WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – All-America honors on the tower for Jordan Rzepka after he won a pair of medals at the Big Ten Championships coupled with Dylan Burau eclipsing the program record in the 200 backstroke multiple times highlighted Purdue Men's Swimming & Diving's 2023-24 campaign.
In May, longtime diving coach Adam Soldati announced he was passing the torch as the leader of the Boilermakers to protégé and Olympic champion David Boudia. Soldati was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in February and informed the divers of the situation in early April. The U.S. Olympic Team Trials in June served as his final meet as the lead coach of the Purdue Divers, remaining on staff as the program's director of diving. Soldati came to Purdue in the spring of 2005 and coached Boudia to Olympic gold in 2012. Men's alumni Brandon Loschiavo, Greg Duncan and Tyler Downs went on to represent Team USA at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Rzepka won silver on platform and bronze on 3-meter at Big Tens before qualifying for the NCAA Championships in all three events, the latter being a feat duplicated by freshman Holden Higbie. Rzepka finished fourth on the tower at NCAAs, earning his third career All-America accolade. He has qualified for NCAAs in all three events each of his first three seasons as a Boilermaker.
Season Recaps: 2011 / 2012 / 2013 / 2014 / 2015 / 2016 / 2017 / 2018 / 2019 / 2020 / 2021 / 2022 / 2023
Burau eclipsed the program record in the 200 backstroke at the Big Ten Championships while qualifying for the championship final. He bested his mark again to set the new standard at 1:41.49 a week later at an NCAA last chance meet in Bloomington.
Brady Samuels and Rzepka finished top 10 in all three of their individual events at Big Tens. Rzepka finished top four in all three diving events and is now 9-for-9 in career top-10 finishes at Big Tens. Samuels was a championship finalist in the 100 freestyle and 100 back and is now a six-time A finalist at Big Tens.
Coleman Modglin scored at Big Tens for the fourth consecutive year, qualifying for the A final of the 200 breaststroke. He joined Samuels at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. The quadrennial swimming showcase was held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Downtown Indianapolis to much fanfare.
Counting individual events and relay splits, Purdue posted 48 lifetime bests total at the conference championships. Nineteen of those times went into the program record book as marks that rank among the top 15 in team history. The Boilermakers also registered top-10 times in all five relays.
Max Miller and Higbie were honorable mention All-Americans in their debuts at the NCAA Championships, giving the Boilermakers three All-American divers. Their classmate Pat Broderick broke the freshman record in the 1000 free that had stood since 2010.
ALL-AMERICA
• Jordan Rzepka – Platform Diving
HONORABLE MENTION ALL-AMERICA
• Max Miller – 1-Meter Diving
• Holden Higbie – Platform Diving
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS QUALIIFERS
• Jordan Rzepka – 1-Meter, 3-Meter & Platform Diving
• Holden Higbie – 1-Meter, 3-Meter & Platform Diving
• Max Miller – 1-Meter & 3-Meter Diving
BIG TEN MEDALIST & SECOND TEAM ALL-BIG TEN
• Jordan Rzepka – Silver in Platform Diving, Bronze in 3-Meter Diving
U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS QUALIFIERS
• Coleman Modglin – Swimming (200m Breast)
• Brady Samuels – Swimming (50m & 100m Free, 100m Fly)
• Jordan Rzepka – Diving (10-Meter)
• Holden Higbie – Diving (3-Meter)
• Max Miller – Diving (3-Meter, 3-Meter Synchro)
USA DIVING MEDALIST
• Jordan Rzepka – Silver Medalist in 10-Meter Synchro at Winter Nationals
PROGRAM RECORDS
• Dylan Burau – 1:41.49 in 200 Back
• Pat Broderick – 9:08.40 in 1000 Free (Freshman Record)
MORE CAREER BESTS TO MOVE UP OR JOIN PURDUE RECORD BOOK
• Ethan Shaw – 2nd in 500 Free (4:19.62)
• Ethan Shaw – 3rd in 200 Fly (1:45.05)
• 400 Medley Relay – 3rd (3:06.94)
…Samuels, Witty, King, Muhammad
• Coleman Modglin – 4th in 100 Breast (52.97)
• 200 Medley Relay – 4th (1:24.07)
…Samuels, Witty, King, Muhammad
• 800 Free Relay – 4th (6:25.31)
…Shaw, McCarthy, Frollo, Kelly
• Charlie King – 5th in 100 Fly (46.53)
• Ethan Shaw – 5th in 200 Free (1:35.81)
• 400 Free Relay – 5th (2:53.18)
…McCarthy, Samuels, Muhammad, Thomas
• Dylan Burau – 6th in 100 Back (47.06)
• 200 Free Relay – T-6th (1:17.80)
