2026 Championship Season and Beyond
Section Meet will be held Saturday, February 1st at Sartell High School in Sartell, MN. Meet information has not been sent out yet but plan on an early morning and a FULL day of swimming. (8+ hour day).
Swimmers must swim a minimum of 3 YMCA qualifying meets to be eligible to swim in our Section Meet. They can swim more meets, but need at least 3. If they do not have 3 meets, the swimmer is not eligible to participate in this meet.
You will be committing your swimmer and choosing 2-3 events they are REQUESTING to swim. Coaches will be making the final decisions on what your swimmer will be swimming at this meet. Your swimmer will be placed in events THEIR COACH feels they will do their best in and hopefully move onto the State Meet. The goal here is to get as many swimmers to advance to the State meet as possible.
Swimmers are expected to accept the events they have been given and swim their very best at that event. Coaches WILL have discussions with all swimmers that will be competing in Sections during practices in the week or two leading up to this meet.
If you sign up and do not have the qualifying 3 meets, you will be notified by Katie and removed from the meet.
State Meet: February 15th - University of MN - Jean K Freeman Aquatic Center
There will be 2 sessions for this meet. 10 & Unders will swim in the morning and 11 and over will swim in the afternoon.
The top 3 finishers in each EVENT (not heat) at Sections, automatically go to the STATE Meet. If a relay goes, the relay goes. A swimmer may only be eligible to swim in that relay and not any individual events depending how they finish in their individual events.
A final list of qualifiers for the State Meet and any alternates will be sent out 1 week prior to the State Meet. You will not sign up for this meet. You will automatically be entered from the Section Meet. Meet information has not been sent out but plan on an early morning and a FULL day of swimming.
Alternate swimmers - This is a swimmer who did not make the top 3 into an event, but has a time/place that places them on an alternate list. Usually, the top 2-4 alternates attend the State Meet and are ready/available to swim the event.
If you swim sections, you are expected to swim State. IF you are not available State weekend, we still want you to swim Sections but please notify Katie as soon as possible in February, please.
Our Fall / Winter season is done February 22nd.
Regional Meet: March 20-22, 2025 in Des Moines IA
This meet is based on time. You must achieve a regional time in an event anytime during the regular season to be eligible for this meet. Meaning: IF you swim this weekend and achieve a regional time, you are eligible to go to the regional meet in that event. If you swim another meet and achieve 3 more regional times, you are eligible to swim all 4 events at the regional meet. Maximum number of individual events you can swim at Regions is 7.
How do you know if you qualify??? -- Regional time cuts are attached to this email and your swimmers times can be found on your TeamUnify account. Log in and go to "My time". You can also find this form on the Documents Tab in TeamUnify for 2025.
The 2026 YMCA Regional Swim Meet will be held at the Wellmark YMCA in Des Moines, IA from March 20-22, 2026.
Travel and hotel accommodations are up the families to travel to Iowa. The Sharks Swim Team does not escort swimmers to this meet. Parents/Guardians are responsible for their swimmers at all times except when your swimmer is on the pool deck attending their swimming session.
Regional Website - https://www.gomotionapp.com/team/ymcanc/page/regional-swim-meet
Please use the regional website for ideas of area hotels. If you are planning on traveling down, you can let Katie know where you are staying and I can communicate with other families who may ask.
PRACTICE SCHEDULES for REGIONAL and NON-Regional -TBD
Non Regional Qualifier Swimmer:
Non Regional swimmers are invited to continue to swim with the Sharks after February 22nd. You will need to register and pay the Regional Practice Fee to be eligible to swim during the month of March.
DEADLINE TO REGISTER FOR THE REGIONAL/NON-REGIONAL PRACTICES IS FEBRUARY 23rd!!
WHAT'S NEXT AFTER FEBRUARY 22nd?
The end of the current season will end February 22nd. If you decide not to swim as a non-regional or regional swimmer into March, you will be done until we register again for the spring season. Returning Sharks will have priority registration for ONE week prior to registration opening for new families to join. Once our spring information is available to families, you will receive an email from me with the information and registration links.
BE AWARE - The returning Shark registration will be around the last week in March/first week in April (I am hoping!!). This is Spring Break for many of you. I am not able to hold spots for swimmers during registration. You will need to keep watch on your email so you can register as soon as possible. New swimmers have been anxiously awaiting a chance to get onto The Sharks swim team.
Spring season - TBD
Summer season - TBD
Practice times and pricing have not been determined yet. This information is worked out AFTER the state meet and will be released mid March.
Please let me know if you have ANY questions about the Championship season or this spring. Many of the fine details I do not have yet, but will share with all of you as soon as I can.
Katie
