The ISU women’s swimming and diving team’s season full of highs and lows has come to a close.

Although no swimmers secured an invitation to the NCAA championships for the first time in four years, junior diver Hillary Nichols became only the second Cyclone diver in school history to earn an NCAA bid.

“I didn’t expect us to have as good of a year as we did,” said diving coach Jeff Warrick. “I’m usually an optimistic person and a little bit of a dreamer, but I never doubted them, and they exceeded my expectations.”

The Cyclones finished the year 3-3 (0-3 Big 12), had a sixth-place showing at the Big 12 Conference meet, and had all three divers qualify for the Zone D NCAA Qualifying meet.

Of the three, Nichols received an invitation to the NCAA championships.

“I was very happy with the progress of the team,” said swimming coach Duane Sorenson. “We knew this would be a rebuilding year since we graduated eight seniors last year.”

Both coaches set goals at the start of the season, and now at the end, Warrick and Sorenson said, they felt the season was an overall success.

“We basically met every goal we set for ourselves at the beginning of the season,” Warrick said. “We wanted to win all of our dual meets as far as the diving points go; we didn’t quite accomplish that one.”

Warrick said he didn’t expect to having a diver in the NCAA tournament, and Nichols agreed.

“Honestly, I didn’t think it was going to be a very good season,” she said.

“I hurt my ankle and I had a bone chip in my arm, and I didn’t think I was going to get to dive. Warrick didn’t want me diving so I could go to the Big 12s.”

Sorenson said Nichols wasn’t the only standout on the season.

“Lydia Smirniotis exceeded my expectations in the 500 and 1,650 freestyles,” Sorenson said.

“Maggie Peterson had a tremendous season from start to finish. She swam a lifetime best in the 100 backstroke and then broke the school record in it at the Big 12 meet.”

More high points may have taken place if the injury bug hadn’t hit the team.

Juniors Jamie Wieben and Michelle Collins, sophomore Chelsey Walden and seniors Katie Herman and Gail Olson all missed time at some point during the season.

“It would have been nice to start off the year healthy,” Nichols said.

“I didn’t have a chance to really get into my dives for about three months, and I didn’t know how the year was going to go after all my injuries.”

Things eventually turned around for both the swimmers and the divers.

“I think the whole end of the season was a high point,” Warrick said.

“How they performed at conference and then zone, and Hillary making the NCAAs was the icing on the cake. That was a great way to end the season.”