KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Purdue's Maycey Vieta and Maggie Merriman both finished top 10 in platform diving, teaming up Sophie McAfee to make the Boilermakers the only team with three All-Americans in the event on the final day of the NCAA Championships.
Vieta placed seventh in the championship final to become a three-time All-American. Merriman won the consolation final (ninth overall) to close out her collegiate career as a four-year All-American. McAfee joined Merriman in the consolation final (13th overall) to become a two-time All-American this year. Daryn Wright finished 22nd in the prelims, placing among the top 25 for the second day in a row.
Texas was the only other university with multiple divers earn All-America honors on platform via top-16 finishes.
Purdue finished 24th in the team scoring with 32 points, the program's 13th top-25 showing since 2005.
Vieta returned to the championship final at NCAAs as the Big Ten champion this season. Saturday, she improved on her prelim score by five points, posting a list of 293.60 in the final. Vieta was also a full-fledged All-American as the bronze medalist in the event in 2021.
Merriman's final collegiate list was a winner as she was victorious in the consolation final for her third career top-10 showing in the event at NCAAs – an honorable mention All-American this year. She closes out her Purdue career as a four-year All-American, becoming the Boilermakers' first female diver to accomplish the feat while joining teammates Ben Bramley (2019-22) and Greg Duncan (2019-22) from the men's side.
McAfee placed fifth in the consolation final for a 13th-place overall finish. She was 10th overall on 3-meter Friday, earning her first career honorable mention All-American accolade. The sophomore becomes Purdue's fifth female diver to be an All-American on both a springboard and the platform in the same year.
Merriman gives the Boilermakers a consolation final winner at NCAAs for the second year in a row after Tyler Downs did likewise last season on 1-meter. She's the first female to accomplish the feat since Casey Matthews (1-meter) in 2013. Merriman improved on her prelim score by 16 points, finishing strong after a missed dive in the final round of the prelim cost her a berth in the championship final for the third straight season.
McAfee and Wright will headline Purdue's returning divers for the 2023-24 season. Vieta also has the option to return as a fifth-year student-athlete next season.
SATURDAY AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
• Maycey Vieta, 293.60 – Finished 7th in the Championship Final (12 Points); All-America
• Maggie Merriman, 292.10 – Won Consolation Final (9 Points); Honorable Mention All-America
• Sophie McAfee, 261.25 (Prelim Score) – Finished 5th in Consolation Final (4 Points); Honorable Mention All-America
• Daryn Wright, 248.60 – Finished 22nd in Prelims
PURDUE WOMEN TO BE AN ALL-AMERICAN ON A SPRINGBOARD & PLATFORM IN SAME YEAR
• Carrie McCambridge (1M & 3M) – 2005, 2006
• Amanda Miller (1M & 3M) – 2007
• Erin Mertz (1M & 3M) – 2011
• Emily Bretscher (1M, 3M) – 2019, 2021
• Sophie McAfee (3M) – 2023
Vieta placed seventh in the championship final to become a three-time All-American. Merriman won the consolation final (ninth overall) to close out her collegiate career as a four-year All-American. McAfee joined Merriman in the consolation final (13th overall) to become a two-time All-American this year. Daryn Wright finished 22nd in the prelims, placing among the top 25 for the second day in a row.
Texas was the only other university with multiple divers earn All-America honors on platform via top-16 finishes.
Purdue finished 24th in the team scoring with 32 points, the program's 13th top-25 showing since 2005.
Vieta returned to the championship final at NCAAs as the Big Ten champion this season. Saturday, she improved on her prelim score by five points, posting a list of 293.60 in the final. Vieta was also a full-fledged All-American as the bronze medalist in the event in 2021.
Merriman's final collegiate list was a winner as she was victorious in the consolation final for her third career top-10 showing in the event at NCAAs – an honorable mention All-American this year. She closes out her Purdue career as a four-year All-American, becoming the Boilermakers' first female diver to accomplish the feat while joining teammates Ben Bramley (2019-22) and Greg Duncan (2019-22) from the men's side.
McAfee placed fifth in the consolation final for a 13th-place overall finish. She was 10th overall on 3-meter Friday, earning her first career honorable mention All-American accolade. The sophomore becomes Purdue's fifth female diver to be an All-American on both a springboard and the platform in the same year.
Merriman gives the Boilermakers a consolation final winner at NCAAs for the second year in a row after Tyler Downs did likewise last season on 1-meter. She's the first female to accomplish the feat since Casey Matthews (1-meter) in 2013. Merriman improved on her prelim score by 16 points, finishing strong after a missed dive in the final round of the prelim cost her a berth in the championship final for the third straight season.
McAfee and Wright will headline Purdue's returning divers for the 2023-24 season. Vieta also has the option to return as a fifth-year student-athlete next season.
SATURDAY AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
• Maycey Vieta, 293.60 – Finished 7th in the Championship Final (12 Points); All-America
• Maggie Merriman, 292.10 – Won Consolation Final (9 Points); Honorable Mention All-America
• Sophie McAfee, 261.25 (Prelim Score) – Finished 5th in Consolation Final (4 Points); Honorable Mention All-America
• Daryn Wright, 248.60 – Finished 22nd in Prelims
PURDUE WOMEN TO BE AN ALL-AMERICAN ON A SPRINGBOARD & PLATFORM IN SAME YEAR
• Carrie McCambridge (1M & 3M) – 2005, 2006
• Amanda Miller (1M & 3M) – 2007
• Erin Mertz (1M & 3M) – 2011
• Emily Bretscher (1M, 3M) – 2019, 2021
• Sophie McAfee (3M) – 2023