ATHENS, Ga. – Daryn Wright, Maycey Vieta and Sophie McAfee all claimed All-America honors in platform diving as the Purdue Divers accounted for three of the eight championship finalists on the tower at the NCAA Championships for the second time in four years.
Wright finished fifth, Vieta sixth and McAfee eighth while competing for the national title in the event. The Purdue women also had accounted for three of the top eight in 2021, with Vieta being part of both trios. The Purdue men achieved the feat in platform diving in 2011 and 2015 as well.
The divers accounted for 57 team points to help the Boilermakers finish 18th at the NCAA Championships. It was Purdue's best showing since 2010 (16th). The women were top 25 at NCAAs for the 14th time since 2005. Only Texas (77) scored more points than the Boilermakers in the diving events this week.
McAfee joined LSU's Monsterrat Lavenant as the only divers at NCAAs this year to finish top eight in both a springboard (3-meter) event and the platform. McAfee was fourth on 3-meter Friday. She's now a four-time All-American and just the Boilermakers' fourth female diver to be a full-fledged (top 8) All-American on a springboard and the platform in the same year – joining Carrie McCambridge (2005), Amanda Miller (2007) and Emily Bretscher (2021).
Vieta closed out her college career as a four-year All-American on the tower. She was a championship finalist in the event in 2021, 2023 and 2024. Jaye Patrick and Jenna Sonnenberg also closed their college careers Saturday in the prelim as Purdue accounted for five of the 43 divers in the event field.
Wright earned her first career full-fledged All-America accolade while accounting for Purdue's second top-five finish of the week. The sophomore was also an honorable mention All-American on 3-meter Friday.
Only the top three finishers in the championship final improved on their prelim scores in the finals session. Vieta was in second place, just two points behind the leader, entering round 4 but a poor finish over the final two rounds took her out of medal contention. Wright finished strong with the top-scoring dive of the fifth and final round, but her scores in rounds 3 and 4 kept her out of a medalist finish.
Vieta has already qualified for the Olympic Games on 10-meter for Puerto Rico. McAfee and Wright will compete at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in June. Vieta, Wright and Patrick all competed at the World Aquatics Championships earlier this year.
McAfee and Wright will headline Purdue's returning student-athletes for the 2024-25 NCAA season.
SATURDAY AT NCAAs – PLATFORM DIVING
Daryn Wright, 304.10 (Prelim Score) – Finished 5th in Championship Final; All-American
Maycey Vieta, 313.10 (Prelim Score) – Finished 6th in Championship Final; All-American
Sophie McAfee, 297.35 (Prelim Score) – Finished 8th in Championship Final; All-American
Jaye Patrick, 233.50 – Finished 28th in Prelim
Jenna Sonnenberg, 195.00 – Finished 41st in Prelim
Wright finished fifth, Vieta sixth and McAfee eighth while competing for the national title in the event. The Purdue women also had accounted for three of the top eight in 2021, with Vieta being part of both trios. The Purdue men achieved the feat in platform diving in 2011 and 2015 as well.
The divers accounted for 57 team points to help the Boilermakers finish 18th at the NCAA Championships. It was Purdue's best showing since 2010 (16th). The women were top 25 at NCAAs for the 14th time since 2005. Only Texas (77) scored more points than the Boilermakers in the diving events this week.
McAfee joined LSU's Monsterrat Lavenant as the only divers at NCAAs this year to finish top eight in both a springboard (3-meter) event and the platform. McAfee was fourth on 3-meter Friday. She's now a four-time All-American and just the Boilermakers' fourth female diver to be a full-fledged (top 8) All-American on a springboard and the platform in the same year – joining Carrie McCambridge (2005), Amanda Miller (2007) and Emily Bretscher (2021).
Vieta closed out her college career as a four-year All-American on the tower. She was a championship finalist in the event in 2021, 2023 and 2024. Jaye Patrick and Jenna Sonnenberg also closed their college careers Saturday in the prelim as Purdue accounted for five of the 43 divers in the event field.
Wright earned her first career full-fledged All-America accolade while accounting for Purdue's second top-five finish of the week. The sophomore was also an honorable mention All-American on 3-meter Friday.
Only the top three finishers in the championship final improved on their prelim scores in the finals session. Vieta was in second place, just two points behind the leader, entering round 4 but a poor finish over the final two rounds took her out of medal contention. Wright finished strong with the top-scoring dive of the fifth and final round, but her scores in rounds 3 and 4 kept her out of a medalist finish.
Vieta has already qualified for the Olympic Games on 10-meter for Puerto Rico. McAfee and Wright will compete at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in June. Vieta, Wright and Patrick all competed at the World Aquatics Championships earlier this year.
McAfee and Wright will headline Purdue's returning student-athletes for the 2024-25 NCAA season.
SATURDAY AT NCAAs – PLATFORM DIVING
Daryn Wright, 304.10 (Prelim Score) – Finished 5th in Championship Final; All-American
Maycey Vieta, 313.10 (Prelim Score) – Finished 6th in Championship Final; All-American
Sophie McAfee, 297.35 (Prelim Score) – Finished 8th in Championship Final; All-American
Jaye Patrick, 233.50 – Finished 28th in Prelim
Jenna Sonnenberg, 195.00 – Finished 41st in Prelim