USA DIVING BIO
2021-22 / AS A FRESHMAN
• NCAA CHAMPION (Platform Diving)
• USA Diving National Champion at Winter Nationals (1-Meter, 3-Meter, 3-Meter Synchro)
• FINA World Championships Qualifier (3-Meter, 3-Meter Synchro)
• All-American (3-Meter, Platform Diving)
• Honorable Mention All-American (1-Meter Diving)
• NCAA Championships Qualifier (1-Meter, 3-Meter, Platform Diving)
• Big Ten Diver of the Week (Oct. 27, Nov. 10, Nov. 24)
• Big Ten Freshman of the Week (Oct. 27)
• Competed in all three diving events throughout the season
• Season-Best Scores: 427.55 on 1-meter, 477.40 on 3-meter, 476.50 on platform
• In team history, moved into fourth place on 3-meter and platform plus fifth place on 1-meter
• Became the fifth Purdue diver to win a national title at the NCAA Championships, joining David Boudia, Steele Johnson, Casey Matthews and Brandon Loschiavo
• In a 10-month span (June 2021-March 2022), was victorious on 3-meter at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials (June), both springboards at the USA Diving Winter Nationals (December) and platform at the NCAA Championships
• Ripped his final dive of the platform final at NCAAs for a score of 84.8, the only competitor to hit his final dive after a lengthy delay; the big score allowed him to overcome a 30-point deficit entering the final round
• Was also fifth on 3-meter and ninth on 1-meter at NCAAs, becoming the first Boilermaker since Johnson in 2017 to produce three national top-10 showings, sharing top individual scoring honors at NCAAs with fellow Olympian Andrew Capobianco (Indiana)
• Followed in the footsteps of Loschiavo in giving the Boilermakers the last two NCAA champions on platform; Auburn (2004-06) was the last team to win consecutive national titles in a diving event with a different individual event winner
• Became the first man to sweep the 1-meter and 3-meter springboards since the USA Diving Winter Nationals were introduced in February 2010; also won gold in 3-meter synchro and silver in 10-meter synchro at Winter Nationals
• Finalist on 1-meter at the FINA World Championships and also competed in both 3-meter and 3-meter synchro
• Won bronze on 1-meter in his debut at the Big Ten Championships, adding a fifth-place showing on platform and sixth-place finish on 3-meter
• Accounted for 76 team points at Big Tens, sharing the team lead
• The 76 points were the most by a Boilermaker at Big Tens since Steele Johnson's 79 in 2018 and the most by a freshman since Joe Cifelli (76) in 2016
• At Zones, was victorious on 1-meter and platform after clinching his NCAAs bid with a third-place showing on 3-meter on day 1
• Swept the 3-meter and platform events at the Purdue Invitational after not competing on 1-meter
• Won on the tower in the rivalry dual at Indiana and the Big Ten Triple Duals at Minnesota
• Swept the springboard events at Notre Dame
• Victorious on 3-meter in the triple dual with Michigan and Missouri and at the Indiana Intercollegiates
SUMMER 2021
• Olympian in 3-Meter Diving
• 3-Meter Champion at U.S. Olympic Team Trials
• Youngest member of the USA Diving Olympic roster for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics
• Also was a finalist on 10-meter at the Olympic Trials
• Placed 23rd in the prelims in his Olympic debut
• Joined David Boudia and Mary Beth Dunnichay as Boilermakers to qualify for the Olympics before enrolling at Purdue
MORE USA DIVING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Competed under the tutelage of John Wingfield at the Indiana Diving Academy/RipFest
• Teamed with Jordan Rzepka to win 10-meter synchro at the 2018 Winter Nationals
• 2019 Sagamihara and Beijing World Series team member
• 2018 World Junior Diving Championships silver medalist (1-meter)
• Three-time Junior Pan American Championships team member (2015, 2017, 2019)
• 2019 Junior Pan American Championships: gold, 3-meter and synchronized 3-meter; bronze, 1-meter and platform
• Six-time individual junior national champion
PERSONAL
• Major: General Management
• Full name is Tyler Michael Downs
• Born in St. Louis, Missouri
• Parents are Donny and Theresa Downs
• Family also includes six older siblings -- brothers Christoper, Brandon and Nicholas; sisters Jordan, Emily and Erin
• All of his siblings were active in sports, including swimming, track & field, softball, soccer, football & dance
