June 10, 2013
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Senior high jumper Geoff Davis and junior diver Casey Matthews have been named Purdue's Athletes of the Year for the 2012-13 school year. They were selected by a vote of athletics department administrators from a pool of candidates made up of each sport's Most Valuable Player or similar designee.
Davis (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Matthews (Getzville, N.Y.) will now represent the Boilermakers in the voting for the Big Ten Conference Athlete of the Year awards. The Big Ten awards will be voted on by a panel of conference media and announced on the Big Ten Network at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday, June 17.
Purdue diver David Boudia was the winner of the 2011 Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year award. Golfer Maria Hernandez (2009) was the last Purdue recipient of the Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year.
Davis is the first track and field athlete to be selected as a Purdue Athlete of the Year since Serene Ross (2002), who was a throws specialist and a Big Ten champion in the javelin. Brian Kiser (1989) was the last male track and field athlete to be honored. Kiser also excelled in the throwing events.
Matthews is the third diver to be selected as the Purdue Female of the Year, joining Amanda Miller (2007) and Carrie McCambridge (2005). However, with Boudia winning an unprecedented three straight Purdue Male Athlete of the Year awards from 2009-11, a diver has been among the Purdue Athlete of the Year winners six times since 2005.
During the 2012-13 school year, Matthews was the national champion in 3-meter diving as well as an Honorable Mention All-American in 1-meter diving. She joined Boudia as Purdue divers to win an NCAA championship, claiming the first national title for the women's swimming and diving program. Davis was a high jump All-American during the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons, placing among the top five in the nation at both national championship meets.
The voting for the Female Athlete of the Year was tightly contested between Matthews, golfer Paula Reto and volleyball's Ariel Turner. Football's Kawann Short was the runner-up in the men's voting.
Davis closed his college career with his best performance at the Outdoor NCAA Championships June 7. He won bronze in the high jump, clearing a personal-best outdoor mark of 2.24m (7.04.25). It ranked as the second best outdoor height in program history. The two athletes he finished behind at the NCAA Championships both won medals at the 2012 Olympic Games.
In March, Davis also earned All-America honors by placing fifth at the Indoor NCAA Championships, tying a Purdue indoor high-jump record (2.26m, 7-05). At the Big Ten Championships this year, he won silver at the outdoor meet and bronze at the indoor meet.
Davis was a seven-time All-American during his career after qualifying for the NCAA Championships in seven of his eight opportunities. He was the outdoor Big Ten champion in the high jump as a sophomore in 2011.
Matthews earned Honorable Mention All-America on the 1-meter springboard after winning the consolation final of the event at the NCAA Championships. After also having the top score in the preliminaries of the 3-meter diving, she ended up winning three of the four rounds in which she competed at the national championship meet. By accounting for 29 team points at the NCAA Championships and 30 points the Big Ten Championships, she helped the Boilermakers place 19th and fifth, respectively, at the marquee events of the swim-dive season.
Matthews broke the Purdue 3-meter diving record while finishing as the runner-up at the Big Ten Championships. She now ranks among the top five in program history in all three diving events.
Matthews returned to the active roster in December 2012 after missing the last two seasons due to shoulder and ankle surgeries. Entering her senior season of 2013-14, she is a three-time NCAA Championships qualifier and five-time All-America honoree.
Track & Field Winners of Purdue Athlete of the Year (Men & Women)
Geoff Davis, 2013 (High Jump)
Serene Ross, 2002 (Throws)
Corissa Yasen, 1996 (High Jump, Heptathlon)
Corissa Yasen, 1995 (High Jump, Heptathlon)
Jamie McNeair, 1990 (Heptathlon)
Brian Kiser, 1989 (Throws)
Jamie McNeair, 1989 (Heptathlon)
Cathy Tyree^, 1987 (Heptathlon)
Rod Woodson*, 1987 (Hurdles, Sprints)
Yvonne Netterville, 1985 (Jumps)
Sybil Perry, 1984 (Sprints, Hurdles)
Alvin McNair*, 1983 (Sprints)
*Also competed for Purdue Football
^Also competed for Purdue Basketball
Diving Winners of Purdue Athlete of the Year (Men & Women)
Casey Matthews, 2013
David Boudia, 2011
David Boudia, 2010
David Boudia, 2009
Amanda Miller, 2007
Carrie McCambridge, 2005
Recent Purdue Athlete of the Year Winners >>> Complete List
^Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year winner
*Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year winner
2013
Male: Geoff Davis, Track & Field
Female: Casey Matthews, Diving
2012
Male: Kevin Plawecki, Baseball
Female: Ariel Turner, Volleyball
2011
Male: David Boudia^, Diving
Female: Numa Gulyanamitta, Golf
2010
Male: David Boudia, Diving
Female: Maude-Aimee LeBlanc, Golf
2009
Male: David Boudia, Diving
Female: Maria Hernandez*, Golf
2008
Male: Dustin Keller, Football
Female: Maria Hernandez, Golf
2007
Male: Anthony Spencer, Football
Female: Amanda Miller, Diving
2006
Male: Giordan Pogioli, Swimming
Female: Onnarin Sattayabanphot, Golf
2005
Male: Taylor Stubblefield, Football
Female: Carrie McCambridge, Diving