TIFTON, Fla. — Hot fun in the summertime will be hitting the Baldwin Drive Pool Saturday when the annual Georgia Recreation and Park Association District 3 swim meet will invade town.

Warm-ups will begin at 7 a.m., according to the packet for the swim meet. Opening ceremonies start at 9.

Tiftarea Tidal Wave head coach Dustin Bengston believes his squad is ready to hit the water. “Yes, they should be good to go,” he said. Bengston is concerned about Saturday’s weather. Temperatures in the pool have been “really high” and he said that it is “not conducive to fast swimming.”

Luckily, of course, “it will be placings that matter rather than times, and all competitors have to deal with it.”

Tiftarea belongs to Class B/C, as do the Moultrie Sharks, Fitzgerald Fins, Thomasville YMCA, Bainbridge Barracudas and Americus Blue Tide in District 3. Valdosta is a member of the same district and will also be competing, but the Piranhas are a Class A team.

The Tidal Wave won last year’s district meet by a 751-692 margin over Thomasville. The Thomasville squad were also runners-up in 2014, falling by a 169 points to the hosts. Tiftarea won by an even larger margin in 2013.

Bengston will not have a full team at his disposal. He said some swimmers ages 11 and up will not be available because they are competing for USA swimming cuts. Those will be next weekend, he said. Fortunately, he will have more of his younger crew. “The 10 and unders that have State USA cuts are pulling double duty and will be swimming.”

Competitors are limited to two individual races and two relay events. Ninety events will be held, with swimmers divided into boys and girls divided into age groups, ranging from 7-8 to and 18-and-under.

District qualifiers will be eligible for the state tournament, which will be held July 15-16.

There are no set expectations for the Tidal Wave, said Bengston. He is thrilled to have the team going “hard and smart” in the pool.

Besides the usual events, mixed relays have been added to the schedule.

“The additions of mixed relays is going to be exciting. We have some very good mixed relays in just about each age group that should be fun to watch,” he said.

Attendees for Saturday’s meet can park in areas adjacent to the pool, behind the Leroy Rogers Senior Center, around the ball fields and in a pool parking area across 2nd Street, but patrons cannot park in the lot at the Leroy Rogers Senior Center.