The NCAA recently released their 2017 ‘A’ and ‘B’ qualifying times, with only short course times available. However, they included instructions for converting times to short course metres and included a conversion factor chart for the different distances. Unlike last year, long course times will not be considered for selection. Find the document here. Read the rules for conversion below:
To convert a metric time achieved in a 25-meter racing course to an equivalent time for a 25-yard racing course: (a) transform the achieved metric time into seconds; (b) carrying the calculation out to five decimal places, multiply the transformed time in seconds by appropriately following the conversion factor; (c) drop, without rounding, all units smaller than a hundredth of a second; and (d) finally, transform the resultant value in seconds back into minutes and seconds to obtain the converted time.
The conversion factors are as follows:
Event |
Factor |
400 metres to 500 yards |
1.153 |
800 metres to 1,000 yards |
1.153 |
1,500 metres to 1,650 yards |
1.013 |
All other events |
0.906 |
Here’s a look at the men’s and women’s SCY and the converted SCM NCAA ‘A’ and ‘B’ qualifying standards.
Note: Rather than ‘A’ and ‘B’, relay qualifying times are “Qualifying” and “Provisional”.
Men’s Qualifying Standards
Event |
A Standard (SCY) |
B Standard(SCY) |
Converted A Standard (SCM) |
Converted B Standard (SCM) |
50 Freestyle |
19.09 |
20.19 |
21.07 |
22.28 |
100 Freestyle |
42.25 |
44.29 |
46.63 |
48.88 |
200 Freestyle |
1:32.97 |
1:37.99 |
1:42.61 |
1:48.15 |
400/500 Freestyle |
4:13.22 |
4:24.99 |
3:39.61 |
3:49.82 |
1500/1650 Freestyle |
14:44.43 |
15:30.39 |
14:33.07 |
15:18.45 |
100 Backstroke |
45.37 |
48.49 |
50.07 |
53.52 |
200 Backstroke |
1:39.87 |
1:46.39 |
1:50.23 |
1:57.42 |
100 Breaststroke |
51.93 |
55.39 |
57.31 |
1:01.13 |
200 Breaststroke |
1:52.99 |
1:59.79 |
2:04.71 |
2:12.21 |
100 Butterfly |
45.73 |
48.29 |
50.47 |
53.30 |
200 Butterfly |
1:41.86 |
1:47.99 |
1:52.42 |
1:59.19 |
200 IM |
1:42.15 |
1:49.09 |
1:52.74 |
2:00.40 |
400 IM |
3:40.76 |
3:54.49 |
4:03.66 |
4:18.81 |
200 Free Relay |
1:17.77 |
1:18.46 |
1:25.83 |
1:26.60 |
400 Free Relay |
2:52.45 |
2:53.68 |
3:10.34 |
3:11.69 |
800 Free Relay |
6:20.67 |
6:24.50 |
7:00.16 |
7:04.39 |
200 Medley Relay |
1:25.05 |
1:25.86 |
1:33.87 |
1:34.76 |
400 Medley Relay |
3:07.75 |
3:09.68 |
3:27.22 |
3:29.35 |
Women’s Qualifying Standards
Event |
A Standard (SCY) |
B Standard (SCY) |
Converted A Standard (SCM) |
Converted B Standard (SCM) |
50 Freestyle |
21.80 |
22.99 |
24.06 |
25.37 |
100 Freestyle |
47.69 |
49.99 |
52.63 |
55.17 |
200 Freestyle |
1:43.63 |
1:47.99 |
1:54.38 |
1:59.19 |
400/500 Freestyle |
4:36.30 |
4:47.79 |
3:59.63 |
4:09.60 |
1500/1650 Freestyle |
15:53.50 |
16:30.59 |
15:41.26 |
16:17.87 |
100 Backstroke |
51.45 |
55.09 |
56.78 |
1:00.80 |
200 Backstroke |
1:51.95 |
1:59.19 |
2:03.56 |
2:11.55 |
100 Breaststroke |
59.04 |
1:02.49 |
1:05.16 |
1:08.97 |
200 Breaststroke |
2:07.33 |
2:15.99 |
2:20.54 |
2:30.09 |
100 Butterfly |
51.49 |
54.49 |
56.83 |
1:00.14 |
200 Butterfly |
1:54.01 |
1:59.59 |
2:05.83 |
2:11.99 |
200 IM |
1:55.35 |
2:01.59 |
2:07.31 |
2:14.20 |
400 IM |
4:05.36 |
4:19.39 |
4:30.81 |
4:46.30 |
200 Free Relay |
1:28.98 |
1:29.75 |
1:38.21 |
1:39.06 |
400 Free Relay |
3:15.78 |
3:17.11 |
3:36.09 |
3:37.56 |
800 Free Relay |
7:05.68 |
7:08.93 |
7:49.84 |
7:53.43 |
200 Medley Relay |
1:37.21 |
1:37.71 |
1:47.29 |
1:47.84 |
400 Medley Relay |
3:33.40 |
3:34.96 |
3:55.54 |
3:57.26 |
Man I would love to see Murphy and Dressel at short course worlds this December. I don’t think Murphy really has anything to worry about in terms of retapering later and losing. Dressel is not to Murphy’s level of guaranteed win, but he is getting pretty close. I think both of them would be huge relay assets and set multiple American Records if not World Records.
Sweet Christ
Fun Fact: Achieving an A-cut in SCM in the men’s 50 free, 200 free, 400 free, 100 breast, 200 IM, 200 medley relay, or 800 free relay would result in a US Open record. Making the 200 medley relay A-cut would be an American record if all four members are citizens.
An A-cut in SCM in the women’s events doesn’t get you quite as much. Only the 50 free, 1500 free, and 200 medley relay A-cuts are faster than US Open records. As with the men’s 200 MR, an A-cut in the women’s 200 MR is faster than the American record.
These could be off, however, as I notice Grevers’ recent 100 back WR from Duel in the Pool is… Read more »