Divers from all across the Eastern seaboard will converge on McCoy Natatorium today to compete in the 1989 Eastern Women's Swimming League Championships, held through Saturday. Two Lady Lion divers -- Beth Fahey and Amy Schimdt -- will compete in the diving competition.

"Diving at home really makes a difference. The boards are different -- the feel and flex of stands, just subtle things," Coach Craig Brown said. "The home pool is very comfortable and predictable. There are visual cues to look for which help you know when to kick out of the dive."

Fahey, a senior, will be competing in her fourth consecutive Eastern tournament, while Schmidt, a freshman, is getting her first crack at the big time.

"We should be in good shape," Brown said. "Beth knows what it's all about and Amy could surprise a lot of people."

Fahey will compete in both the 1- and 3-meter events while Schmidt will dive in only the 1-meter competition. With these two events constituting the same amount of importance as a regular swimming race, both divers know that being at their best will help the overall team standings.

"During the meet I'll take each dive as it comes. Doing that will let me help myself contribute to the team." Schmidt said.

Sue Lofgren of Brown University is one of the heavy favorites to win both the 1- and 3-meter diving events. Fahey, who feels she has a shot at winning, may have a say in this.

"It's pressure, but I like a challenge. It's an honor for others to have confidence in you, but I feel like I've earned it," Fahey said, "I know it's cliche, but if I can give my best and end up eighth, I'll be happy."

Fahey's coach begs to differ.

"Beth is experienced. When she makes mistakes, they don't show," Brown said. "She might have a glitch here and there, but they're solid dives. She's real consistent; she'll finish up there."

In order to finish in the top, the divers must compete in two different rounds. First, there are five compulsory dives -- forward, backward, reverse, inward and twisting. Each dive is voluntary (not necessarily the same), yet the direction of the dive is not.

The second round consists of six optional dives, again one in each direction. These are spinning dives and they must be different than any dive performed in the compulsories.

Scoring for the meet is calculated by giving each dive a degree of difficulty. Then, the coefficient of that difficulty is plugged into an equation. The judges will then look for a combination of boardwork, execution and entry. All of these numbers combined will determine the diver's score.

Putting these scores together is what Schmidt would like to do in the 1-meter contest. She would like to make it into the finals, but more importantly, wants to be consistent in her dives and go through the meet without scoring less than a five on any dive.

"Amy can pop a meet," Brown said, "She doesn't have the dives to win it, but if she could get in the top 12, I'd be super happy and (probably) jump up and down."

The key for both of these divers is to keep the excitement of the meet under control. Relaxation is the top priority.

"When you get tight you're not as smooth and fluid. You have to turn the adrenaline around and get pumped -- control pumped," Brown said. "When you're diving if you're controlled, you can channel your extra energy into the dive."

"When I'm on the board, I take a deep breath and focus on the key corrections that coach told me," Schmidt said, "I think about the one thing that will make the dive correct. Watching Beth, I've learned not to let the meet get to me; the tighter I am, the harder it is. Being able to relax, I know it's supposed to happen."

Taking a slightly different approach, Fahey relies on her meet experience.

"I need a level head during competition. While I'm waiting for my dive, my mind goes blank. I black out everything," Fahey explained. "I use body awareness -- which is where the body just learns -- I know where I am."

Regardless of the method, the result has qualified the two for competition. Because the meet is at home, the divers feel they are at an advantage.

"We warm up together and watch each other. When comparing yourself you ask 'Am I that high or am I going in that straight or can I do better?' " Schmidt said.