…Samuels, Muhammad, Thomas, McCarthy
• Aaron Frollow – 7th in 500 Free (4:23.11)
• Pat Broderick – 7th in 1650 Free (15:16.70)
• Maxwell Blume – 8th in 200 Breast (1:56.93)
• Maxwell Blume – 10th in 100 Breast (53.53)
• Nathaniel Thomas – 11th in 50 Free (19.74)
• Andrew Witty – 11th in 200 Breast (1:57.40)
• Aaron Frollo – 12th in 1650 Free (15:24.13)
• Connor McCarthy – 12th in 100 Free (43.56)
• Connor McCarthy – 13th in 200 Free (1:36.66)
• Griffin Seaver – 13th in 200 Fly (1:46.92)
• Raymond Whittaker – 14th in 100 Breast (53.95)
• Raymond Whittaker – 14th in 200 Breast (1:58.20)
• Mason Kajfosz – 15th in 200 IM (1:47.82)
SCORED IN ALL 3 OF HIS INDIVIDUAL EVENTS AT BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
• Jordan Rzepka – All 3 Diving Events
• Holden Higbie – All 3 Diving Events
• Brady Samuels – 100 Back, 100 Free, 100 Fly
• Ethan Shaw – 200 Free, 200 Fly, 500 Free
• Idris Muhammad – 50 & 100 Free, 100 Back
• Aaron Frollo – 400 IM, 500 & 1650 Free
• Connor McCarthy – 50, 100 & 200 Free
BIG TEN WEEKLY AWARDS
• Brady Samuels – Swimmer of the Week, Nov. 8
• Max Miller – Diver of the Week, Oct. 25
• Holden Higbie – Diver/Freshman of the Week, Jan. 17
• Jordan Rzepka – Diver of the Week, Jan. 31
TEAM AWARDS
• MVP – Brady Samuels & Jordan Rzepka
• Most Improved – Dylan Burau
• R.O. Papenguth Award – Coleman Modglin
• Red Mackey Award – Griffin Seaver
BIG TEN SPORTSMANSHIP HONOREE
• Charlie King
CSCAA NATIONAL INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS QUALIFIERS
• Maxwell Blume – 50, 100 & 200 Breast; 100 IM; 200 & 400 Medley Relay; 200 Free Relay
• Cooper Callahan – 100 & 200 IM; 200, 400 & 800 Free Relays; 200 Medley Relay
• Alexander Cole – 200, 500 & 1000 Free; 200 & 400 Free Relays; 400 Medley Relay
• Gabe Eschbach – 500 & 1000/1650 Free; 200 & 400 Medley Relays; 400 Free Relay
• Luke Fortner – 50, 100 & 200 Breast; 200 & 400 Medley Relays
• Mason Kajfosz – 200 & 400 IM; 200 Fly; 400 & 800 Free Relays; 200 & 400 Medley Relays
• Lance Lesage – 50, 100 & 200 Back; 200 & 400 Free Relays; 200 & 400 Medley Relays
• Rafael Rodriguez – 50, 100 & 200 Fly; 100 IM; 200 Medley & 400 Free Relays
• Nathaniel Thomas – 50 & 100 Free; 100 Fly; 200 & 400 Free Relays; 200 & 400 Medley Relays
• Ryan Zerpa – 50, 100 & 200 Fly; 200 & 400 Free Relays; 400 Medley Relay
TEAM GPAs
• Fall Semester: 3.32
• Spring Semester: 3.37
• Cumulative: 3.29
• CSCAA Scholar All-America Team
CSC ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT (4 HONOREES PER TEAM WITH 3.5+ CUMULATIVE GPA)
• Luke Fortner
• Aaron Frollo
• Ethan Shaw
• Andrew Witty
ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN (3.0+ CUMULATIVE GPA)
• Sam Bennett
• Dylan Burau
• Cooper Callahan
• Luke Fortner
• Aaron Frollo
• Andy Kelly
• Charlie King
• Connor McCarthy
• Coleman Modglin
• Idris Muhammad
• Rafael Rodriguez
• Jordan Rzepka
• Griffin Seaver
• Ethan Shaw
• Jude Wenker
• Raymond Whittaker
• Andrew Witty
• Ryan Zerpa
BIG TEN DISTINGUSHED SCHOLARS (3.7+ YEARLY OR CUMULATIVE GPA)
• Luke Fortner
• Aaron Frollo
• Ethan Shaw
• Andrew Witty
CSCAA SCHOLAR ALL-AMERICA (3.5+ GPA AND ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENT)
• Holden Higbie – First Team
• Max Miller – First Team
• Jordan Rzepka – First Team
• Dylan Burau – Second Team
• Aaron Frollo – Second Team
• Idris Muhammad – Second Team
• Ethan Shaw – Second Team
• Andrew Witty – Second Team
In May, longtime diving coach Adam Soldati announced he was passing the torch as the leader of the Boilermakers to protégé and Olympic champion David Boudia. Soldati was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in February and informed the divers of the situation in early April. The U.S. Olympic Team Trials in June served as his final meet as the lead coach of the Purdue Divers, remaining on staff as the program's director of diving. Soldati came to Purdue in the spring of 2005 and coached Boudia to Olympic gold in 2012. Men's alumni Brandon Loschiavo, Greg Duncan and Tyler Downs went on to represent Team USA at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Rzepka won silver on platform and bronze on 3-meter at Big Tens before qualifying for the NCAA Championships in all three events, the latter being a feat duplicated by freshman Holden Higbie. Rzepka finished fourth on the tower at NCAAs, earning his third career All-America accolade. He has qualified for NCAAs in all three events each of his first three seasons as a Boilermaker.
