MINNEAPOLIS – Abby Marcukaitis eclipsed the program record in the 200 backstroke while accounting for one of four event victories for Purdue Swimming & Diving on Saturday as the Big Ten Triple Duals concluded at the University of Minnesota.
Marcukaitis won the 200 back by a full second with a time of 1:54.46, breaking Jackie Smailis' benchmark (1:54.61) that had stood since the 2019 Big Ten Championships. Marcukaitis had posted lifetime bests in both backstroke events since November and was poised to take down at least one of the program records this season. The payoff came Saturday as A women's record fell at the Big Ten Triple Duals for the second year in a row.
The women have eclipsed five team records this season – the 50 free, 200 back, 400 IM, 3-meter diving and platform diving. The victory Saturday was Marcukaitis' ninth of the season, giving her the outright team lead entering championship season.
Brady Samuels was victorious in the 100 butterfly at the Big Ten Triple Duals for the third time in his career, finishing just a tenth of a second off his Purdue record with a winning mark of 45.37. It was his second individual victory of the meet – also winning the 200 freestyle Friday – and team-leading 14th of the season.
Marcukaitis and Samuels both won with NCAA provisional qualifying times (B Cuts) Saturday.
Kathryn Ackerman completed her sweep of the individual medley events at the Big Ten Triple Duals, winning the 400 IM on Saturday with a B Cut time of 4:11.14.
Abbie Kehmeier and Ackerman both moved up Purdue's all-time leaderboard in the 200 back. Kehmeier's mark Saturday (1:56.92) featured a 1.6-second time drop to catapult the sophomore into fifth place in program history. Ackerman moved into 12th place with a time of 1:58.21.
Idris Muhammad and Samuels helped the Boilermakers win a relay at the Big Ten Triple Duals for the fourth consecutive year. They teamed up with Nathaniel Thomas and Dom Mazurek to make Purdue a winner in the 200 free relay to open Saturday's session. Thomas' leadoff leg split of 19.89 represented a personal season-best in the 50 and Samuels sealed the victory for the Boilers with an anchor split of 19.01.
In the men's 400 IM, Matheo Mateos and Evan Mackesy moved up the program's all-time leaderboard with season bests. Mateos took third with a B Cut time of 3:49.47, climbing to 11th place in team history. Mackesy's time of 3:50.74 improved on his 13th fastest time in the record book.
The Boilermakers will now fully turn their focus towards the Big Ten Championships. The women's championship meet is Feb. 19-22 in Columbus and the men's the following week, Feb. 26-March 1 back in Minneapolis. Selected men's swimmers will also compete the weekend of Feb. 14-16 at the Ohio State Winter Invitational.
| FINAL TEAM SCORES | |
| Men #24 Northwestern 192, Purdue 161 Minnesota 248, Purdue 105 Minnesota 232.5, #24 Northwestern 120.5 |
Women Northwestern 200, Purdue 153 #24 Minnesota 241, Purdue 112 #24 Minnesota 241, Northwestern 112 |
Marcukaitis won the 200 back by a full second with a time of 1:54.46, breaking Jackie Smailis' benchmark (1:54.61) that had stood since the 2019 Big Ten Championships. Marcukaitis had posted lifetime bests in both backstroke events since November and was poised to take down at least one of the program records this season. The payoff came Saturday as A women's record fell at the Big Ten Triple Duals for the second year in a row.
The women have eclipsed five team records this season – the 50 free, 200 back, 400 IM, 3-meter diving and platform diving. The victory Saturday was Marcukaitis' ninth of the season, giving her the outright team lead entering championship season.
Brady Samuels was victorious in the 100 butterfly at the Big Ten Triple Duals for the third time in his career, finishing just a tenth of a second off his Purdue record with a winning mark of 45.37. It was his second individual victory of the meet – also winning the 200 freestyle Friday – and team-leading 14th of the season.
Marcukaitis and Samuels both won with NCAA provisional qualifying times (B Cuts) Saturday.
Kathryn Ackerman completed her sweep of the individual medley events at the Big Ten Triple Duals, winning the 400 IM on Saturday with a B Cut time of 4:11.14.
Abbie Kehmeier and Ackerman both moved up Purdue's all-time leaderboard in the 200 back. Kehmeier's mark Saturday (1:56.92) featured a 1.6-second time drop to catapult the sophomore into fifth place in program history. Ackerman moved into 12th place with a time of 1:58.21.
Idris Muhammad and Samuels helped the Boilermakers win a relay at the Big Ten Triple Duals for the fourth consecutive year. They teamed up with Nathaniel Thomas and Dom Mazurek to make Purdue a winner in the 200 free relay to open Saturday's session. Thomas' leadoff leg split of 19.89 represented a personal season-best in the 50 and Samuels sealed the victory for the Boilers with an anchor split of 19.01.
In the men's 400 IM, Matheo Mateos and Evan Mackesy moved up the program's all-time leaderboard with season bests. Mateos took third with a B Cut time of 3:49.47, climbing to 11th place in team history. Mackesy's time of 3:50.74 improved on his 13th fastest time in the record book.
The Boilermakers will now fully turn their focus towards the Big Ten Championships. The women's championship meet is Feb. 19-22 in Columbus and the men's the following week, Feb. 26-March 1 back in Minneapolis. Selected men's swimmers will also compete the weekend of Feb. 14-16 at the Ohio State Winter Invitational.