Speedo Sectionals · Southern Zone

ESSZ Spring Sectionals 2027 qualifying times

The cuts for the Eastern Section of the Southern Zone, how many swimmers already have each one, and where your swimmer stands. Open to swimmers from Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Southeastern and West Virginia.

These are last season's (2026) cuts. The 2027 sheet isn't posted yet; this page switches over when it is.

Where does your swimmer stand?

Every event: best time, what's left to drop, and rank among 13-18 swimmers in this section.

Swimmers aged 13-18 in these LSCs already hold 25,661 of these cuts, and 7,824 more swims are within 2% of a cut. Counted per event, so a swimmer with three cuts counts three times.

SCY cuts (short course yards)

EventGirlsHave itCloseBoysHave itClose
50 Free24.8953126722.49827272
100 Free54.2956127749.19835275
200 Free1:56.994881871:48.29770223
500 Free5:10.892951314:52.59476153
1000 Free10:48.891726910:14.2929361
1650 Free17:49.09995217:03.8922548
100 Back1:00.8958119955.29647157
200 Back2:10.994361342:00.29487118
100 Breast1:08.893781401:02.49640143
200 Breast2:29.093001102:16.0943292
100 Fly59.9954818954.39808193
200 Fly2:11.59256852:01.2945483
200 IM2:12.794821802:00.99632174
400 IM4:40.593111034:19.09399110

LCM cuts (long course meters)

EventGirlsHave itCloseBoysHave itClose
50 Free28.6963025526.09914272
100 Free1:01.8960022657.19950259
200 Free2:13.595001842:03.29614186
400 Free4:40.292991224:22.49376131
800 Free9:38.09157689:04.7922962
1500 Free18:28.691083917:23.8917050
100 Back1:10.595631551:03.99543106
200 Back2:31.694161382:18.6940684
100 Breast1:19.39338741:11.49451105
200 Breast2:51.39284612:35.6933896
100 Fly1:08.195441451:01.29685151
200 Fly2:29.29237512:16.3933561
200 IM2:31.994501672:19.79537167
400 IM5:20.79300884:57.6932496

“Have it” and “Close” count 13-18 swimmers in this section whose best time in their current age group is under the cut, or within 2% of it. Each meet sets its own qualifying window and bonus-event rules; check the meet announcement before entering.

Questions parents ask

Who can swim at the ESSZ Spring Sectionals?
Swimmers registered with a club in Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Southeastern and West Virginia (the Eastern Section of the Southern Zone) who have a qualifying time in the event. Clubs must hold ESSZ membership. Times count from the start of the previous ESSZ summer meet, about 18 months. No ESSZ summer Sectional has been held since 2023.
When and where are the ESSZ Spring Sectionals in 2027?
Spring: mid-March 2027 (not announced), Cary, North Carolina in 2026.
Are these the 2027 ESSZ Spring Sectionals cuts?
Not yet. The 2027 sheet isn't posted, so this page shows the 2026 cuts, which sections rarely change much. We replace them when the new sheet is out, usually in January or February.
Are Sectionals cuts the same everywhere?
No. There is no national Sectionals cut. Each zone splits its LSCs into sections, and each section publishes its own times, so a Cary cut only counts for the ESSZ Spring Sectionals.
How do I see how close my swimmer is?
Search for them on this page. You'll see their best time in every event with a cut, the time still to drop, and where that time ranks among 13-18 swimmers in this section.

Also called: Eastern Section Southern Zone Sectionals, TAC Sectionals, Cary Sectionals, Speedo Champions Series ESSZ.

Keep going

Source: the section's 2026 qualifying times.