MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – Purdue's Daryn Wright returned to the podium at the USA Diving Winter Nationals, winning bronze on the tower to lead the way as the Boilermakers accounted for three of the top six finishers in the women's 10-meter competition Sunday.
Similar to Purdue's performance at the Big Ten Championships in February, the Boilermakers had four of the top eight qualifiers in the 10-meter prelim Sunday in the final event of USA Diving's weeklong championship showcase.
Behind Wright's third-place showing, Sophie McAfee finished fifth, Maggie Merriman placed sixth and Maycey Vieta settled for 12th. McAfee improved on her prelim score by 10.15 points in the final to maintain her place on the leaderboard.
PURDUE ON 10-METER AT WINTER NATIONALS
• Daryn Wright, 554.90 (280.55 Prelim, 274.35 Final) – Bronze Medalist
• Sophie McAfee, 523.65 (256.75 Prelim, 266.90 Final) – Finished 5th
• Maggie Merriman, 505.10 (273.20 Prelim, 231.90 Final) – Finished 6th
• Maycey Vieta, 445.00 (240.00 Prelim, 205.00 Final) – Finished 12th
Wright won her third career medal at a USA Diving senior nationals meet. Her prelim score Sunday was actually better than her prelim showing (275.30) at the 2021 Winter Nationals. But she was unable to duplicate the 330-point list and 55-point score improvement she enjoyed a year ago while climbing from sixth to first place in the final, winning the event as a high school senior.
Merriman accounted for Purdue's highest-scoring dive of the day, earning an award of 67.50 on her forward 3 ½ (107C) in round 2 of the final. But she missed her armstand in the following round and was unable to get back into medal contention.
McAfee finished strong in the final with two of her highest-scoring dives of the day, earning awards of 60-plus on her back 2 ½ (205B) and reverse 2 ½ (305C). Both scores were No. 2 among the field and her 67.20 in the fifth and final round was just behind Merriman's for the team's best of the day.
Wright and McAfee both bested their scores in the event from the Purdue Invitational last month.
The Boilermakers won three medals at Winter Nationals this season and have claimed 66 total – 26 individual, 40 synchro – since the meet was introduced in 2010. Jordan Rzepka (10-meter) and alum Greg Duncan (3-meter synchro) were gold medalists earlier in the week.
Similar to Purdue's performance at the Big Ten Championships in February, the Boilermakers had four of the top eight qualifiers in the 10-meter prelim Sunday in the final event of USA Diving's weeklong championship showcase.
Behind Wright's third-place showing, Sophie McAfee finished fifth, Maggie Merriman placed sixth and Maycey Vieta settled for 12th. McAfee improved on her prelim score by 10.15 points in the final to maintain her place on the leaderboard.
PURDUE ON 10-METER AT WINTER NATIONALS
• Daryn Wright, 554.90 (280.55 Prelim, 274.35 Final) – Bronze Medalist
• Sophie McAfee, 523.65 (256.75 Prelim, 266.90 Final) – Finished 5th
• Maggie Merriman, 505.10 (273.20 Prelim, 231.90 Final) – Finished 6th
• Maycey Vieta, 445.00 (240.00 Prelim, 205.00 Final) – Finished 12th
Wright won her third career medal at a USA Diving senior nationals meet. Her prelim score Sunday was actually better than her prelim showing (275.30) at the 2021 Winter Nationals. But she was unable to duplicate the 330-point list and 55-point score improvement she enjoyed a year ago while climbing from sixth to first place in the final, winning the event as a high school senior.
Merriman accounted for Purdue's highest-scoring dive of the day, earning an award of 67.50 on her forward 3 ½ (107C) in round 2 of the final. But she missed her armstand in the following round and was unable to get back into medal contention.
McAfee finished strong in the final with two of her highest-scoring dives of the day, earning awards of 60-plus on her back 2 ½ (205B) and reverse 2 ½ (305C). Both scores were No. 2 among the field and her 67.20 in the fifth and final round was just behind Merriman's for the team's best of the day.
Wright and McAfee both bested their scores in the event from the Purdue Invitational last month.
The Boilermakers won three medals at Winter Nationals this season and have claimed 66 total – 26 individual, 40 synchro – since the meet was introduced in 2010. Jordan Rzepka (10-meter) and alum Greg Duncan (3-meter synchro) were gold medalists earlier in the week.