Season Recaps: 2011 / 2012 / 2013 / 2014 / 2015 / 2016 / 2017 / 2018 / 2019 / 2020 / 2021 / 2022 / 2023
Burau eclipsed the program record in the 200 backstroke at the Big Ten Championships while qualifying for the championship final. He bested his mark again to set the new standard at 1:41.49 a week later at an NCAA last chance meet in Bloomington.
Brady Samuels and Rzepka finished top 10 in all three of their individual events at Big Tens. Rzepka finished top four in all three diving events and is now 9-for-9 in career top-10 finishes at Big Tens. Samuels was a championship finalist in the 100 freestyle and 100 back and is now a six-time A finalist at Big Tens.
Coleman Modglin scored at Big Tens for the fourth consecutive year, qualifying for the A final of the 200 breaststroke. He joined Samuels at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. The quadrennial swimming showcase was held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Downtown Indianapolis to much fanfare.
Counting individual events and relay splits, Purdue posted 48 lifetime bests total at the conference championships. Nineteen of those times went into the program record book as marks that rank among the top 15 in team history. The Boilermakers also registered top-10 times in all five relays.
Max Miller and Higbie were honorable mention All-Americans in their debuts at the NCAA Championships, giving the Boilermakers three All-American divers. Their classmate Pat Broderick broke the freshman record in the 1000 free that had stood since 2010.
ALL-AMERICA
• Jordan Rzepka – Platform Diving
HONORABLE MENTION ALL-AMERICA
• Max Miller – 1-Meter Diving
• Holden Higbie – Platform Diving
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS QUALIIFERS
• Jordan Rzepka – 1-Meter, 3-Meter & Platform Diving
• Holden Higbie – 1-Meter, 3-Meter & Platform Diving
• Max Miller – 1-Meter & 3-Meter Diving
BIG TEN MEDALIST & SECOND TEAM ALL-BIG TEN
• Jordan Rzepka – Silver in Platform Diving, Bronze in 3-Meter Diving
U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS QUALIFIERS
• Coleman Modglin – Swimming (200m Breast)
• Brady Samuels – Swimming (50m & 100m Free, 100m Fly)
• Jordan Rzepka – Diving (10-Meter)
• Holden Higbie – Diving (3-Meter)
• Max Miller – Diving (3-Meter, 3-Meter Synchro)
USA DIVING MEDALIST
• Jordan Rzepka – Silver Medalist in 10-Meter Synchro at Winter Nationals
PROGRAM RECORDS
• Dylan Burau – 1:41.49 in 200 Back
• Pat Broderick – 9:08.40 in 1000 Free (Freshman Record)
MORE CAREER BESTS TO MOVE UP OR JOIN PURDUE RECORD BOOK
• Ethan Shaw – 2nd in 500 Free (4:19.62)
• Ethan Shaw – 3rd in 200 Fly (1:45.05)
• 400 Medley Relay – 3rd (3:06.94)
…Samuels, Witty, King, Muhammad
• Coleman Modglin – 4th in 100 Breast (52.97)
• 200 Medley Relay – 4th (1:24.07)
…Samuels, Witty, King, Muhammad
• 800 Free Relay – 4th (6:25.31)
…Shaw, McCarthy, Frollo, Kelly
• Charlie King – 5th in 100 Fly (46.53)
• Ethan Shaw – 5th in 200 Free (1:35.81)
• 400 Free Relay – 5th (2:53.18)
…McCarthy, Samuels, Muhammad, Thomas
• Dylan Burau – 6th in 100 Back (47.06)
• 200 Free Relay – T-6th (1:17.80)
…Samuels, Muhammad, Thomas, McCarthy
• Aaron Frollow – 7th in 500 Free (4:23.11)
• Pat Broderick – 7th in 1650 Free (15:16.70)
