The women's swimming and diving team is taking a "nothing to lose" attitude with them to Indianapolis for the NCAA Championships.

"No one expects anything from us; anything we do will surprise people," Coach Bob Krimmel said. "People are amazed like it's the first time we've been there. They think people from the East can't swim."

When the 10th Women's NCAA Swimming and Diving championships begin at 11 today, it will also be the 10th consecutive year that the Lady Lions will be represented at the event. They are the only members of the Eastern Women's Swimming League that can boast that.

The team's highest finish was 24th in the 1984-85 season. Last year at Texas, the Lady Lions finshed 32nd. They finished 10th in the 400 freestyle relay, and diver Amy Schmidt came in 18th on the 1-meter board.

This year the team will have five representatives in Indianapolis. Tomorrow, the Lady Lions will compete in the 800 freestyle relay. Christy Rourke will lead off, followed by Fran McDermid, Heather Nicholson and Janet Worobel. Also, Lara vonSeelen will be diving on the 3-meter board.

The relay team proved themselves at the Eastern Championships by taking first in 7:27.53. Surprisingly, Krimmel has Worobel, a freshman, anchoring the team.

"She'll probably go crazy swimming at the end," Krimmel said. "We're excited to see what she does."

Worobel added, "It (being last) was a shock to me a little, but once I see everyone who's in front of me it'll get me more fired up."

Worobel added she is nervous, but is using the expeience as an incentive to make it to NCAAs in an individual event next year.

McDermid, a sophomore, is the only one who has NCAA experience, swimming in last year's 400 freestyle relay team with Jane Kleiderlein, Kristin Lilly and Denise Sonntag. She has the fastest time in the 200 freestyle of the four. Each member of the team swims 200 yards.

At Easterns, McDermid was the star of the team. Not only in the 800 freestyle relay, but she also won the 200 freestyle and finished third in the 100 freestyle. Her contribution to the relay teams was so great that Krimmel thought she should have been named the MVP of the meet.

Rourke, as a junior, is the upperclassman of the group. She has produced the second fastest time of the foursome in the 200. Krimmel feels having her in the leadoff spot, followed by McDermid, should get the team off to a good start.

Nicholson broke the school record in the 1650 freestyle, which she set last season, twice this year. This is a new event for her, but she performed well at Easterns.

"It's a rookie group that's going, and we really haven't seen any other times (from competing teams)," Krimmel said. "But we should be in the top 16 and get All-America honors."

Among the teams that the Lady Lions will go against is a Stanford team led by Olympic star Janet Evans. The Cardinal and Texas are the favorites to win the title.

"An awful lot of freshman come into the meet and swim real well; that's just the nature of swimming," Krimmel said. "You can't be concerned with what other people are doing."

Senior diver vonSeelen is making her first appearance in the national championship meet. After winning the 3-meter at Easterns, she came in second at last week's qualifying meet at Harvard with a score of 431.75.

"She's been in this situation before," diving coach Craig Brown said. "(But) she may feel a little additional pressure, because it's the NCAAs."

Stanford and Miami have top-notch divers that are expected to finish on top. But vonSeelen, who wants to get in the top 16, doesn't concern herself with the competition.

"Her deal is not to even look at anybody else, but just get 11 dives down and see how she ends up," Brown said.