If members of the Nashua Aqua YWCA synchronized swim team in Merrimack, N.H., qualify for nationals again this year, they will actually be able to attend the competition.

The team is one of nine teams and 27 female athletes, including Penn State Assistant Fencing Coach Suzanne Paxton, that received a Sudafed Travel and Training Fund grant from the Women's Sports Foundation during the first grant period of 1994. The Women's Sports Foundation is a nonprofit educational organization that serves women and girls in sports.

The Nashua synchronized swim team, consisting of members from nine to 18 years old, did not have the money to send members to nationals before it received this grant, Coach Denise Kulas said, although members often qualified. She said they will also use the money to attend extra training clinics. The team has previously relied on fundraising events, such as car washes and candy sales, to support its activities.

The grants, totaling over $40,000, were given to teams and individuals across the country to "provide direct financial assistance to aspiring athletes with successful competitive records who have the potential to achieve even higher performance levels and rankings," a Women's Sports Foundation press release said. Among past recipients are Olympic figure skaters Kristi Yamaguchi and Jill Trenary and Olympic gymnast Wendy Bruce.

The Sudafed Travel and Training Fund, established in 1984, can be used for travel to competitions, specialized equipment or coaching, or training expenses. A maximum of $1,500 per individual and $3,000 per team can be awarded each year.

The grants were given to female athletes in a variety of sports, including badminton, snowboarding, waterskiing, karate, and rugby.

Dr. Charlie Smith, coach of the Penn State women's rugby team, said obtaining funds for his team, a club sport, is extremely difficult. He said the team will need to raise over $17,000 to travel to the national championships this spring.

"It's a problem throughout the University and throughout the country," Smith said. "We understand that funds are scarce, but it detracts from the sport."

Stephanie Teets (sophomore-pre-medicine), president of the Penn State Karate Club, agrees that funding is a problem in club sports. She said her club could use additional money to bring in more people and hold educational seminars for the University.

"If we could get any extra funding, we could go to tournaments and represent Penn State," she said.

The Women's Sports Foundation, located in Eisenhower Park, N.Y., awards the training grants three times a year.