Jane Kleiderlein, Denise Sonntag, Kristin Lilly, Fran McDermid, Jill Fretz and Amy Schmidt will represent the women's swimming and diving team today through Friday at the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas.

These Lady Lions qualified for the NCAAs at the Eastern Seaboard Championships in Pittsburgh on Feb. 22.

This is the eighth straight time Coach Bob Krimmel has sent swimmers to the NCAAs. Penn State leads the East in this category, having sent swimmers for the last 18 years.

The Lady Lions will swim the 200 and 400-yard freestyle relays. They may also compete in the 200 medley relay. Amy Schmidt will compete in the one-meter diving.

"There's a special atmosphere at NCAAs," Krimmel said. "There are no slow swimmers -- only the best swimmers. We have a chance to show everyone what we have."

"It's like nothing I've ever experienced before," freshman McDermid said. "It's scary."

Based on last year's times at NCAAs, the Lady Lions could place as high as sixth in the 200 free relay and fourth in the 400 free relay. The top eight teams get All-American standing. Penn State has never placed in the top eight.

Lilly and Sonntag are each competing in their third national meet.

"We're confident that we'll do well," Lilly said. "It will be fun to watch the reactions of my teammates."

"We're excited to go in and really do well," McDermid said. "We have the ability, we just have to do it."

Amy Schmidt will be diving at NCAAs for the first time. Krimmel said that it is tough to get a spot on the one-meter.

"We're really excited for her," Krimmel said. "Who knows what she'll do. She might just surprise everybody."

The Lady Lions do not know their competition because no time sheet has been issued. Krimmel said that it will probably arrive today or tomorrow, too late for the team.

"It's sketchy information," Krimmel said. "It's hard to predict where we stand."

"People will look at our times and say 'That can't be,' " Krimmel said. "They'll think our times are too fast because of the perception of eastern swimming."

Swimmers from Brown, Harvard, Maryland and West Virginia will also represent the East.