GREENVILLE — The Washington White Caps will take to the pool alongside seven other local swim teams to take part in today’s Greenville Area Summer Swim League Championship at the Parks and Recreation Pool.

The meet, featuring some of the area’s top youth and high school swimmers, will begin around 8:30 a.m. and wrap up late Saturday afternoon.

The defending champion White Caps took last year’s title, edging the 2012 champion Tarboro Marlins by the slimmest of margins (384-372). This season, it’s Tarboro that enters as the clear-cut favorite after winning six of its seven regular season meets.

Cherry Oaks and Greenville Parks and Rec come in tied for second place in the league with 5-2 records.

Head coach Spenser Pake’s squad enters as the fourth-place team with a 4-3 record.

“This has been, with the availability of the swimmers, one of the worst years we’ve had,” he said. “We’ve been battling sickness, vacations and (competing with) baseball, but I think overall we did pretty well considering the amount of kids missing at several meets.”

At full strength, the White Caps have secured decisive victories, including a 738.5-604.5 win over Greenville Parks and Rec. Today, Washington will be close to full strength and coach Pake is confident his core group of swimmers is capable of carrying the team to a top finish.

Despite missing three meets, Pam Pack standout Kevin Andrews has proved to be one of the White Caps’ most valuable assets. Andrews has taken first in every race he’s been a part of, including relays. He will be available to swim for the White Caps today.

While Washington will be without its best female swimmer, Megan Baldwin, coach Pake has gotten viable production from swimmers making up the middle age groups, including Campbell Barnes, who has been a fixture atop the leaderboards in the freestyle breaststroke and IM races, Mary Scott Sheppard and the trio of Lovenberg brothers.

Darah Cole has also impressed for Washington in the fly and IM races.

If Washington can avoid sickness, coach Pake and the White Caps could defy the underdog label and make a run (or swim) at its second championship in as many years.