Nichols Qualifies for NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships

March 13, 2005

Final Stats

AMES, Iowa - Junior Hillary Nichols continued to rewrite Iowa State diving history as she became the first Cyclone diver to qualify for the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships since Janet Lahti in 1987. The Thunder Bay, Ontario native earned a bid on the 3-meter springboard with a score of 434.25 on Friday at the NCAA Zone Diving Qualifications held in College Station, Texas. Nichols is coming off her Big 12 title performance on the platform with a school-record score of 408.70 at the Big 12 Championships also held in College Station, Texas. Teammates Gail Olson and Katie Herman had a chance to qualify for the NCAA Championships but fell just short. On the final day of competition, Nichols finished fifth (334.90) and Herman placed eighth (316.10) on the platform.

"Overall, this is the best team showing Iowa State has had at Zone Diving since I've been here," head diving coach Jeff Warrick, in his seventh year at ISU, said. "Hillary, Gail and Katie all did fantastic. It was neat to see Hillary qualify on the first day so we didn't have to sweat it out. It's special for her since it's her first time to make the NCAAs and she still has another year left. We're all very excited."

The NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships are on March 17-19 in West Lafayette, Ind.

2005 Women's NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships Schedule of Events

Thursday, March 17
200-yard Freestyle Relany
500-yard Freestyle
200-yard Individual Medley
50-yard Freestyle
1-Meter Diving

Friday, March 18
200-yard Medley Relay
400-yard Individual Medley
100-yard Butterfly
200-yard Freestyle
100-yard Breaststroke
100-yard Backstroke
3-Meter Diving Trials
800-yard Freestyle Relay

Saturday, March 19
1650-yard Freestyle
200-yard Backstroke
100-yard Freestyle
200-yard Breaststroke
200-yard Butterfly
Platform Diving
400-Yard Freestyle Relay