ROSEMONT, Ill. – Purdue's 14th NCAA championship title and six other top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships earned Adam Soldati his 11th career Big Ten Diving Coach of the Year award.
Tyler Downs won the national title on platform Saturday. Greg Duncan and Jordan Rzepka were also championship finalists to earn All-America accolades.
All five of Purdue's men's divers qualified for the NCAA Championships this season. The Boilermakers scored a meet-high 81 points in the diving events, helping Purdue finish 15th overall in the team scoring. Of the divers' seven top-10 finishes, five came from freshmen.
Soldati was recognized as the men's Big Ten Diving Coach of the Year after the Boilermakers scored in all three diving events at NCAAs for the 11th time under his tutelage. His 11 career Big Ten Diving Coach of the Year honors are most among the league's active coaches. He was recognized by the league for the third year in a row.
In Soldati's 17 seasons at Purdue, he has won the award eight times for his work with the men and three times with the women. The 11 total awards are believed to 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.
SOLDATI AS BIG TEN DIVING COACH OF THE YEAR
• Men: 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2021, 2022
• Women: 2009, 2014, 2020
Downs led the way as a top-10 finisher in all three events, joining fellow Olympian Andrew Capobianco as the only divers to accomplish the feat this season. They shared top-scoring honors with 43 points each. Downs was also top six in all three events at the Big Ten Championships, highlighted by bronze on 1-meter.
Rzepka finished top 10 on 1-meter and platform in his debut at the NCAA Championships. He ripped a pair of 90-point dives in the final two rounds of the platform prelim, accounting for the top-scoring dive (98.05) of the day on the tower in the process. At Big Tens, he won silver on both 3-meter and 10-meter.
Duncan closed out his college career as a multi-year All-American on both springboards. He and Downs became Purdue's first duo of full-fledged (top 8) All-Americans in a springboard event since 2017. That also marked the last year the Boilermakers had multiple full-fledged All-Americans on both a springboard and the tower. Duncan's career at Big Tens came to a close last month with six career top-five finishes on the springboards.
As the runner-up in the platform consolation final, senior Ben Bramley finished top 10 on the tower at NCAAs for the third time in his career. He joined Duncan as another four-year All-American.
After not scoring at Big Tens, freshman Sam Bennett qualified for NCAAs on 3-meter and came up just one place shy of a scoring finish by placing 17th at the national championship meet.
PURDUE'S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS UNDER SOLDATI
• 2009 – David Boudia on 3-Meter & Platform
• 2010 – David Boudia on 1-Meter & 3-Meter
• 2011 – David Boudia on 1-Meter & 3-Meter
• 2013 – Casey Matthews on 3-Meter
• 2015 – Steele Johnson on 1-Meter & Platform
• 2017 – Steele Johnson on 1-Meter & 3-Meter
• 2018 – Steele Johnson on 3-Meter
• 2021 – Brandon Loschiavo on Platform
• 2022 – Tyler Downs on Platform
While the accomplishments of the Purdue women were not factored into the voting this week, the Boilermakers also sent four divers to NCAAs while qualifying in all three events. All-American Maggie Merriman finished fifth on platform.
Though it's not recognized as an NCAA event, the Boilermakers also shined at the USA Diving Winter Nationals in December. Downs swept the 1-meter and 3-meter springboards while also teaming with Duncan to win the 3-meter synchro competition. Purdue had multiple medalists in men's 1-meter and women's 10-meter.
Beginning in 2015, the Big Ten coaches opted to move the voting for swimming & diving's yearly awards until after the NCAA Championships.
2021-22 BIG TEN MEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING ANNUAL AWARDS
• Swimmer of the Year: Brendan Burns, Indiana
• Diver of the Year: Andrew Capobianco, Indiana
• Swim Coach of the Year: Ray Looze, Indiana
• Diving Coach of the Year: Adam Soldati, Purdue
2021-22 BIG TEN WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING ANNUAL AWARDS
• Swimmer of the Year: Maggie MacNeil, Michigan
• Diver of the Year: Tarrin Gilliland, Indiana
• Swim Coach of the Year: Bill Dorenkott, Ohio State
• Diving Coach of the Year: Drew Johansen, Indiana
Tyler Downs won the national title on platform Saturday. Greg Duncan and Jordan Rzepka were also championship finalists to earn All-America accolades.
