How to Read an Alto Meet Report

The meet is over! Whew! There were ups and downs, highs and lows, all of the good stuff we want to see in youth competition. Some successes, some failures, maybe a misplaced pair of goggles to keep things interesting! Most importantly, meets give swimmers a chance to test their skills, build confidence, and discuss what they need to do to improve next.

We want every swimmer to leave the meet feeling energized, motivated, and proud of their effort, no matter their results. Growth comes from reflection, and that’s where our Meet Reports come in.

With that in mind, we make a swimmer “Meet Report” available for swimmers to review after the meet. This highlights individual and team successes, best times, team records and more! The report helps swimmers to track their progress throughout the year. These reports give the swimmers a chance to receive recognition for themselves and their teammates on their new accomplishments.

What Is a Meet Report?

After each meet, Alto publishes a Meet Report highlighting both individual and team accomplishments. These reports: 

  • Celebrate new best times and event milestones 

  • Recognize new Motivational Time Standards 

  • Highlight Age Group Championship and Far Western qualifying times 

  • Track progress throughout the year 

  • Build team culture by recognizing swimmer highlights 

How Do I Access the Meet Report?

On the Alto website, select “Alto Team” in the upper right corner. The password to access this section is provided in the weekly update. Once logged in, scroll down to “Meet Results” to find the desired report.

What’s in the Report?

Top Section

The first section of the meet report gives a quick snapshot of how the team performed as a whole. We will list out a total number of across the entire team that includes:

Total number of Best Times achieved

  • Total number of new Motivational Time Standards achieved (listed by time standard)

  • Total number of new Age Group Championship Cuts and new Far Western Cuts

  • Team Records or National Meet Qualifiers (Sectionals, Junior Nationals, etc.)

What Are USA Swimming Motivational Time Standards?

Motivational Time Standards are nationally published time goals created every four years by USA Swimming. These standards are based on performance percentiles nationwide for each age, gender, and event. Every swimmer starts somewhere, and the goal is to steadily progress through the levels over time!

Additional Standards Included:

Age Group Championships

Age Group Championships is our regional championship meet for 14 and under swimmers. This is a great meet for all age group swimmers to try and achieve. The meet runs a prelims session and finals session. Depending on the meet format, finalists may include anywhere from the top 8 to top 20 swimmers. Those who qualify within that range in prelims advance to finals for another opportunity to compete for medals. Swimmers who participate in Age Group Champs also have a chance to compete for their team in finals with Relays. Relays are a great way for swimmers to swim for their team and feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves.

Far Western Championships

Far Westerns is one of the fastest age group meets in the country and includes swimmers 18 & Under. Qualifying is a big accomplishment and represents a high level of competitive swimming. Like AGC, this meet also features prelims and finals along with relay opportunities.

Sectional Championships

Sectionals is a regional championship meet designed for high-performing senior-level swimmers (typically ages 13 & up). Qualifying for Sectionals means a swimmer is advancing into USA Swimming’s senior pathway and competing against some of the fastest athletes in their region.

Junior National Championships

Junior National Championships is an elite national-level meet with challenging qualifying standards. This meet features the fastest 18 & under swimmers from across the United States in a professional-level championship meet environment. The meet occurs twice per year (December and August). Qualifying for Junior Nationals is a major career milestone and reflects exceptional commitment and performance.

Team Records

Team Records represent the fastest times ever swum in Alto history. These could be in any age category or event, and breaking one means joining Alto team legacy! New records are highlighted in each Meet Report and added to the official Alto Record Board. We track Team Records for many reasons, including inspiring younger swimmers and connecting current athletes to the history of Alto Swim Club.

Finalists

During championship meets, the meet report will feature swimmers who advance to finals, finish among the top 3, and capture event titles. These highlights allow us to recognize and celebrate the exceptional accomplishments of our athletes.

Growth Mindset and Meet Reflection

Swimming is about progress over perfection! Learning to race means learning to fail forward, adapt, and grow. Every meet offers feedback, not judgment.

We teach swimmers to adopt a Growth Mindset:

  • Mistakes = Information what to keep doing, stop doing or start doing in practice

  • Effort = Improvement

  • Consistency is Key!

  • Progress isn’t a straight line

Reflection builds self-awareness and independence, skills that last far beyond swimming.

Laura Mitchell