Underdog is a term the 24th-ranked men's swimming and diving team has become accustomed to when it comes to Eastern Seaboard Championships.

For as long as Penn State (9-1) has been competing in the championships, underdogs are what the Lions have been. This year, however, with the 51st annual Eastern Seaboard Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Championships set to begin today at Princeton's DiNunzio Natatorium, Penn State is taking a lineup capable of coming out on top.

And taking the Eastern Championship is the next logical step for the Lions, which have finished second each of the last two years, losing 528-517.5 last season to perennial favorite Princeton.

Four divers and 17 swimmers headed to Princeton on Tuesday to prepare for the three-day, 26-team event, the last for Penn State, which will be integrated into the Big Ten next season.

Coach Peter Brown is hoping the team's last taste is a good one.

"We're looking forward to going up there and facing some good competition and seeing what we can do," Brown said. "I think we've done a lot of good things all year and there's no reason to believe we won't swim well.

"(Easterns) is the meet you point for all season -- I think we have people who can score in each event and anything could happen," Brown added.

The Lions have spent the last two weeks tapering their practices and working out individual glitches while mentally preparing for the championship.

"The important thing (the last two weeks) was just getting a lot of rest and not feeling like we necessarily had to test ourselves too much because we've been doing that all season," Brown said.

Balance and depth, two key factors responsible for taking Penn State to its best record in team history this season, will be integral at Easterns, which is won, Brown said, with balanced scoring from each swimmer across the board.

Today, the 200-yard freestyle relay, 500 freestyle, 200 individual medley, 50 freestyle, 400 medley relay and 1-meter diving events are on tap, events the Lions have excelled in all season.

On the 1-meter board, freshman Chris Devine and seniors Jeff Eagles, Joe Marsh and Steve Zamborsky, will each try to place first among the fierce low-board competition, the toughest coming from Pitt diver John Sharkey, who captured first on both the 1- and 3-meter boards at Easterns last year.

"We're taking four divers, because we think four should score -- there's no team that we're going to face there that's as deep in good diving as we are," diving coach Craig Brown said. "I think we have a better shot at high board, but who knows -- Sharkey makes a mistake (on) low board, one of our guys could be right in there."

Eagles, who placed fourth on both boards last year, believes that first place is up in the air.

"In the past, its been who's been able to be most consistent at the meet," Eagles said. "(Sharkey) is not invincible -- it's definitely possible for us to challenge for the top spot."

For Penn State to win its first championship, it will have to overcome the string of victories put together by Ivy League teams, which have won every Eastern Championships the Lions have participated in.

The majority of those championships have been won by Princeton, which has taken the last four. The Tigers, along with Harvard, should present Penn State with fierce competition for first place.

Princeton, ranked No. 22 in the nation, is once again a heavy favorite heading into the competition. Ty Nelson, who took first in the 100 butterfly last year and holds an Eastern record in the event with a time of 48.45, will be tough for Lion butterflyers Quinn Carver, Thad Davis and Kirk Skoglund to beat.

The biggest challenge, however, will come in all five relay events, annual strong points for the Tigers. Princeton, which finished first in the 200 and 400 medley relay and the 200 freestyle relay last year at Easterns, should be strong in those events again this year.

The Crimson (9-1), whose only loss of the year came at the hands of the Tigers, have strong swimmers across the board. On paper, Harvard swimmer Greg Tull should challenge Penn State freestyler Walt Sopp in both the 50 and 100 freestyle events, while backstrokers Chris Kovac and Sean Goulsen should present formidable opposition to junior Nick Boyce in both the 100 and 200 backstroke.

"We have pretty good front-line swimmers and adequate depth in our lineup," Harvard coach Joe Bernal said. "If we can capitilize on Princeton and Penn (State) errors, we can be right up there."

"We're going to get our toughest competition from Harvard and Princeton," Peter Brown said, "but as a team we need that competition in order to bring out the best in our swimmers."

Brown added consistency and balanced scoring will be the keys to a Penn State victory and said even though the Lions have the talent to win, it takes a strong performance to take the championship.

"Some people think 'Well, if you have the people you can win,' but it goes far beyond that," Brown said. "It's not that easy, otherwise everyone would be doing it -- so much of it is mental judo; getting your head screwed on straight and getting it done."