exit the pool.

Meet schedule

Session 1: Friday November 13 – State Diving
8:00 a.m. – Pass gate opens for team
9:00 a.m. – Pool opens for warm-ups (divers only)
10:50 a.m. – Divers Meeting
11:00 a.m. – State Diving Meet
Following completion of the State Diving Meet, the YMCA pool will be cleared of spectators prior to the start of Friday night prelims.

Session 2: Friday, November 13 – Swimming Preliminary Meet
1:30 p.m. -  Doors open for swim teams
2:30 p.m. – Coaches Meeting (in the natatorium)
2:45 p.m. – Swimmers Meeting (in gymnasium)
3:00 p.m. – Warm-ups
4:45 p.m. – Pool Closes to Swimmers
5:00 p.m. – Virtual Parade of Teams/IHSCCA power point recognition award/IHSSCA Regional Awards/IHSSCA Coach /Athlete of the Year recognition/National Anthem, Start of prelim Meet

Session 3 – Saturday, November 14 – State Swimming Finals
8:30 a.m. — Swim teams may enter the YMCA
9:00 a.m. — Coaches’ meeting (in gymnasium)
9:30 a.m. — Pool opens for warm-ups
Noon  — Hall of Fame Ceremony/Golden Plaque of Distinction Award/Swimming Finals

FRIDAY SWIMMING WARM-UPS: Prior to the start of the Friday evening competition, your competitors must be advised that in the interest of safety and establishing proper warm-up conditions, swimmers will use the pool as follows: 

  • 3:00 to 3:35: all eight lanes will be used for lap (circle) swimming. 
  • 3:35 to 4:45: Lanes 3-4-5-6-7-8 for circle swimming; 1-2 for sprints. Officials will monitor and will add more lanes for sprints if necessary.

SATURDAY SWIMMING WARM-UPS

  • 9:30 to 10:15: all eight lanes will be used for lap (circle) swimming
  • 10:15 to 11:00 lap (circle) swimming will continue in lanes 5, 6, 7 and 8. Lanes 3, 4 the deep end will be used for relay take offs with the same lanes in the shallow end being utilized for turns. Lanes 1 and 2 will be used for sprints. 
    11:00 to 11:45: lane 8 will be used for lap (circle) swimming. Lanes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 will be used for sprints. This leaves lanes 6 & 7 in the deep end for relay starts with the shallow end being utilized for turns. Officials will monitor and will add more lanes for sprints if necessary.

Award Packets: All competitors will receive a medal. First through sixth place finishers will receive medals with ribbons. 7th-through-32nd place will receive medals with their placing listed. Packets for all competitors and results are to be picked up by the coach following conclusion of the meet from Karon Brown, located in the office adjacent to the coaches’ break room. PLEASE REMEMBER TO PICK UP YOUR AWARDS AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE MEET.

MERCHANDISE: There will be merchandise sold on site in the YMCA/YWCA gymnasium. Cash and credit cards will be accepted.

Programs: Programs will be virtual this year and will be able to be viewed on the IGHSAU website later this week.

Congratulations and best of luck this week.

Jason Eslinger, Swimming and Diving Administrator.