REGATTA:

1,500 meters sprint competition in singles, pairs, doubles, quads, coxswained fours and eights for high school aged women and men in novice, junior, lightweight and varsity categories.

Second full weekend in May.

See attached for Schedule of Events.

All races will be conducted under M.S.R.A. rules and the USRowing "Rules of Racing"

DEFINITIONS:

SCHOLASTIC - Scholastic entries must be comprised of students (grades 9-12) who attend the same school and row representing that school during the spring season.
NOVICE - an athlete who began rowing after the last year’s Midwest Scholastic Rowing Championships.
FRESHMAN - a student currently enrolled in grade 9.
JUNIOR - a junior is a competitor who is enrolled in grades 9, 10 or 11.
2^nd Varsity - In order for a team to enter this event, they must also enter a crew in the corresponding Varsity event.
3^rd Varsity - In order for a team to enter this event, they must also enter a crews in both the corresponding Varsity and 2nd varsity events.

Maximum race day age - 18 years old (student may not have reached their 19th birthday, unless retained in a grade prior to grade 9).
Number of events a rower may enter - A rower may be entered in no more than two events. No entry limit exists for coxswains.
Gender - only males may row in Boys events, only females may row in Girls events 
COXSWAIN - may be of either gender, and of any skill or age classification (not withstanding the age maximum). There is no weight minimum for coxswains.
WEIGHT CATEGORIES
Boys: Lightweight 150 lbs. individual maximum, no averaging
Girls: Lightweight: 130 lbs. individual maximum, no averaging

PROGRAMS ELIGIBLE TO RACE:

The Midwest Scholastic Championships are restricted to member, single high school (Scholastic) rowing programs in the following states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the western half of Pennsylvania.  Teams must only represent their high school during the spring season (March-May).

• Teams must have paid their USRowing organizational membership ($350/$1250...).  In the past, if the only USRowing registered regatta you are going to enter is the Midwest Scholastic Championships, then your dues requirement is only $125. On the membership form you should choose the $125 block and then hand write "MSRA Exemption" on the form. If you choose to enter another USRowing sanctioned event later or qualify and choose to attend the USRowing Youth Invitational, you would then need to upgrade your membership at that time to the $350/$1250/... level.) and;
  
• Submitted an annual information update to the Association, prior to the start of spring competition, no later than April 1. [Note: MSRA dues of $40/school will be collected in 2010.]  Schools that have never been a member of the Association must submit a statement regarding its status at the school (varsity team, recognized school club, ...) on school letterhead in addition to the information update and dues, for consideration.  The due date is April 1.

ENTRIES: are due in the hands of the regatta committee ten days prior to the regatta (Omitting any of the following items will disqualify your entries).

• Rowers may be entered in at most two events in the boating line-up.  Substitutions (up to one half of the rowers of the crew as well as the coxswain) may be submitted, in writing, at registration.
• Entry Form (boating line-up) must be signed by the team’s Head Coach.
• Eligibility/Team List certifying the students’ attendance at a particular school, current grade level , number of semesters previously completed and date of birth. This form must be signed by the Athletic Director or Principal/Headmaster of the school.
• The Eligibility/Team List must be typed and may be on a form sanctioned by your state, the form provided in your entry packet or on your High School letterhead. Handwritten Eligibility Lists or lists on plain paper are not acceptable.
• Checks for Entry Fees must accompany all entries.
• Release Waivers may also be required by the host organization.
• "B" entries are not allowed in eight or four-oared sweep event, each school may enter a maximum of one entry (or less) per eight or four-with- coxswain event.
• "C" entries are not allowed in any sculling event or the pair, each school may enter a maximum of two entries (or less) per sculling or pair-oared event.

Note: The Association does not give or receive money to or from the Local Organizing Committee. The income derived from entry fees and concession go to the Local Organizing Committee, and they are responsible for medals, plaques, and the expenses of the course and officials.  The MSRA pays the regatta insurance premium and the team trophies from team membership dues.

ERRORS ON ENTRIES: (entering a rower in more than two events, etc.)
Any entry that contains an error will be notified by phone or e-mail and given 24 hours to correct the error. If the time limit passes without resolution satisfactory to the regatta committee, the crew's entry from that particular event will be dropped, and will become subject to the Late Entry rule, should the coach try to subsequently correct the error or re-enter the crew.

LATE ENTRIES:
Any entry made after the deadline posted by the Host Regatta Committee, will be accepted at the discretion of the Regatta Committee on a "lane available" basis and only with a $25.00 per boat late fee. A Late Entry will not be accepted if it creates a heat.