2021-22 / AS A FRESHMAN
• NCAA CHAMPION (Platform Diving)
• USA Diving National Champion at Winter Nationals (1-Meter, 3-Meter, 3-Meter Synchro)
• FINA World Championships Qualifier (3-Meter, 3-Meter Synchro)
• All-American (3-Meter, Platform Diving)
• Honorable Mention All-American (1-Meter Diving)
• NCAA Championships Qualifier (1-Meter, 3-Meter, Platform Diving)
• Big Ten Diver of the Week (Oct. 27, Nov. 10, Nov. 24)
• Big Ten Freshman of the Week (Oct. 27)
• Competed in all three diving events throughout the season
• Season-Best Scores: 427.55 on 1-meter, 477.40 on 3-meter, 476.50 on platform
• In team history, moved into fourth place on 3-meter and platform plus fifth place on 1-meter
• Became the fifth Purdue diver to win a national title at the NCAA Championships, joining David Boudia, Steele Johnson, Casey Matthews and Brandon Loschiavo
• In a 10-month span (June 2021-March 2022), was victorious on 3-meter at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials (June), both springboards at the USA Diving Winter Nationals (December) and platform at the NCAA Championships
• Ripped his final dive of the platform final at NCAAs for a score of 84.8, the only competitor to hit his final dive after a lengthy delay; the big score allowed him to overcome a 30-point deficit entering the final round
• Was also fifth on 3-meter and ninth on 1-meter at NCAAs, becoming the first Boilermaker since Johnson in 2017 to produce three national top-10 showings, sharing top individual scoring honors at NCAAs with fellow Olympian Andrew Capobianco (Indiana)
• Followed in the footsteps of Loschiavo in giving the Boilermakers the last two NCAA champions on platform; Auburn (2004-06) was the last team to win consecutive national titles in a diving event with a different individual event winner
• Became the first man to sweep the 1-meter and 3-meter springboards since the USA Diving Winter Nationals were introduced in February 2010; also won gold in 3-meter synchro and silver in 10-meter synchro at Winter Nationals
• Finalist on 1-meter at the FINA World Championships and also competed in both 3-meter and 3-meter synchro
• Won bronze on 1-meter in his debut at the Big Ten Championships, adding a fifth-place showing on platform and sixth-place finish on 3-meter
• Accounted for 76 team points at Big Tens, sharing the team lead
• The 76 points were the most by a Boilermaker at Big Tens since Steele Johnson's 79 in 2018 and the most by a freshman since Joe Cifelli (76) in 2016
• At Zones, was victorious on 1-meter and platform after clinching his NCAAs bid with a third-place showing on 3-meter on day 1
• Swept the 3-meter and platform events at the Purdue Invitational after not competing on 1-meter
• Won on the tower in the rivalry dual at Indiana and the Big Ten Triple Duals at Minnesota
• Swept the springboard events at Notre Dame
• Victorious on 3-meter in the triple dual with Michigan and Missouri and at the Indiana Intercollegiates
SUMMER 2021
• Olympian in 3-Meter Diving
• 3-Meter Champion at U.S. Olympic Team Trials
• Youngest member of the USA Diving Olympic roster for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics
• Also was a finalist on 10-meter at the Olympic Trials
• Placed 23rd in the prelims in his Olympic debut
• Joined David Boudia and Mary Beth Dunnichay as Boilermakers to qualify for the Olympics before enrolling at Purdue
MORE USA DIVING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Competed under the tutelage of John Wingfield at the Indiana Diving Academy/RipFest
• Teamed with Jordan Rzepka to win 10-meter synchro at the 2018 Winter Nationals
• 2019 Sagamihara and Beijing World Series team member
• 2018 World Junior Diving Championships silver medalist (1-meter)
• Three-time Junior Pan American Championships team member (2015, 2017, 2019)
• 2019 Junior Pan American Championships: gold, 3-meter and synchronized 3-meter; bronze, 1-meter and platform
• Six-time individual junior national champion
PERSONAL
• Major: General Management
• Full name is Tyler Michael Downs
• Born in St. Louis, Missouri
• Parents are Donny and Theresa Downs
• Family also includes six older siblings -- brothers Christoper, Brandon and Nicholas; sisters Jordan, Emily and Erin
• All of his siblings were active in sports, including swimming, track & field, softball, soccer, football & dance