• Maxwell Blume – 8th in 200 Breast (1:56.93)
• Maxwell Blume – 10th in 100 Breast (53.53)
• Nathaniel Thomas – 11th in 50 Free (19.74)
• Andrew Witty – 11th in 200 Breast (1:57.40)
• Aaron Frollo – 12th in 1650 Free (15:24.13)
• Connor McCarthy – 12th in 100 Free (43.56)
• Connor McCarthy – 13th in 200 Free (1:36.66)
• Griffin Seaver – 13th in 200 Fly (1:46.92)
• Raymond Whittaker – 14th in 100 Breast (53.95)
• Raymond Whittaker – 14th in 200 Breast (1:58.20)
• Mason Kajfosz – 15th in 200 IM (1:47.82)
SCORED IN ALL 3 OF HIS INDIVIDUAL EVENTS AT BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
• Jordan Rzepka – All 3 Diving Events
• Holden Higbie – All 3 Diving Events
• Brady Samuels – 100 Back, 100 Free, 100 Fly
• Ethan Shaw – 200 Free, 200 Fly, 500 Free
• Idris Muhammad – 50 & 100 Free, 100 Back
• Aaron Frollo – 400 IM, 500 & 1650 Free
• Connor McCarthy – 50, 100 & 200 Free
BIG TEN WEEKLY AWARDS
• Brady Samuels – Swimmer of the Week, Nov. 8
• Max Miller – Diver of the Week, Oct. 25
• Holden Higbie – Diver/Freshman of the Week, Jan. 17
• Jordan Rzepka – Diver of the Week, Jan. 31
TEAM AWARDS
• MVP – Brady Samuels & Jordan Rzepka
• Most Improved – Dylan Burau
• R.O. Papenguth Award – Coleman Modglin
• Red Mackey Award – Griffin Seaver
BIG TEN SPORTSMANSHIP HONOREE
• Charlie King
CSCAA NATIONAL INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS QUALIFIERS
• Maxwell Blume – 50, 100 & 200 Breast; 100 IM; 200 & 400 Medley Relay; 200 Free Relay
• Cooper Callahan – 100 & 200 IM; 200, 400 & 800 Free Relays; 200 Medley Relay
• Alexander Cole – 200, 500 & 1000 Free; 200 & 400 Free Relays; 400 Medley Relay
• Gabe Eschbach – 500 & 1000/1650 Free; 200 & 400 Medley Relays; 400 Free Relay
• Luke Fortner – 50, 100 & 200 Breast; 200 & 400 Medley Relays
• Mason Kajfosz – 200 & 400 IM; 200 Fly; 400 & 800 Free Relays; 200 & 400 Medley Relays
• Lance Lesage – 50, 100 & 200 Back; 200 & 400 Free Relays; 200 & 400 Medley Relays
• Rafael Rodriguez – 50, 100 & 200 Fly; 100 IM; 200 Medley & 400 Free Relays
• Nathaniel Thomas – 50 & 100 Free; 100 Fly; 200 & 400 Free Relays; 200 & 400 Medley Relays
• Ryan Zerpa – 50, 100 & 200 Fly; 200 & 400 Free Relays; 400 Medley Relay
TEAM GPAs
• Fall Semester: 3.32
• Spring Semester: 3.37
• Cumulative: 3.29
• CSCAA Scholar All-America Team
CSC ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT (4 HONOREES PER TEAM WITH 3.5+ CUMULATIVE GPA)
• Luke Fortner
• Aaron Frollo
• Ethan Shaw
• Andrew Witty
ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN (3.0+ CUMULATIVE GPA)
• Sam Bennett
• Dylan Burau
• Cooper Callahan
• Luke Fortner
• Aaron Frollo
• Andy Kelly
• Charlie King
• Connor McCarthy
• Coleman Modglin
• Idris Muhammad
• Rafael Rodriguez
• Jordan Rzepka
• Griffin Seaver
• Ethan Shaw
• Jude Wenker
• Raymond Whittaker
• Andrew Witty
• Ryan Zerpa
BIG TEN DISTINGUSHED SCHOLARS (3.7+ YEARLY OR CUMULATIVE GPA)
• Luke Fortner
• Aaron Frollo
• Ethan Shaw
• Andrew Witty
CSCAA SCHOLAR ALL-AMERICA (3.5+ GPA AND ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENT)
• Holden Higbie – First Team
• Max Miller – First Team
• Jordan Rzepka – First Team
• Dylan Burau – Second Team
• Aaron Frollo – Second Team
• Idris Muhammad – Second Team
• Ethan Shaw – Second Team
• Andrew Witty – Second Team