Montana Meet Sanctioning Information

Planning to host a Meet ?
Interested in bidding to host a State Meet?

Check out the "how-to" information on this page.
 
Instructions for hosting a regular sanctioned meet :

  1. Step 1: Get your meet sanctioned by MT Swimming
    Please submit both the proposed Meet Contract and one of the completed forms below to Eric Belasco, the Montana Swimming Officials Chair.  (Meets must have a meet referee, meet director, and either an admin referee or admin official to be sanctioned. All must be current non-athlete members of USA Swimming.) Once sanctioned, your contract will be returned with a sanction number.  At that point you are set to publish your Meet Contract.  Email the completed information to Eric Belasco. Payments are mailed to Beth Storey, MT Swim Finance Vice Chair, PO Box 424, Dillon, MT 59725.

  2. All time trials must have a separate sanction number and a separate Meet Manager results database. All time trials must pay the per swimmer fees to Montana Swimming. Please complete a separate meet financial form for time trials. This applies even if the time trial is held in conjunction with an invitational or championship meet host hosted by the club. 

    Please use the following checklist to make sure that all necessary information is included in your meet contract. MEET Contract Checklist - MSWORD - PDF.

    1. Meet Contract Template Updated December 2018    Word   PDF

    2. Meet Sanction Form:  Word   PDF   updated 7-27-2024  This sanction form is the most commonly used form to sanction a meet in Montana Swimming.   ~ OR~

    3. Observed Season Culminating Championship Swim Meet -- Form B:    PDF   updated 10/2023 (For High School State) Submit this form to Susan Huckeby at least 2 weeks prior to the meet start date. 

    4. Observed non-championship, non-season culminating swim meet  -- Form A:  PDF  updated 10/2023. Submit this form to Susan Huckeby at least 2 weeks prior to the meet start date.  

    5. Meet Approval Request -- Form D: PDF  updated 10/2023. Submit form to Susan Huckeby four (4) weeks prior to the meet start date. This form must be submitted ot USA Swimming for approval. This form is rarely used in Montana.

    6. A list of current certified pools for the purpose of National record setting can be found on the USA Swimming website.

    7. How to order radios for use by officials at any Montana Swimming sanctioned swim meet:  PDF

    8. All sanction fees and meet fees should be mailed to MT Swim Finance Vice Chair Beth Storey at 3267 Cabernet Dr, Helena, MT 59601 (address updated 7-27-24).

  3. Step 1: Email the completed meet sanction form to: Eric Belasco, MT Swim Officials Chair, at eric.belasco@gmail.com

  4. Step 2: Once all your swimmers entries are entered the week of the meet, you need to send a Meet Manager back-up file to Susan Huckeby so that she can check and make sure that all swimmers are currently registered. (In Meet Manager go to file, backup and follow the prompts.)
  5. Have a great meet.
  6. Step 3: Once meet is finished, compile your Meet Financial Report

    1. This Form should be filed within 45 days of the completion of the meet. Meet fees are payable with 20 days of the conclusion of the meet to MT Swimming.        

      • Meet Financial Report (7-27-24)   Word   PDF

      • Send this report to Jay Friend (General Chair) and a copy to treasurer Matt Yovich. Contact information for Jay and Matt is included with the forms.

    2. Meet fees are due by 20 days after the conclusion of the meet. Sanction fees are due with the sanction application. Mail meet fees and sanction fees to: 

      • Beth Storey at 3267 Cabernet Dr, Helena, MT 59601 (address updated 7-27-2024). Include a copy of the financial form with the meet fee payments.

  7. After the meet is finished, send a Meet Manager back-up of the results to Susan Huckeby to upload to SWIMS and TU and to post on the Montana Swimming website. 

For Clubs Wishing to BID to host a Montana Swimming Sanctioned Championship State Meet:

If Your club desires to bid to host a Montana swimming sanctioned championship state swim meet, please follow the directions below to submit a bid.

Your club must submit a MT State Meet Bid Form (updated November 2023)  Word   PDF  

You must fill out one form for each championship meet you are bidding on.  Please submit this request to: MT Swimming General Chair Jay Friend at jayjfriend@gmail.com by deadlines listed below. 

Bid conditions and maximum bids:

  • Bidders are required to submit bids 14 days prior to the appropriate House of Delegates meeting.
  • Bidders must include itemization of the rental expenses and estimated costs in their bid.
  • Bidders must submit proof of actual costs for those items with their meet financial form in order to receive the bid reimbursement. 
  • Bids shall not exceed $15,000. Allowable reimbursable rental costs include pool rent (inclusive of facility and staff costs), networking equipment, Port-a-Johns, and other reasonable items as itemized in each bid.
  • Failure to submit all the required bid information may result in the bid being rejected.

Junior B-C Championships and Short Course State: Submit bids no later than 14 days prior to the Spring HOD meeting in May.  At the spring HOD meeting we will vote on the host, venue, and date for these meets.  Bid submission date is May 1 if the HOD meeting is May 15. 

Long Course State: Submit bids no later than 14 days prior to the the fall HOD meeting in October.  At the fall HOD meeting we will vote on the host, venue, and date for this meet.  Advised submission date is September 16 if the HOD meeting is October 1.

The host team must provide all necessary timing equipment, organize volunteer staff, provide hospitality for coaches and officials, and provide all program printing.  The host team will receive the profit from the concession stand, swim shop, sponsorships from the community, program sales, and their ad sales that are in the programs they sell. 

Montana Swimming will pay for awards.The award order must be coordinated by the host team.

MT Swimming receives all meet entry fees, time trial fees, and splash fees, if applicable. 

Montana Swimming must receive the bid information no less than 14 days prior to the HOD meeting and may post the bids on the website for everyone to review. 

For OFFICIALS wishing to have an assigned position at a state championship meet:

Officials Request for Assigned Position Form (updated January 2019) -  Word    PDF  (This form is not meet specific.)

USA Swimming Sanction Appeal Process:

USA Swimming is pleased to announce the launch of the Zone Sanction Appeal Process, approved by the 2013 House of Delegates for implementation in January 2015.

 

For the first time, there is an appeal procedure for a meet host who believes it should be granted the right to host a USA Swimming-sanctioned event. The opportunity now exists to appeal an LSC-denied sanction decision to a Zone Sanction Appeal Panel (ZSAP). While all meet hosts have the right to submit an appeal, every effort should be made to resolve the conflict at the LSC level before the meet host initiates an appeal.

 

The  handbook below outlines how the process works, the authority of the LSC and the Zone Sanction Appeal Panel, and the procedure for initiating an appeal. The Appeal process goes into effect immediately and is available for all sanction denials since January 1, 2015.

USA Swimming Sanction Process Appeal Handbook