The ISU diving team is making its second-to-last stop of the 2013-2014 season in Austin, Texas, for the Big 12 Championships.

For the first time and the last time, sophomore Elyse Brouillette and senior Jessica Henderson will dive together at the Big 12 Championships.

“We’re both competitive and we want to win,” Henderson said. “I think we kind of feed off each other in that way, the competitive aspect. If someone does a great dive, it’s more motivation to do even better for the next person.”

Brouillette and Henderson have led the Cyclones in points this season. In the team’s most recent meet against Kansas, Henderson placed first in the 1-meter diving event with a 289.72 score and Brouillette placed first in the 3-meter diving event with a 312.22 score. The divers helped lead the Cyclones to a 163.5-136.5 victory against the Jayhawks.

“Some days, if one of us is feeling off, then the other one will step up and take a little bit of the slack,” Brouillette said. “We push each other in meets, and we try to strive to do our best at each meet. Jess has been there to help me along, and I’m excited to see how this meet is going to go for us.”

Not only have Henderson and Brouillette been good influences on one another, they have helped freshmen Rebecca Stochl and Julie Dickinson adapt to college life and diving at Iowa State, said ISU diving coach Jeff Warrick.

Over the past couple of weeks leading up to the championships, divers have been working on fixing the little things. They have been practicing their entries into the water and using simulations to help prepare for what warm-ups and competition will be like.

With the NCAA Zones ‘D’ Diving Championships right around the corner, the divers entire focus lies on the upcoming Big 12 Championships.

“It’s almost a bad thing to look ahead to the next meet,” Brouillette said. “We’ve been focusing on what’s coming up right now.”

Warrick wants the team to focus on enjoying the meet and not worry about the place they finish.

“I’m not going to talk about what I hope they score, or what place I want them to finish in,” Warrick said. “That will take care of itself if they just enjoy their time here and keep supporting each other. I’m very confident in where they’re at.”

Brouillette and Henderson will represent the Cyclones March 10-12 at the Diving Championships in Minneapolis.