Championships are held at the BASA Pool, starting tomorrow evening (6 p.m.).

Over 100 local competitors are expected together with a healthy overseas contingent, including the likes of Canadians Nancy Sweetham and Kris Fisher and Todd Pace of the United States.

The trio come armed with solid credentials. Sweetham was a double medallist at last year's Commonwealth Games, Fisher is her country's reigning freestyle sprinter, while Pace, making his third sojourn to Bermuda, is a former Pan American Games gold medallist.

Each will take part in their specialty events along with several others in an effort to press local counterparts to greater heights.

Additionally, John Hughes, coach of Brevard Swim Club of Florida, is bringing six swimmers to likewise compete, while brothers Lenny and David Henkel of New Jersey round out the foreign contingent.

Among Bermudian hopefuls are senior swimmers Stephen Fahy and Stanley Harris in the individual medley, butterfly and backstroke events and youngsters Elisha Miller (400 and 800 freestyle), Stephen Troake and Matthew Hammond (both in backstroke events).

In all 32 events -- 16 male and 16 female -- are scheduled over three days, with the top six finishers in each earning berths in the finals.

The meet represents the final opportunity for swimmers to meet qualifying standards for the Central American and Caribbean Age Group Championships to be held July 14-22 in Guadalajara, Mexico.

To date nine -- Craig Roberts, Fahy, Tamika Williams, William Massey, Troake, Hammond, Trevor Nelson, Nuri Latham and Paul Fox -- have reached the triple A standard required and more are anticipated by Sunday night.

Two sessions of swimming will take place on Saturday and Sunday, morning and afternoon, starting at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. respectively.

STANLEY HARRIS -- Will welcome competing against tough overseas oppostion in this weekend's national championships at the BASA pool.