After finishing its season with eight consecutive victories and recording the best-ever finish for a Penn State team at the Eastern Seaboard Championships earlier this month, the men's swimming and diving team is ready for more action.

The action begins today and continues through Saturday in Indianapolis, Ind., at the NCAA Championships. Seven Penn State swimmers will hit the water against the best collegiate swimmers in the country.

Senior Dave Rafferty will compete for the second time in the 50- and 200-yard freestyle races and also in the 200 butterfly, in which he is seeded 17th.

"I went to NCAAs as a sophomore, but this year will be different," he explained. "Everyone will probably swim better because the relays are going and we will probably get more support."

"Dave is a good man to have when the money is on the line," Assistant Coach Joe Thier said.

Freshman Nick Boyce will swim the 100 and 200 backstroke and the 200 individual medley event.

"Nick isn't seeded really well in the 100 back, but anything could happen," senior Brian Wentzel said.

Typically, the field comprises 30 competitors in the individual races and approximately 20-25 teams qualify for each relay event. Two of the four Penn State relay teams will meet challenges today. The trials for the 400 medley relay and the 200 free relay are at noon and the finals begin at 7:30 p.m.

The 200 free relay will make its debut at nationals this year. Penn State's team, the ninth seed, is comprised of seniors Mike Miklus, Rafferty, Wentzel and sophomore Walt Sopp.

"It will be exciting to watch because it goes so quick," Coach Peter Brown said. "Some coaches don't like the event because of the degree to which it emphasizes sprinting. The 200 free relay will make the meet even more interesting."

Brown said his 400 medley relay team consisting of Boyce, junior Steve Wukitch, Rafferty and Wentzel has the ability to finish well.

Other relay teams that will compete later in the week include the 200 medley relay team of Boyce, Wukitch, Rafferty and Wentzel and the 400 free relay team of Miklus, Rafferty, Wentzel and Sopp. The 400 free relay is ranked in the top 20 nationally. Brown may substitute senior Brent Matheson for Miklus.

"All four of our relay teams are capable of scoring," Brown said. "We can't have any mistakes, however. There's no question in my mind that we can post faster times than those we swam at Easterns."

"This pool is very fast," Wentzel said. "It's one of the nicest facilities in the country."