Update: Pac-12 Has Officials on Bulkheads on Friday Morning

Yesterday, we posted about how different conferences have their swimming officials positioned differently, and have different numbers of officials, for their championship meets. As the day wore on, we heard from more-and-more coaches around the country who were unhappy about the disparities.

Read that story here, along with a great Q&A with Brian Gordon of the NCAA about officiating rules.

On Friday morning, though, the staff, refereed and coordinated by Southern California Swimming Executive Director Mary Jo Swalley, has shifted, and there are now officials on the bulkhead.

This situation becomes more crucial in the current environment in college swimming. Once upon a time, NCAA qualifications were done based on swimmers meeting a time standard, but in the early 90’s, the ‘cap’ system was put in place, where one swimmer getting in to NCAA’s now means another swimmer is getting left out. That makes it so much more imperative that all qualifying swims are held to similar standards of scrutiny, and it appears as though the Pac 12 agrees.

We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available.

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SwimMom
10 years ago

But if NCAA Championships is meant to be an elite, fast meet, it seems crazy that someone ranked 90th in their B event can swim that event over a swimmer ranked 40th in the same event. And how does the current system force more focus onto the regular season?

Dan
Reply to  SwimMom
10 years ago

The meet is capped at a number of swimmers at the meet, not per event. The hypothetical person that is ranked 90th is ranked higher than 40th in another event.

SwimMom
10 years ago

Meeting a time standard seems to be a much more objective, and fair, way to make NCAAs than the current format!

Anon
Reply to  SwimMom
10 years ago

My kids club team was timing at the PAC 10 (12) championships in Long Beach, CA.. A parent who was timing told me that she was shocked when the time pads were unplugged. She asked the coach of our team (former Trojan) about it and he said if was better for the swimmers. At least a set time would not knock others out. Unfortunately, from my experience, there are many unethical people who will do just about anything to advance a particular athlete.

A few months later in Los Angeles, my kid got knocked out of the CIF finals because of an erroneous time entered for a swim officials club swimmer. There were time pads, pickles and stop watches on… Read more »

liquidassets
10 years ago

Wow, very interesting. Is SwimSwam becoming the 60 Minutes of swimming journalism? Keep up the good work!

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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