Meet Qualification & Standards
Your guide to the seasons, levels, terminology, and qualifying times of competitive swimming.
A Note on Goals & Values
Time standards are tools for tracking progress, not defining worth. Swimming development is complex and does not progress in neat steps. At GAC, we value effort, sportsmanship, and technical improvement above all else. Every personal best is a victory to be celebrated.
βοΈ SCY (Short Course Yards)
September β March
Competed in 25-yard pools (like The Wave or Logan Health). This is the primary format for the Winter season, high school, and college swimming. The season builds toward the SCY State Championships in February.
βοΈ LCM (Long Course Meters)
April β August
Competed in 50-meter pools (Olympic Size, like Missoula or Bozeman). This is the standard format for international competition. The season concludes with the LCM State Championships in July.
π SCM (Short Course Meters)
Select Meets
Competed in 25-meter pools (like the Fernie, BC pool). When checking if you qualify for these meets, ensure you are looking at the specific SCM time standards!
How to Read the Time Standards PDF
Find Age & Gender: Locate your swimmer's exact age group (e.g., 11-12 Girls) on the chart.
Find the Event: Locate the stroke and distance. (Note: SCY = Short Course Yards, LCM = Long Course Meters).
Match the Letter: The letters represent a ladder of speed percentiles. B (Motivational/Entry) β BB (State Level) β A (Advanced) β AA (Zone Level) β AAA/AAAA (Elite). You must swim equal to or faster than the printed time!
For example, looking at the SCY chart, a 10 & under girl needs to swim the 50 Freestyle in 39.79 seconds or faster to achieve her "B" time.
BC Championships
"Open" State ChampionshipUsually held the weekend after Short Course State. This is an incredible season-ending meet for the majority of the team.
Swimmers can swim any race in which they have a "B" Time or SLOWER on the chart.
State Championships
Montana SCY & LCM StateThe premier in-state championship for both Short Course (Feb) and Long Course (July).
Requires at least one "BB" qualifying time on the chart. Any additional bonus entries must be "B" or faster.
Age Group Regionals
NW Age Group ChampsA highly competitive regional SCY meet held out-of-state (usually WA or ID) in March.
Requires at least one NWAGR cut (These use a separate time standard sheet).
Western Zones
Western U.S. All-StarsTop swimmers from Montana are selected to compete against the best athletes from the entire Western Zone.
Usually requires at least one "AA" qualifying time on the USA Swimming chart.
πΊπΈ USA Swimming Search
Your child's official time record. Use this to verify official, sanctioned meet times, track personal bests, and check official motivational time standards across SCY, LCM, and SCM.
Search Official Times Β»π MySwimIO
An amazing web-based analytics tool. Search your swimmer to see a progress bar of their top events, showing exactly how close they are to achieving their next motivational cut (B, BB, A, AA).
View Cut Progress Β»βοΈ SwimCloud
A comprehensive athletic profile used heavily for college recruiting. It acts as a digital resume to analyze performance data and state/national rankings (updates slightly slower than USA Swimming).
View Rankings Β»When to adjust your time
Air is thinner at high elevations, making it physically harder to swim fast. To ensure fair qualification for sea-level meets, we "adjust" times. Subtract the time below from your result to see your converted time. (Remember: In swimming, subtracting time gives you a lower number, which means a FASTER time!)
| Event Distance | Elevation: 3,000 - 4,250 ft Billings, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, Missoula, Polson, Whitefish |
Elevation: 4,251 - 6,500 ft Bozeman, Butte |
|---|---|---|
| 200 Distance (All Strokes/Pools) | Subtract 0.50 sec | Subtract 1.20 sec |
| 400 / 500 Free | Subtract 2.50 sec | Subtract 5.00 sec |
| 800 Free Relay | Subtract 2.00 sec | Subtract 4.80 sec |
| 800 / 1000 Free | Subtract 5.00 sec | Subtract 10.00 sec |
| 1500 / 1650 Free | Subtract 11.00 sec | Subtract 23.00 sec |
π Recommended Parent Reading
Ours is a competitive sport with a black-and-white tool for comparison: the clock. While motivating, it ignores one critical truth: swimmers mature, grow, and improve at vastly different rates. Early success does not guarantee later dominance, and experiencing a plateau is completely normal.
Building competitive spirit and character in swimmers of all ages in the Flathead Valley.
