Big Ten Release / Purdue's Big Tens Scoring Recap
ROSEMONT, Ill. – Emily Bretscher's Big Ten title headlined the four medals won by Boilermakers at the Big Ten Championships, helping Bretscher and Adam Soldati garner Big Ten Diver and Diving Coach of the Year the honors Wednesday.
Soldati was recognized as the Big Ten Diving Coach the year for the ninth time overall, most among the league's active coaches. In his 15 seasons at Purdue, he has won the award three times (2009, 2014, 2020) for his work with the women and six times (2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2017) with the men. The nine total awards are believed to be tied for the second most in conference history, behind only Indiana's Jeff Huber (13). The Big Ten's end-of-the-year awards for swimming & diving were established for the women in 1984 and 1987 for the men.
Bretscher was also named the Big Ten Diver of the Championships after medaling on both springboards and being a championship finalist on the platform. She won the Big Ten title on 3-meter, the first conference title for the Purdue women since Purdue Athletics Hall of Famer Casey Matthews (2009-14) in 2014.
Beginning in 2015, the Big Ten coaches opted to move the voting for swimming & diving's yearly awards until after the NCAA Championships. That's part of the reason why Bretscher has become the Boilermakers' second female winner of Big Ten Diver of the Year. Purdue Athletics Hall of Famer Carrie McCambridge (2003-06) was the Big Ten Diver of the Year in 2004 and 2006. As the NCAA champion on 3-meter in 2013, Casey Matthews likely would have been the Big Ten Diver of the Year that season if the voting had been held after the national championship meet instead of after the Big Ten Championships. Matthews was the Purdue Female Athlete of the Year in 2013.
The Zone C Diving Championships and NCAA Championships were canceled this year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Big Ten chose to recognize the league's top performers with end-of-the-year awards all the same. The league coaches voted on Swimmer, Diver, Swimming Coach and Diving Coach of the Year earlier this month.
Bretscher accounted for 83 team points with her trio of top-six finishes at the Big Ten Championships, adding a bronze medal on 1-meter to her gold on 3-meter. She was the top-scoring diving at the meet and the first Boilermaker to be a championship finalist in all three diving events at Big Tens since Mary Beth Dunnichay in 2015. Bretscher's 83 points were also the most by a Boilermaker since the scoring system was modified in 2016 to feature the top 24 finishers.
Under Soldati's guidance, Purdue had a medalist in all three diving events this season. Underclassman Maycey Vieta (silver) and Maggie Merriman (bronze) finished top three on the tower, winning their first career medals at Big Tens. Senior Emily Meaney was a championship finalist on 1-meter and platform, capping her career as a four-year championship finalist on 10-meter. Bretscher, Meaney, Merriman and Vieta each scored in all three diving events. Together they accounted for 207 team points, second to only Ohio State (217). With four in the platform championship final Saturday in Iowa City, an amazing 105 of those points were on the tower. Overall, the divers accounted for 34% of Purdue's team points.
Bretscher was a four-time Big Ten Diver of the Week this season, the most in the league, and won nine events total over the course of the season. The junior was in the 1-meter final at the Zone C Championships in Lexington when the ruling came down to cancel the remaining winter and spring NCAA Championships.
All six Purdue divers that competed this season, including Ben Bramley and Greg Duncan on the men's team, were named All-Americans by the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA).
ROSEMONT, Ill. – Emily Bretscher's Big Ten title headlined the four medals won by Boilermakers at the Big Ten Championships, helping Bretscher and Adam Soldati garner Big Ten Diver and Diving Coach of the Year the honors Wednesday.
Soldati was recognized as the Big Ten Diving Coach the year for the ninth time overall, most among the league's active coaches. In his 15 seasons at Purdue, he has won the award three times (2009, 2014, 2020) for his work with the women and six times (2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2017) with the men. The nine total awards are believed to be tied for the second most in conference history, behind only Indiana's Jeff Huber (13). The Big Ten's end-of-the-year awards for swimming & diving were established for the women in 1984 and 1987 for the men.
Bretscher was also named the Big Ten Diver of the Championships after medaling on both springboards and being a championship finalist on the platform. She won the Big Ten title on 3-meter, the first conference title for the Purdue women since Purdue Athletics Hall of Famer Casey Matthews (2009-14) in 2014.
Beginning in 2015, the Big Ten coaches opted to move the voting for swimming & diving's yearly awards until after the NCAA Championships. That's part of the reason why Bretscher has become the Boilermakers' second female winner of Big Ten Diver of the Year. Purdue Athletics Hall of Famer Carrie McCambridge (2003-06) was the Big Ten Diver of the Year in 2004 and 2006. As the NCAA champion on 3-meter in 2013, Casey Matthews likely would have been the Big Ten Diver of the Year that season if the voting had been held after the national championship meet instead of after the Big Ten Championships. Matthews was the Purdue Female Athlete of the Year in 2013.
| PURDUE DIVERS TO WIN THE BIG TEN'S TOP HONORS | |
| Diver of the Year – Women Carrie McCambridge – 2004, 2006 Emily Bretscher – 2020 Diver of the Championships – Women Carrie McCambridge – 2004, 2006 Ashley Karnes – 2009 Casey Matthews – 2014 Emily Bretscher – 2020 |
Diver of the Year – Men David Boudia – 2009, 2010, 2011 Steele Johnson – 2015, 2017, 2018 Steven LoBue – 2006 Diver of the Championships – Men David Boudia – 2009, 2010, 2011 |
The Zone C Diving Championships and NCAA Championships were canceled this year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Big Ten chose to recognize the league's top performers with end-of-the-year awards all the same. The league coaches voted on Swimmer, Diver, Swimming Coach and Diving Coach of the Year earlier this month.
Bretscher accounted for 83 team points with her trio of top-six finishes at the Big Ten Championships, adding a bronze medal on 1-meter to her gold on 3-meter. She was the top-scoring diving at the meet and the first Boilermaker to be a championship finalist in all three diving events at Big Tens since Mary Beth Dunnichay in 2015. Bretscher's 83 points were also the most by a Boilermaker since the scoring system was modified in 2016 to feature the top 24 finishers.
Under Soldati's guidance, Purdue had a medalist in all three diving events this season. Underclassman Maycey Vieta (silver) and Maggie Merriman (bronze) finished top three on the tower, winning their first career medals at Big Tens. Senior Emily Meaney was a championship finalist on 1-meter and platform, capping her career as a four-year championship finalist on 10-meter. Bretscher, Meaney, Merriman and Vieta each scored in all three diving events. Together they accounted for 207 team points, second to only Ohio State (217). With four in the platform championship final Saturday in Iowa City, an amazing 105 of those points were on the tower. Overall, the divers accounted for 34% of Purdue's team points.
Bretscher was a four-time Big Ten Diver of the Week this season, the most in the league, and won nine events total over the course of the season. The junior was in the 1-meter final at the Zone C Championships in Lexington when the ruling came down to cancel the remaining winter and spring NCAA Championships.
All six Purdue divers that competed this season, including Ben Bramley and Greg Duncan on the men's team, were named All-Americans by the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA).