OCALA, Fla. – A top-five overall finish and a B final victory for both Maxwell Blume and Abby Marcukaitis were the top individual accomplishments for the 16 Purdue swimmers that closed out their seasons at the CSCAA National Invitational Championship at the Florida Aquatics Swimming & Training center.
The Boilermakers were represented by six women and 10 men at the national showcase. They had A finalists in five events. Keira Kask (200 fly) joined Blume (100 breast) and Marckuaitis (200 back) as B final winners.
The Purdue men finished in sixth place of 36 scoring teams with 404 points. The women placed 34th of 54 teams.
Marcukaitis finished fourth in the A final of the 100 backstroke as the Boilermakers' top overall finisher. Blume took fifth in the A final of the 200 breaststroke. Ana Rojas (100 back), Nathaniel Thomas (50 free) and Cecilie Wiuff (200 fly) also represented Purdue in A finals.
Kask won the B final of the 200 butterfly with a lifetime best mark of 1:59.47, moving up into 12th place in program history in the event. It was the team's second-best time of the season.
Alexander Cole (1000 & 1650 free), Gabe Eschbach (1000 & 1650 free), Lance Lesage (100 & 200 back), Luke Fortner (200 breast) and Thomas (100 free) also posted lifetime bests that ranked among the top five on the team this season.
Purdue will be represented in all three diving events at both NCAA Championships meets over the next two weeks. Five women compete for the Boilermakers this week (March 20-23) in Athens, Ga. All three men's divers will be among the entries when the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis hosts the national championship meet again March 27-30. ESPN+ has the live coverage of every day of both meets.
A FINALISTS
• Abby Marcukaitis – 100 Back (4th)
• Maxwell Blume – 200 Breast (5th)
• Ana Rojas – 100 Back (7th)
• Nathaniel Thomas – 50 Free (8th)
• Cecilie Wiuff – 200 Fly (9th)
WON B FINALS
• Maxwell Blume – 100 Breast
• Abby Marcukaitis – 200 Back
• Keira Kask – 200 Fly
QUALIFIED FOR MULTIPLE B FINALS
• Lance Lesage – 50, 100, 200 Back
• Alexander Cole – 200, 500, 1000/1650 Free
• Gabe Eschbach – 500, 1000/1650 Free
• Keira Kask – 100 & 200 Fly
• Abby Marcukaitis – 50 & 200 Back
• Maxwell Blume – 50 & 100 Breast
• Mason Kajfosz – 200 Fly & 200 IM
• Rafael Rodriguez – 100 IM & 200 Fly
• Cooper Callahan – 100 IM & 200 Free
The Boilermakers were represented by six women and 10 men at the national showcase. They had A finalists in five events. Keira Kask (200 fly) joined Blume (100 breast) and Marckuaitis (200 back) as B final winners.
The Purdue men finished in sixth place of 36 scoring teams with 404 points. The women placed 34th of 54 teams.
Marcukaitis finished fourth in the A final of the 100 backstroke as the Boilermakers' top overall finisher. Blume took fifth in the A final of the 200 breaststroke. Ana Rojas (100 back), Nathaniel Thomas (50 free) and Cecilie Wiuff (200 fly) also represented Purdue in A finals.
Kask won the B final of the 200 butterfly with a lifetime best mark of 1:59.47, moving up into 12th place in program history in the event. It was the team's second-best time of the season.
Alexander Cole (1000 & 1650 free), Gabe Eschbach (1000 & 1650 free), Lance Lesage (100 & 200 back), Luke Fortner (200 breast) and Thomas (100 free) also posted lifetime bests that ranked among the top five on the team this season.
Purdue will be represented in all three diving events at both NCAA Championships meets over the next two weeks. Five women compete for the Boilermakers this week (March 20-23) in Athens, Ga. All three men's divers will be among the entries when the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis hosts the national championship meet again March 27-30. ESPN+ has the live coverage of every day of both meets.
A FINALISTS
• Abby Marcukaitis – 100 Back (4th)
• Maxwell Blume – 200 Breast (5th)
• Ana Rojas – 100 Back (7th)
• Nathaniel Thomas – 50 Free (8th)
• Cecilie Wiuff – 200 Fly (9th)
WON B FINALS
• Maxwell Blume – 100 Breast
• Abby Marcukaitis – 200 Back
• Keira Kask – 200 Fly
QUALIFIED FOR MULTIPLE B FINALS
• Lance Lesage – 50, 100, 200 Back
• Alexander Cole – 200, 500, 1000/1650 Free
• Gabe Eschbach – 500, 1000/1650 Free
• Keira Kask – 100 & 200 Fly
• Abby Marcukaitis – 50 & 200 Back
• Maxwell Blume – 50 & 100 Breast
• Mason Kajfosz – 200 Fly & 200 IM
• Rafael Rodriguez – 100 IM & 200 Fly
• Cooper Callahan – 100 IM & 200 Free