In November, NWAL formally voted on a few items for the 2024 season, and I want to share them with you.

1. Major dates for the season: Time Trials on May 4, Divisionals on June 15, Post-season Invitationals on June 21-23.

2. Alignment: We will be in Red 3 this season with Gleannloch Farms, Londonderry, Oak Ridge Otters, and Shenandoah, with one out-of-division meet against a team in Red 4 (Wortham, Fairfield, Lakes on Eldridge, Memorial Northwest, or Blue Marlins). We should be favored in each meet, but they are likely to be very competitive (Oak Ridge beat us by 10 in 2022). Our schedule will be determined at the annual meeting in January.

3. Rule changes: The most noticeable rule change this season will be limits on relays per swimmer at Divisionals. Each division will be allowed to vote at the annual meeting in January as to whether they want the limit to be 2 or 3. The reason for this is that large teams, like ours, get more kids involved if the limit is 2, whereas for smaller teams that have trouble making relays, they need the limit of 3 just to have all of their relays. Other rule changes were cosmetic in nature (fixing typos and the like) or related to structural things that don't affect meets (e.g. joining fees for new teams). If you really want to see all of them, email me.

-Bryce H. Elliott

- SCST 2024 NWAL Rep