Zones cuts for 2025?

[Anonymous]

I have 2024 and can trace the basic relationships between the Zones cuts and the USA Swimming motivational times. But since the latter have changed a bit, I assume we just await the official 2025 Zones times instead? Anyone know when those will be released? (And extremely sorry if I've just missed a link somewhere, but I have tried to look.)

[Anonymous]

I would not assume the Zones cuts will follow the motivational time standards. They most likely will stay largely the same.

[Anonymous]

The cuts for Zones and other champs meets are designed to keep the meet a certain size. So if the size of last year’s meet was what they wanted, the cut times will largely stay the same. Obviously if there were events with fewer swimmers than ideal they may adjust cuts in those events, but that is unrelated to the new motivational standards that came out.

[Anonymous]

We had a lot of swimmers qualify, but apparently did not go. Is that normal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

We had a lot of swimmers qualify, but apparently did not go. Is that normal?

Yes. For spring Zones, a lot of clubs elect to go to NCSAs instead. For summer Zones, it’s in August and many people are just burned out after the grind of the club season and summer swim and are taking long awaited vacations before club starts back up in early September.

[Anonymous]

Can you go to spring Zones without your club or is that a d**k move? Ours goes to ISCA at that time next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you go to spring Zones without your club or is that a d**k move? Ours goes to ISCA at that time next year.

I don't know if it is a dick move, but would rather do Zones than ICSA. Perhaps talk to the club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you go to spring Zones without your club or is that a d**k move? Ours goes to ISCA at that time next year.

Our club doesn’t generally allow a swimmer to attend a meet the club is not participating in. You would have to reach out to your kid’s coach about whether this is possible. Zones is definitely a more elite meet, but it is in Rochester, NY in March which is definitely not sunny, warm Florida.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you go to spring Zones without your club or is that a d**k move? Ours goes to ISCA at that time next year.

I don't know if it is a dick move, but would rather do Zones than ICSA. Perhaps talk to the club.

I’m not sure if it’s USA Swimming policy or a club/LSC policy, but I know my swimmer is not permitted to attend a meet without a USA Swimming -credentialed coach. Therefore, we can’t attend a meet our club isn’t attending.

[Anonymous]

Was just talking to our DS’s coach about Zones. Our team usually attends NCSA but they’re the week before FCPS Spring Break this year and the last week of the grading period which is always crazy with tests and projects due, etc. We’re super hesitant to pull DS from school for 3-4 days for NCSA when he could attend Zones the following week and likely swim more events and have it be over Spring Break. From last year it looks like the NCSA cuts are a bit faster than Zones. Would much rather go to sunny ☀️ Florida than cold Buffalo that time of the year.
I wonder what our club will decide???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was just talking to our DS’s coach about Zones. Our team usually attends NCSA but they’re the week before FCPS Spring Break this year and the last week of the grading period which is always crazy with tests and projects due, etc. We’re super hesitant to pull DS from school for 3-4 days for NCSA when he could attend Zones the following week and likely swim more events and have it be over Spring Break. From last year it looks like the NCSA cuts are a bit faster than Zones. Would much rather go to sunny ☀️ Florida than cold Buffalo that time of the year.
I wonder what our club will decide???

It is always worth the conversation with the Club. Oftentimes, they can find a coach that will do the event not on the schedule and there will be kids that have the cuts to attend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you go to spring Zones without your club or is that a d**k move? Ours goes to ISCA at that time next year.

I don't know if it is a dick move, but would rather do Zones than ICSA. Perhaps talk to the club.

I cannot fathom wanting to spend Spring break outside Rochester over St. Pete. I assume you went to ISCA 6 months ago and don’t want to go back? Zones is a slightly faster meet, but the top ISCA swimmers are AAA/AAAA. Why would you choose upstate NY over FL?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you go to spring Zones without your club or is that a d**k move? Ours goes to ISCA at that time next year.

I don't know if it is a dick move, but would rather do Zones than ICSA. Perhaps talk to the club.

I cannot fathom wanting to spend Spring break outside Rochester over St. Pete. I assume you went to ISCA 6 months ago and don’t want to go back? Zones is a slightly faster meet, but the top ISCA swimmers are AAA/AAAA. Why would you choose upstate NY over FL?

Because one meet might fit better with your school break schedule

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you go to spring Zones without your club or is that a d**k move? Ours goes to ISCA at that time next year.

I don't know if it is a dick move, but would rather do Zones than ICSA. Perhaps talk to the club.

I cannot fathom wanting to spend Spring break outside Rochester over St. Pete. I assume you went to ISCA 6 months ago and don’t want to go back? Zones is a slightly faster meet, but the top ISCA swimmers are AAA/AAAA. Why would you choose upstate NY over FL?

Because one meet might fit better with your school break schedule

They are the same week…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you go to spring Zones without your club or is that a d**k move? Ours goes to ISCA at that time next year.

I don't know if it is a dick move, but would rather do Zones than ICSA. Perhaps talk to the club.

I cannot fathom wanting to spend Spring break outside Rochester over St. Pete. I assume you went to ISCA 6 months ago and don’t want to go back? Zones is a slightly faster meet, but the top ISCA swimmers are AAA/AAAA. Why would you choose upstate NY over FL?

There’s also a significant cost difference. Talent aside, attending a private meet in a vacation destination is very different than attending a USS meet in western NY in winter.