Sectionals and Zone Competitions

Qualified South Carolina swimmers compete in a southern sectional (This used to be Region 3.). Each Zone may have up to four sectionals. Generally, a Double A+ time is required to qualify for an event at Sectionals. A few events have an A+ qualifying time and some have the basic Double A. However, most qualifying times are faster than the basic Double A time. One event currently has a AAA+ qualifying time (13-14 girls 100 Free). Swimmers may swim only those events in which they are qualified. The LSCs in the southern sectional are Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Southeastern. Sectional meets are usually relatively close geographically and, hence, not too expensive. LSCs do not necessarily follow common geographical boundaries. Geographical boundaries for the Sectional and Zone LSCs are explained below.

Zone competitions are much tougher than Sectional competitions. Since Zones represent a larger geographical area, there are more faster swimmers. South Carolina swimmers, ages 11 and up, must have, at a minimum, some Triple A times to qualify for Zones. Assuming enough qualified swimmers apply, the South Carolina Zone Team has seven girls and seven boys in each of the following age groups: 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18. Swimmers are selected for the Zone Team based on points attained. Points are granted, on a graduated basis, for event times from Triple A through Top 16. Zone meets are held in various locales in the South/Southeast and are relatively expensive.

In the United States, there are four zones: Eastern, Southern, Central, and Western.

South Carolina is in the Southern Zone. The LSCs in the Southern Zone are Border, Florida, Florida Gold Coast, Georgia, Gulf, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Texas, South Carolina, South Texas, Southeastern, West Texas, and West Virginia. The geographical boundaries of these LSCs are as follows:

BORDER: The counties of El Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson, Jeff Davis, Presidio, Brewster, Terrell, and Crockett in the State of Texas

FLORIDA: Florida except Palm Beach, Broward, Dade, and Monroe counties and that part of Hendry County west of Route 833 in the State of Florida

FLORIDA GOLD COAST: Counties of Palm Beach, Broward, Dade, and Monroe and that part of Hendry County east of Route 833 in the State of Florida

GEORGIA: State of Georgia and the counties of Chambers and Russell, Alabama

GULF: That part of the State of Texas bounded on the North and including the counties of Robertson, Leon, Houston, Angelina, Nacogdoches, and Shelby; on the East by the State of Louisiana; on the South by the Gulf of Mexico, and on the West by including the counties of Fort Bend, Wharton, Colorado, Waller, Grimes, Robertson, Brazos, and Matagorda

KENTUCKY: The State of Kentucky (except Campbell, Kenton, and Boone counties) and Floyd and Clark counties, Indiana

LOUISIANA: State of Louisiana

MISSISSIPPI: State of Mississippi

NORTH CAROLINA: State of North Carolina

NORTH TEXAS: That part of the State of Texas bounded on the South but not including the counties of Callahan, Brown, Mills, Lampasas, Bell, Milan, Robertson, Leon, Houston, Angelina, Nacogdoches, and Shelby; on the East by the State of Louisiana, State of Arkansas, and the county of Bowie, Texas; on the North by the State of Oklahoma and the county of Bowie, Texas, and on the West by the counties of, but not including, Hardeman, Foard, Knos, Haskill, and Jones in the State of Texas

SOUTH CAROLINA: State of South Carolina

SOUTH TEXAS: That part of the State of Texas bounded on the East by and including the counties of Milan, Burleson, Washington, Austin, Fayette, Lavaca, and Jackson; on the South by the Gulf of Mexico and the Republic of Mexico; on the West by and including the counties of Val Verde, Sutton, and Schleicher; and on the North by and including the counties of Menard, Mason, Llano, Burnett, Lampasas, and Bell

SOUTHEASTERN: All of the State of Alabama, except the counties of Chambers and Russell; the State of Tennessee; the Florida counties of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Bay, and that portion of Jackson and Calhoun counties west of the Apalachicola River

WEST TEXAS: All that part of the State of Texas bounded on the South side and including the counties of Reeves, Pecos, Upton, Regan, Irion, Tom Green, Concho, McCulloch, and San Saba; on the West by the State of New Mexico; on the North by the State of Oklahoma; on the East by the State of Oklahoma and by and including the counties of Hardeman, Foard, Knox, Haskell, Jones, Callahan, Brown, Mills and San Saba in the State of Texas, except the county of Hansford

WEST VIRGINIA: All of the State of West Virginia except the counties of Hancock, Brook, Ohio, and Marshall; also Lawrence and Washington counties in Ohio

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