NCAA Division I Qualifying Standards Converted To SCM

The NCAA recently released their 2017 ‘A’ and ‘B’ qualifying times, with only short course times available. However, they included instructions for converting times to short course metres and included a conversion factor chart for the different distances. Unlike last year, long course times will not be considered for selection. Find the document here. Read the rules for conversion below:

To convert a metric time achieved in a 25-meter racing course to an equivalent time for a 25-yard racing course: (a) transform the achieved metric time into seconds; (b) carrying the calculation out to five decimal places, multiply the transformed time in seconds by appropriately following the conversion factor; (c) drop, without rounding, all units smaller than a hundredth of a second; and (d) finally, transform the resultant value in seconds back into minutes and seconds to obtain the converted time. 

The conversion factors are as follows:

Event

Factor

400 metres to 500 yards

1.153 

800 metres to 1,000 yards

1.153 

1,500 metres to 1,650 yards

1.013 

All other events

0.906 

Here’s a look at the men’s and women’s SCY and the converted SCM NCAA ‘A’ and ‘B’ qualifying standards.

Note: Rather than ‘A’ and ‘B’, relay qualifying times are “Qualifying” and “Provisional”.

Men’s Qualifying Standards

Event

A Standard (SCY)

B Standard(SCY)

Converted A Standard (SCM)

Converted B Standard (SCM)

50 Freestyle

 19.09

 20.19

      21.07

   22.28

100 Freestyle

 42.25

44.29 

      46.63

48.88   

200 Freestyle

 1:32.97

1:37.99 

      1:42.61

1:48.15   

400/500 Freestyle

4:13.22

4:24.99 

      3:39.61

3:49.82   

1500/1650 Freestyle

 14:44.43

15:30.39 

      14:33.07

15:18.45   

100 Backstroke

 45.37

 48.49

      50.07

53.52   

200 Backstroke

 1:39.87

1:46.39

      1:50.23

1:57.42   

100 Breaststroke

 51.93

55.39

       57.31

1:01.13   

200 Breaststroke

 1:52.99

1:59.79 

       2:04.71

2:12.21     

100 Butterfly

45.73

48.29

      50.47

53.30

200 Butterfly

1:41.86

1:47.99

     1:52.42

1:59.19

200 IM

1:42.15

1:49.09

     1:52.74

2:00.40

400 IM

3:40.76

3:54.49

    4:03.66

4:18.81

200 Free Relay

1:17.77

1:18.46

     1:25.83

1:26.60

400 Free Relay

2:52.45

2:53.68

     3:10.34

3:11.69

800 Free Relay

6:20.67

6:24.50

     7:00.16

7:04.39

200 Medley Relay

1:25.05

1:25.86

     1:33.87

1:34.76

400 Medley Relay

3:07.75

3:09.68

     3:27.22

3:29.35

Women’s Qualifying Standards

Event

A Standard (SCY)

B Standard (SCY)

Converted A Standard (SCM)

Converted B Standard (SCM)

50 Freestyle

 21.80

 22.99

      24.06

25.37   

100 Freestyle

47.69

49.99

      52.63

55.17  

200 Freestyle

 1:43.63

1:47.99

      1:54.38

1:59.19  

400/500 Freestyle

4:36.30

4:47.79

   3:59.63  

4:09.60

1500/1650 Freestyle

 15:53.50

16:30.59 

   15:41.26

16:17.87

100 Backstroke

 51.45

55.09 

      56.78

1:00.80  

200 Backstroke

 1:51.95

1:59.19

    2:03.56

  2:11.55

100 Breaststroke

 59.04

1:02.49

    1:05.16

1:08.97

200 Breaststroke

 2:07.33

2:15.99

   2:20.54  

 2:30.09

100 Butterfly

51.49

54.49

      56.83

1:00.14

200 Butterfly

1:54.01

1:59.59

     2:05.83

2:11.99

200 IM

1:55.35

2:01.59

      2:07.31

2:14.20

400 IM

4:05.36

4:19.39

      4:30.81

4:46.30

200 Free Relay

1:28.98

1:29.75

       1:38.21

1:39.06

400 Free Relay

3:15.78

3:17.11

      3:36.09

3:37.56

800 Free Relay

7:05.68

7:08.93

      7:49.84

7:53.43

200 Medley Relay

1:37.21

1:37.71

      1:47.29

1:47.84

400 Medley Relay

3:33.40

3:34.96

       3:55.54

3:57.26

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SamH
7 years ago

Man I would love to see Murphy and Dressel at short course worlds this December. I don’t think Murphy really has anything to worry about in terms of retapering later and losing. Dressel is not to Murphy’s level of guaranteed win, but he is getting pretty close. I think both of them would be huge relay assets and set multiple American Records if not World Records.

Bob
7 years ago

Sweet Christ

Sven
7 years ago

Fun Fact: Achieving an A-cut in SCM in the men’s 50 free, 200 free, 400 free, 100 breast, 200 IM, 200 medley relay, or 800 free relay would result in a US Open record. Making the 200 medley relay A-cut would be an American record if all four members are citizens.

An A-cut in SCM in the women’s events doesn’t get you quite as much. Only the 50 free, 1500 free, and 200 medley relay A-cuts are faster than US Open records. As with the men’s 200 MR, an A-cut in the women’s 200 MR is faster than the American record.

These could be off, however, as I notice Grevers’ recent 100 back WR from Duel in the Pool is… Read more »

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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