SWIM MEETS 101:

KRA SWIM MEET MAP AND LOCATION DIRECTORY

The KRA FireFish compete against six teams in our division of the James River Aquatics Club league. Divisional standings are calculated each year after the JRAC Championships. 

Swim meets are between two teams and typically held on Monday evenings beginning at 6:00 PM.  This season the first meet will be held on Monday, June 3rd at 6:30 PM. 

Please click here for a Step-by-Step Guide to Swim Meets.

There are six events in which swimmers can compete: Individual Medley (9 years old and older), Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, Freestyle Relay and Medley Relay. In a swim meet, each swimmer may swim a maximum of four races, no more than three individual events and a relay.

Swimmers compete against other swimmers of the same gender, age group and competitive classification. Please see below for age and competitive classifications.

Age Classifications as of June 1st, 2024

8 years old & under (Mites)

9 & 10 year olds

11 & 12 year olds

13 & 14 year olds 

15 -18 year olds (Seniors)

Competitive Classifications:

There are four competitive classifications:  Novice, Regular, X and XX.  These classifications are based on a swimmers time in a specific event. Please refer to the Time Standards under the "Swim Meets & Info" tab for further details.

Novice: A swimmer is a Novice in an event in his/her age group until they have made the Regular time in that event. Please refer to the Time Standards under the "Swim Meets & Info" tab for Regular Times. (A Novice swimmer can  be entered in a Regular heat at the coach's discretion)

Regular: A swimmer is Regular in an event in his/her age group and will swim in Regular heats until they have made the X time in that event. Please refer to the Time Standards under the "Swim Meets & Info" tab for X times.

X:  A swimmer is X in an event in his/her age group  and will swim in X heats until they have made the XX time in an event.  Please refer to the Time Standards under the "Swim Meets & Info" tab for XX Times.

XX: A swimmer is XX in an event in his/her age group and will swim in XX heats . Please refer to the Time Standards under the "Swim Meets & Info" tab for futher information.

Meet Events:

Novice Events: At every meet, there will be two novice events, which means that each team has no limit on how many swimmers can be entered into those events. Freestyle and one other stroke (a.k.a. the stroke of the week) will be novice events at each meet. In addition there is always one heat of Novice IM at every meet.

Relays: Relays consists of four swimmers, no more than two of which may be boys. Novice relays may only be composed of novice swimmers, while other relays can mix regular, X and XX swimmers. Relays alternate each week between freestyle and medley relays (where each swimmer swims a particular stroke in a prescribed order Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, Freestyle).

Individual Medleys: Swimmers swim a 100-meter race, one length of each stroke: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle.

Ribbons & Heat Winners:

The top six swimmers in each event receive ribbons. Coaches will hand out ribbons the last 15 minutes of practice on Tuesday afternoon. If you swimmer cannot be at fun practice they will be placed in your family folder in a the swim team storage box.

Heat Ribbons:

Heat ribbons and an airhead are given to the fastest 10 & unders in each heat as soon as they get out of the pool.

Weather Delays:

In the event of severe weather, the meet referee and the Swim Reps from each pool will decide whether to delay or postpone the meet.  According to JRAC policy, no meet may be canceled or postponed prior to a one hour delay. Rainouts are usually made up the following night.