Back inthe day, Jr. Nationals was considered a stepping stone event. Swimmers with Sr. National cuts were forbidden from swimming Jr. Nationals in those events if they decided to attend the Jr. Nationals meet. Thus, Jr. Nationals (with all the faults it did have) was a place for the top 18&under swimmers without Sr. National cuts to compete with similarly skilled swimmers in order to go to the next level.
Jr. Nationals had its faults in that coaches were purposely holding swimmers back in order to pump up team scores at the meet, or the meet became sort of a slow burial ground for talented swimmers who felt satisfied with the Jr. National level. The disparity between Jr. and Sr. National QTs was also growing, causing less and less 18 and unders to be at the Sr. National level.
The addition of the Sectional format was an effort to bridge the gap between Jr. and Sr. National level swimmers. The Sectional meets (in my opinion) have been very successful and have served the purpose of creating interaction between the very elite swimmer and the sub-Jr. National level swimmer. For example, I have had about fifteen swimmers who have qualified for our Sr. Sectional meet over the past four to five years. Those swimmers were able to compete with and meet swimmers like Megan Jendrick, Andie Taylor, Missy Franklin, Margaret Hoelzer, and many others--something that would not have occurred at a strictly Jr. National meet of the old days.
With the return of Jr. Nationals, the problem I see is again the creation of a "gap" between the elite and sub-Jr. National levels. With clearly Sr. National athletes taking up the top 10 to 16 places at the Jr. National meet as it is currently structured, the meet has become less of a "Jr. National" meet and more of an "19&under Nationals." These top 19&under athletes are already competing on the Sr. National and world stage. I have a problem with their drift backwards into the Jr. National realm because it essentially prevents the next generation (or later developing generation) of 19&under athletes who are just qualifying for the meet from having opportunity at what should be a second-tier meet.
Any thoughts?
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Completely agreed! Sr. National swimmers, no matter the age should not be allowed at Jr.Nats. It was great that way, back in the day. Jrs. was were you went but your strived for Sr. Nat cuts, like you said, it was a stepping stone. Now it seems like just another meet. back then you went to either or, not both.
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