SCRATCH FEES:
Any team who scratches an entry after the date posted by the Host Regatta Committee will forfeit their entry fee. Those scratching after the start of the Regatta (including not showing-up or late to the start, but not including crews that do not make weight) will forfeit their entry fee and be assessed a $25.00 Scratch Fee, to be paid prior to competition by any other boat from that team, in subsequent races.

WEIGH-IN RULES:

• All lightweight competitors must "Weigh-In" during the first day (Saturday) of the regatta..
• All competitors will weigh in wearing the same uniform, identical in style, color and detail, including any insignia. No one will be weighed-in wearing more or less clothing.
• Crews must weigh-in together and be accompanied by a Coach or School Official.
• Crew members are to step on the scales in the order that they row in the boat (i.e. bow to stern).
• Clerk of the Scales or Registrar will communicate with the Coach or Designate, only.
• Weigh-in scales will be open 2 hours before and close 2 hours after the first race of the day.
• No one will be allowed to "check their weight" on the official scale during the official weigh-in times.

ELIMINATION HEATS: Progression system:
 
Novice 4+s and Junior 4+s will race a head-style elimination heat if there are over 21 entrants. The top 12 crews will be seaded and advance to two semifinals. These head-style races will be run first on Saturday [beginning 2010];

Then events that require SEMIFINALS will be raced on Saturday prior to events that require only heats;

Then all events that are not Finals-only will run Heats with those that raced Semifinals running their Semifinal in the event progression order along with the other Heats.

AWARDS:

• Medals awarded for FIRST, SECOND and THIRD place for all events.
• An event must contain at least three entries from different teams to constitute a race
• AWARD PLAQUES will be given to the winning team for each event
• TEAM POINTS TROPHIES will be awarded for both boy’s and girl’s events, and a trophy that combines boy's and girl's points (for those schools that enter both). The "Barnes Scoring System" will be used to decide team points. Points are awarded in each event, regardless of event category (Varsity, 2nd Varsity, 3rd Varsity, Junior, Lightweight, Novice, Freshman).  The original trophies no longer travel and will be maintained and engraved by the regatta host.

Order of events of the Midwest Scholastic Championship

	Varsity	Age Restricted	Weight Restricted	Novice
1	Girls Var 2-
2				Girls Novice 8+
3				Boys Novice 8+
4	Girls Var 1x
5			Boys 150# 2x
6	Boys Var 2x
7			Girls 130# 4+
8	Girls Var 4+
9			Boys 150# 4+
10	Boys Var 4+
11		Girls Freshman 8+
12		Boys Freshman 8+
13		Girls Junior 4x
14	Girls Var 4x
15		Girls Junior 8+
16		Boys Junior 8+
17	Boys Var 1x
18	Boys Var 2-
19				Girls Novice 4+
20				Boys Novice 4+
21			Girls 130# 2x
22	Girls Var 2x
23		Boys Junior 4x
24	Boys Var 4x
25		Girls Junior 4+
26		Boys Junior 4+
27			Girls 130# 8+
28			Boys 150# 8+
29	Girls 3rd 8+
30	Girls 2nd 8+
31	Girls Var 8+
32	Boys 3rd 8+
33	Boys 2nd 8+
34	Boys Var 8+

Barnes Scoring System:

Team of first place crew receives:

Percentage of first place points:

Number of Boats in Event	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th
2	20%	--	--	--	--
3	40%	20%	--	--	--
4	60%	30%	5%	--	--
5	80%	40%	10%	5%	--
6 or more	80%	40%	20%	10%	5%

The points for the second (or subsequent) crew from the same high school with a higher finish order in a final are not awarded, but count as the place order (thus blocking the awarding of those points to any team) in awarding points to other high schools.

1x  =10  2nd  3rd  4th  5th  6th  2  2  --  --  --  --  3  4  2  --  --  --  4  6  3  0.5  --  --  5  8  4  1  0.5  --  6 or >  8  4  2  1  0.5	2x, 2- =15  2nd  3rd  4th  5th  6th  2  3  --  --  --  --  3  6  3  --  --  --  4  9  4.5  0.75  --  --  5  12  6  1.5  0.75  --  6 or >  12  6  3  1.5  0.75
4x, 4+ =20  2nd  3rd  4th  5th  6th  2  4  --  --  --  --  3  8  4  --  --  --  4  12  6  1  --  --  5  16  8  2  1  --  6 or >  16  8  4  2  1	8+  =30 2nd  3rd  4th  5th  6th  2  6  --  --  --  --  3  12  6  --  --  --  4  18  9  1.5  --  --  5  24  12  3  1.5  --  6 or >  24  12  6  3  1.5