All five of Purdue's men's divers qualified for the NCAA Championships this season. The Boilermakers scored a meet-high 81 points in the diving events, helping Purdue finish 15th overall in the team scoring. Of the divers' seven top-10 finishes, five came from freshmen.
Soldati was recognized as the men's Big Ten Diving Coach of the Year after the Boilermakers scored in all three diving events at NCAAs for the 11th time under his tutelage. His 11 career Big Ten Diving Coach of the Year honors are most among the league's active coaches. He was recognized by the league for the third year in a row.
In Soldati's 17 seasons at Purdue, he has won the award eight times for his work with the men and three times with the women. The 11 total awards are believed to 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.
SOLDATI AS BIG TEN DIVING COACH OF THE YEAR
• Men: 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2021, 2022
• Women: 2009, 2014, 2020
Downs led the way as a top-10 finisher in all three events, joining fellow Olympian Andrew Capobianco as the only divers to accomplish the feat this season. They shared top-scoring honors with 43 points each. Downs was also top six in all three events at the Big Ten Championships, highlighted by bronze on 1-meter.
Rzepka finished top 10 on 1-meter and platform in his debut at the NCAA Championships. He ripped a pair of 90-point dives in the final two rounds of the platform prelim, accounting for the top-scoring dive (98.05) of the day on the tower in the process. At Big Tens, he won silver on both 3-meter and 10-meter.
Duncan closed out his college career as a multi-year All-American on both springboards. He and Downs became Purdue's first duo of full-fledged (top 8) All-Americans in a springboard event since 2017. That also marked the last year the Boilermakers had multiple full-fledged All-Americans on both a springboard and the tower. Duncan's career at Big Tens came to a close last month with six career top-five finishes on the springboards.
As the runner-up in the platform consolation final, senior Ben Bramley finished top 10 on the tower at NCAAs for the third time in his career. He joined Duncan as another four-year All-American.
After not scoring at Big Tens, freshman Sam Bennett qualified for NCAAs on 3-meter and came up just one place shy of a scoring finish by placing 17th at the national championship meet.
PURDUE'S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS UNDER SOLDATI
• 2009 – David Boudia on 3-Meter & Platform
• 2010 – David Boudia on 1-Meter & 3-Meter
• 2011 – David Boudia on 1-Meter & 3-Meter
• 2013 – Casey Matthews on 3-Meter
• 2015 – Steele Johnson on 1-Meter & Platform
• 2017 – Steele Johnson on 1-Meter & 3-Meter
• 2018 – Steele Johnson on 3-Meter
• 2021 – Brandon Loschiavo on Platform
• 2022 – Tyler Downs on Platform
While the accomplishments of the Purdue women were not factored into the voting this week, the Boilermakers also sent four divers to NCAAs while qualifying in all three events. All-American Maggie Merriman finished fifth on platform.
Though it's not recognized as an NCAA event, the Boilermakers also shined at the USA Diving Winter Nationals in December. Downs swept the 1-meter and 3-meter springboards while also teaming with Duncan to win the 3-meter synchro competition. Purdue had multiple medalists in men's 1-meter and women's 10-meter.
Beginning in 2015, the Big Ten coaches opted to move the voting for swimming & diving's yearly awards until after the NCAA Championships.
2021-22 BIG TEN MEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING ANNUAL AWARDS
• Swimmer of the Year: Brendan Burns, Indiana
• Diver of the Year: Andrew Capobianco, Indiana
• Swim Coach of the Year: Ray Looze, Indiana
• Diving Coach of the Year: Adam Soldati, Purdue
2021-22 BIG TEN WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING ANNUAL AWARDS
• Swimmer of the Year: Maggie MacNeil, Michigan
• Diver of the Year: Tarrin Gilliland, Indiana
• Swim Coach of the Year: Bill Dorenkott, Ohio State
• Diving Coach of the Year: Drew Johansen, Indiana