Britni Fisher will face high-level competition this weekend at the NCAA Zone Diving Championships, but she’s not worried about anyone but herself.

“You can’t let it get to you,” Fisher said.

“There’s always going to be someone better than you. You just need to go out there and do your best.”

Fisher, who will be competing at the University of Minnesota, is counting on her individually-focused preparations to land her a qualifying spot in next week’s NCAA Championships.

The freshman is set to compete in the one-meter, three-meter and platform events, each featuring a six-dive preliminary session.

The top-18 divers then advance to a final session. Those with qualifying scores will then move on the NCAA Championships held in College Station, Texas, from March 19-21.

“This weekend is a little different than other meets, in that this is just a qualifying cut,” diving coach Chris Waters said.

“There’s a little more riding on this weekend than before.”

While this weekend has a bit more weighing on it than past events, Fisher is enjoying herself.

“It’s a lot of fun (being at an all-diving competition),” she said. “I enjoy watching swimming; it’s really interesting, but when it’s just diving it’s different. Almost everyone knows each other and everything is focused on one event in one area. It’s great.”

While the weekend event is a qualifying meet, Waters is focused on seeing Fisher show off all the hard work she has put in this season.

“This is her reward for working hard and competing well throughout the season,” Waters said.

“She now gets to go out and compete once more and see that hard work pay off. Big Ten (Championships) was her introductory meet to a setting like this, and she did get nervous, and as a freshman that happens. But now she’s a little more used to it and is just going to go out and do her best.”

In a meet against Illinois State in November, Fisher took first place in both the one-meter and three-meter dives and was the first to do so since 2006. She is also the first Illini diver to qualify for the NCAA Zone Championships since 2004.

“I feel confident,” Fisher said. “We’ve been training for this since September, doing two practices a day. I think we’ve done about all we can do to prepare for this, and now it’s time to go out there and show that. I feel really good about it.”

As for what Waters expects out of the freshman, he just wants to see Fisher compete her best.

“I want her to come here and do her best six dives.” Waters said. “Whether she’s first, 15th, 55th, or whatever, as long as she can say that these were her best dives, then it’s been a successful weekend.”