The last time any diver from Iowa State made it to the NCAA championships was in 1987, when Janet Lahti qualified with scores on both the 1- and 3-meter boards.

She is the only diver in school history to qualify for the NCAAs.

Starting Friday, the ISU divers will try to end the 18-year drought of NCAA representation by participating in the NCAA Zone D Qualification competition in College Station, Texas.

“This is probably the most prepared team I’ve ever had,” said diving coach Jeff Warrick. “Overall, I think we have a real good shot of getting at least one person in, but I’m not counting any of my three divers out.”

To qualify for this meet, divers needed to beat a certain benchmark score in any of the three events. All three ISU divers did.

Once at the competition, the divers participate in the three events: 1-meter springboard, 3-meter and platform. The platform offers three different heights: 5, 7.5, and 10 meters. How well each diver finishes determines who will go to the NCAAs.

The total number of qualifiers depends on how well the divers did the previous season.

Last season, there were six available spots. This year, there are 10. The top eight from 1-meter and 3-meter — four from each event — along with the top two from platform fills the 10 holes.

If someone finishes in the top positions in more than one event, the available position from one event goes to the next-highest finisher.

Hillary Nichols has the most experience of the ISU divers, as she just missed making the NCAAs last season.

At the Big 12 championships this year, Nichols won the conference title with her performance on the 10-meter platform. A small adjustment on one dive — an added somersault — helped secure her victory, as well as a new school record.

“That dive definitely helped her win conference,” Warrick said. “That’s why we are changing another one of her dives a little bit to help improve her chances.”

This time, Nichols said, she is going to alter her reverse one-and-a-half to a reverse two-and-a-half.

“There’s just that little risk of bringing up a new dive — maybe not doing it as well — but it also has a high degree of difficulty,” Nichols said.

Iowa State’s chances are better this year, not only because of the extra four spots, but because of the absence of several divers. There are several women who qualified last year but won’t be there this year because of injuries or graduation, Warrick said.

“I think we are as ready as we’re ever going to be,” Warrick said. “At this point it’s just mind over matter, and that’s where the mental toughness comes in. They obviously want to do well, but not to the point where they put so much pressure on themselves they freeze up.”

If ISU divers qualify for the NCAA championships, they will travel to Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. for the championships, which begin March 25.