GREENSBORO, N.C. – Maycey Vieta led the way as a bronze medalist on a historic night for the Purdue divers, teaming up with Maggie Merriman and Emily Bretscher to give the Boilermakers a trio of All-Americans on the tower on the final night of the NCAA Championships.
Purdue produced three of the top seven finishers among a field of 43 divers to begin the platform event. Vieta placed third in her debut at the national championship meet. Merriman took fourth and Bretscher was seventh.
Together they accounted for a combined 43 team points in the event, helping the Boilermakers finish 20th overall at the NCAA Championships with 56 points. It marked the 12th time since 2005 that the Purdue women finished among the top 25 at the national championship meet.
The Boilermakers had three student-athletes in the championship final at NCAAs for the first time in program history. The Purdue men also accomplished the feat in platform diving in 2011 and 2015.
Bretscher joined and Carrie McCambridge (2005), Amanda Miller (2007) and Ashley Karnes (2009) as Purdue's female divers to be two-time championship finalists and full-fledged All-Americans in the same year. McCambridge and Miller also accomplished the feat with top-eight finishes on a springboard event and the tower. Bretscher was sixth in Friday's 3-meter championship final.
The Boilermakers have been represented in the platform championship final at NCAAs every year the meet has been held since 2017. Overall, the Purdue women have had an All-American diver in 16 of the last 17 years the national championship meet has been contested.
Vieta (298.8, 316.8) and Merriman (299.35, 312.3) both improved on their prelim scores in the final, posting career-best marks with their second lists of the day. Bretscher's consistency was again on display as her list scores (278.1, 278) were nearly identical.
Vieta and Merriman were both in contention for the national title. With her armstand in round 2 again producing an elite score of 72, Vieta was atop the leaderboard after rounds 2 and 3. Merriman also executed her armstand for a score of 72 in round 4, giving her an opportunity to medal. But their round 5 scores did not rank among the top half of the eight-diver field.
Indiana's Tarrin Gilliland, who took seventh in the event at Big Tens last month, won the national title thanks to four dives that produced awards of at least 67.5.
Bretscher, Merriman and Vieta are all expected to return to Purdue for the 2021-22 season.
PLATFORM DIVING AT NCAAs
Maycey Vieta, 316.80 – Finished 3rd in Championship Final (16 Points); 9th Best Score in Program History
Maggie Merriman, 312.30 – Finished 4th in Championship Final (15 Points); 11th Best Score in Program History
Emily Bretscher, 278.10 (Prelim Score) – Finished 7th in Championship Final (12 Points)
Purdue produced three of the top seven finishers among a field of 43 divers to begin the platform event. Vieta placed third in her debut at the national championship meet. Merriman took fourth and Bretscher was seventh.
Together they accounted for a combined 43 team points in the event, helping the Boilermakers finish 20th overall at the NCAA Championships with 56 points. It marked the 12th time since 2005 that the Purdue women finished among the top 25 at the national championship meet.
The Boilermakers had three student-athletes in the championship final at NCAAs for the first time in program history. The Purdue men also accomplished the feat in platform diving in 2011 and 2015.
Bretscher joined and Carrie McCambridge (2005), Amanda Miller (2007) and Ashley Karnes (2009) as Purdue's female divers to be two-time championship finalists and full-fledged All-Americans in the same year. McCambridge and Miller also accomplished the feat with top-eight finishes on a springboard event and the tower. Bretscher was sixth in Friday's 3-meter championship final.
The Boilermakers have been represented in the platform championship final at NCAAs every year the meet has been held since 2017. Overall, the Purdue women have had an All-American diver in 16 of the last 17 years the national championship meet has been contested.
Vieta (298.8, 316.8) and Merriman (299.35, 312.3) both improved on their prelim scores in the final, posting career-best marks with their second lists of the day. Bretscher's consistency was again on display as her list scores (278.1, 278) were nearly identical.
Vieta and Merriman were both in contention for the national title. With her armstand in round 2 again producing an elite score of 72, Vieta was atop the leaderboard after rounds 2 and 3. Merriman also executed her armstand for a score of 72 in round 4, giving her an opportunity to medal. But their round 5 scores did not rank among the top half of the eight-diver field.
Indiana's Tarrin Gilliland, who took seventh in the event at Big Tens last month, won the national title thanks to four dives that produced awards of at least 67.5.
Bretscher, Merriman and Vieta are all expected to return to Purdue for the 2021-22 season.
PLATFORM DIVING AT NCAAs
Maycey Vieta, 316.80 – Finished 3rd in Championship Final (16 Points); 9th Best Score in Program History
Maggie Merriman, 312.30 – Finished 4th in Championship Final (15 Points); 11th Best Score in Program History
Emily Bretscher, 278.10 (Prelim Score) – Finished 7th in Championship Final (12 Points)