When you've got a good thing going, you tend to want to keep it going. The 693 points the Penn State women's swimming team accumulated to win the Big Ten Championships in a dominating performance is the good thing.

The question now is: Can the Nittany Lions keep it going? Is this team the blueprint for how to win a conference championship?

It is a great moment in Penn State swimming history, as the team's point total was the highest ever for the Lions.

"I think there are going to be teams that are better than us and that's exciting," senior Dee Dlugonski said.

However, a look at the past reveals some astronomical point totals: from 1987-1998, the University of Michigan won every Big Ten Championship with an average point total of 761.25, topping out at 939 in 1996. While the Lions have a way to go to match that kind of dominance, their execution and dedication seem to indicate that it's possible.

"[We're] a very good conference-level team," Penn State coach Bill Dorenkott said. "I still think that we're waiting for a breakthrough at the national level."

One potential key to how well a team does at Big Ten Championships is the goal of the program. Penn State prepared specifically to win the Big Ten meet in terms of training and focus, whereas other programs had their eyes on different ends.

"We didn't want to prepare for [Big Tens]," Wisconsin coach Eric Hansen said, "and very few people understood that. You gotta pick and choose."

This focus beyond Big Ten Championships can help explain why Wisconsin was the favorite going into the Big Ten meet. Because the Badgers taper in the middle of the season in order to get as many NCAA "A" cut times as possible, and not directly before the Big Tens like Penn State, they had many of the top times in the conference before the meet.

"We have the top-end girls that are gonna do a good job at the national championships, but we don't have the depth that Penn State has," Hansen said.

Similarly, Michigan coach Jim Richardson looked beyond Big Ten Championships. Richardson lets his swimmers set their own goals.

"My philosophy is that it is very difficult to have a peak experience three separate times within a month and a half," said Richardson, alluding to Big Tens, NCAA Championships, and the U.S. National Championships.

In tapering, swimmers get a window of opportunity to fully rest and swim at the pinnacle of their abilities, so it is important to set a goal for when to open that window. Considering this, philosophy and aim become essential in selecting when you aim to swim your fastest.

"The greatest thing you can achieve in this sport is to represent your country in international competition," Richardson said. "That drove a lot of my decision making with respect with the options I was going to give each swimmer on the team."

The differing focuses of the Penn State, Wisconsin and Michigan programs may help to explain why the Lions were so dominant. But this is not to say that it has everything to do with it.

"What Penn State accomplished was just impressive," Hansen said.

Hansen also said that Penn State ought to be good at the national level as well, but there is no overlooking what the Lions have accomplished this year.

"They were just a thoroughly prepared team, and as a coach that's a great thing to see," Richardson said. "When you can't win it, you're pleased to see someone like Penn State [win]."