QC Summer Games 2026 Swim Meet Details
Updated 3/10/2026
The 2026 Summer Games swim meet will be held at the Augustana College Natatorium on May 30, 2026. Warm-ups at 9 am. Competition begins at 10 am.
The meet is a USMS recognized meet. The official recognition number is 216-R001. All the details required by USMS below.
Our goal is to deliver a swim meet that welcomes all levels of participants ranging from leisure/recreational swimmers who may have never done a swim meet before to life-long Masters swimmers who are chasing national records - and everyone in between.
For the first time ever, 25-yard distances will be offered in each of the four strokes (back, breast, fly, and free).THESE FOUR EVENTS WILL BE EXHIBITION ONLY SINCE USMS DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THESE DISTANCES, but participants are eligible for Summer Games medals.
The meet will feature electronic timing, certified officials, and the opportunity (for USMS members) to qualify for national records and Top Ten status. Masters Swimming is for those 18 and over. Accordingly, our meet will admit those 18 and over.
Masters swimmers who are 40 and over are entitled to the entire QC Summer Games bundle in addition to their entry in the swim meet. Unlimited events, tee shirt, up to three earned medals and a picnic meal at the closing ceremonies for a single registration fee of $40. You will need to provide your USMS information and sign the USMS waiver at the meet.
Masters swimmers who are between the ages of 18 and 40 are eligible to participate in the 5k on May 25 and the cycling road race on May 29, and thus earn a medal in the Run Monday - Bike Friday - Swim Saturday triathlon. The swim will be the 500 yd event.
To qualify for USMS records, a swimmer will need to be registered with USMS. As in all Masters meets, the age groups will be divided into five-year categories such as 24-29 and 30-34. This is consistent with the 5-year age groups of the Summer Games that are used to award medals.
Important details for 2026
- Pool entry/exit assistance will be provided by volunteers. The lift chair will be available.
- The meet will be run at an appropriate pace so that adequate rest between events is provided.
- The order of events will be: 100 fly, 200 free, 25 back, 50 breast, 50 free, 100 back, 25 fly, 100 IM, 100 free, 25 breast, 50 back, 100 breast, 25 free, 50 fly, 500 free
- All swimmers will be eligible to earn Summer Games medals in 5-year age groups.
- Relays will be organized on deck that day for those interested. These will be treated as exhibitions. Relays may be formed without regard to age and gender. Relay medals will be awarded only for first, second, and third.
- Registrations will have to be received for the meet by Monday, May 25.
- Remember, you do not need to go off the blocks to participate in the meet. Swimmers may dive from the wall beside a starting block, or start in the water with one hand and one foot touching the wall by the starting block.
Please help spread the word.
QC Summer Games Swim Meet (as provided to USMS)
May 30, 2026 — Hosted by QC Senior Olympics
Recognized by <Illinois Masters Swim Association> for USMS Inc. — Recognition Number: 216 R001
NAME/Augustana College Lund Natatorium 3501 - 7th Avenue, Rock Island, IL 61201
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The 25-yard pool without a bulkhead is in compliance and on file with USMS in accordance with articles 105.1.7 and 106.2.1.
WARM-UP: 9 a.m. COMPETITION START TIME: 10 a.m.
CONTINUOUS WARM-UP: At least one adjacent lane will be available during the meet for warm-up/warm-down.
TIMING SYSTEM: An automatic system will be used, namely the Colorado Gen7 Timing System, plus hand-held stopwatches with timers for back-up timing. Times from this competition by USMS-registered swimmers will be eligible for USMS records and Top 10 consideration, but not for world records.
MEET DIRECTOR: Norm Bower, normbower53@gmail.com
MEET REFEREE: Paul Herstedt, herstedtp@gmail.com
MEET REGISTRAR: Ramsey Vens, ramseyvens@augustana.edu
RULES & ELIGIBILITY: Current USMS rules will govern the meet. All participants must be age 18 or older on May 30 and may be currently registered members of U.S. Masters Swimming.
AGE DETERMINATION DATE: For Short Course Yards — last day of meet, May 30, 2026
AGE GROUPS FOR INDIVIDUAL EVENTS: 18–24, 25–29, … in 5-year increments as high as needed.
AGE GROUPS FOR RELAYS: Relay age group is determined by the age of the youngest relay member: 18+, 25+, 35+, 45+, and up in 10-year increments as high as needed.
ONLINE ENTRY URL: https://secure.getmeregistered.com/register.php?event_id=141703&c=102793&mask=103304
PAPER ENTRY PROCEDURE: https://www.qcsogo.org/docs/printable-registration-2026.pdf
Procedure for Relay Entries: Relays will be organized on deck the day of the meet.
ENTRY DEADLINE(S) – INDIV & RELAY: Individual event deadline for registration is May 25, 2026. On-deck individual registrations may be accepted if there is room in a particular heat. Relays will be organized on deck during the meet.
ENTRY LIMITS – INDIV & RELAY: Swimmers may enter four individual events and two relays, maximum.
ENTRY FEE: The registration fee for the QC Summer Games is $40. It covers the swim meet plus all other Summer Games competitions, three medals, a T-shirt, and the closing event picnic meal. See registration page for details.
DAY OF MEET ENTRIES INFO: Swimmers should register for individual events by May 25. On-deck registrations will be accepted only if there is room in a particular heat. Relays will be organized on deck the day of the meet and will include only registered meet participants.
MAILED PAPER ENTRIES:
Mail entries should be delivered to the Summer Games office at
P.O. Box 1687, Davenport, IA 52809 by May 25, 2026.
For USMS members, the registration must include a signed
USMS Waiver Liability Form.
U.S. Masters Swimming Championship Event Waiver
ORDER OF EVENTS
1. Women 100 Fly, 2. Men 100 Fly, 3. Women 200 Free, 4. Men 200 Free,
5. Women 25 Back, 6. Men 25 Back, 7. Women 50 Breast, 8. Men 50 Breast,
9. Women 50 Free, 10. Men 50 Free, 11. Women 100 Back, 12. Men 100 Back,
13. Women 25 Fly, 14. Men 25 Fly, 15. Women 100 IM, 16. Men 100 IM,
17. Women 100 Free, 18. Men 100 Free, 19. Women 25 Breast, 20. Men 25 Breast,
21. Women 50 Back, 22. Men 50 Back, 23. Women 100 Breast, 24. Men 100 Breast,
25. Women 25 Free, 26. Men 25 Free, 27. Women 50 Fly, 28. Men 50 Fly,
29. Women 500 Free, 30. Men 500 Free. Relays will be scheduled on deck.
SEEDING METHOD: Heats will be seeded by gender and by times. There may be some gender-mixed heats.
LOCATION OF HEAT SHEETS: Heat sheets will be posted on the pool walls and at the registration desk.
LOCATION OF RESULTS: Results will be posted on the pool wall during the meet and online at https://www.qcsogo.org/results.php.
SCORING SYSTEM: No scoring of teams or individuals will be computed.
AWARDS: Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals will be awarded to first, second, and third-place finishers by gender and five-year age groups. Limit of three medals. A fee will be charged for additional medals.
TWO TO A LANE CRITERIA: For efficiency and at the discretion of the meet director, swimmers in the 500-yard freestyle may be assigned a shared lane (maximum two swimmers per lane, side-by-side).
