The Harvard women's swimming team will be shooting for its first-ever Eastern title when the Eastern Championship swim meet begins today at Smith Swimming Center in Providence, R.I.

The Crimson has been the Ivy League champion for the past two years, but has never placed higher than third in the Eastern meet. Last year, at McNoy Natatorium in State College, Penn., the squad took third place with a total of 542 points, finishing behind both Brown (933 points) and Penn State (596).

This season, however, Harvard stands undefeated at 9-0. The Crimson downed Brown by a 87-53 margin in December--at the same Smith Swimming Center--and that 34-point difference was the closest any team came to the high-flying Crimson all season.

But the Bruins are the defending Eastern champions, and for a good reason. While dual meets can be decided by a few talented athletes, a multi-team championship favors depth instead. Brown's strength lies in its large core of quality swimmers, as seen in last year's Easterns, when it finished a full 300 points ahead of the next challenger.

Penn State also must be considered a contender for the 1987 crown. Although the Nittany Lions dropped a dual meet to Brown earlier this season, the squad is still a formidable opponent, and especially tough in big meets like Easterns.

Despite a historical dominance, the Bruins and the Nittany Lions would be well advised to avoid taking the Crimson lightly. Harvard lost only two point-scorers from the 1986 squad, and now has a talented freshman class that may have as many as six swimmers earning points this weekend.

Sophomores Jenny Greene and Janice Sweetser both earned titles in last year's Eastern meet and will be looking to repeat as champions. Greene finished on top in the three-meter diving competition in '86, and grabbed a fourth-place finish on the one-meter board.

As a freshman, Sweetser took the top spot in the 500-yd. freestyle, finishing in 4:58.47. Another sophomore, Linda Suhs, placed fifth last year in the 100 backstroke and sixth in the 50 freestyle, and is looking to move up this weekend. Karen Schneider and Lani Nelson are also returning finalists for Harvard.

Friendly Frosh

Several members of the Class of '90 appear ready to put the Crimson over the top. Kaari Reierson--who already holds school records in both backstroke events--should be a finalist in those races, as should Sheila Findley.

Mia Costello also should be a big factor in the meet, possibly giving Brown's Carolyn Ryder a battle for the gold in the breaststroke races. Other freshmen ready for action are Jenny Meyer in the individual medley, distance freestyler Michelle Sang, butterflier Mary Quinn, and backstroke specialist Tatiana Zomopoulos.

Is the Crimson capable of winning its first Eastern championship? If its 9-0 regular season record is any indication, the answer is yes. "The key word for this weekend," Sweetser said, "is fast."