WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Sixteen members of Purdue swimming & diving were recognized for their academic excellence in conjunction with their athletic accomplishments, earning Scholar All-American accolades from the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America.
The CSCAA honors student-athletes that achieved 3.5-plus grade-point averages during the spring semester/quarter, which coincides with swimming & diving's championship season, headlined by the NCAA Championships in March. First-team honorees competed at the NCAA Championships and second-team honorees achieved an individual NCAA provisional qualifying time (B Cut) or competed at their NCAA Diving Zone Championships meet.
Team GPAs also remained strong at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic. The Purdue men and women were recognized as CSCAA Scholar All-America Teams again. The women posted a 3.43 team mark and the men compiled a 3.20 GPA for the spring semester. The women are riding a streak of 10 consecutive semesters with a team GPA of at least 3.40.
The Boilermakers had 14 NCAA Championships qualifiers this season and 10 of those student-athletes in turn earned Scholar All-America accolades for their 3.5-plus GPAs in the spring. Nikola Aćin, Ben Bramley, Keelan Hart, Maggie Merriman, Jordan Rzepka, Nick Sherman doubled up as the dual honorees – All-Americans at NCAAs and Scholar All-Americans for their work in the classroom. Sam Bennett, Sophie McAfee, Jenna Sonnenberg and Maycey Vieta were also recognized as a Scholar All-Americans by the CSCAA after competing at the national championship meets in Atlanta.
Unlike Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten, freshmen are eligible for the CSCAA academic honors. Purdue had nine student-athletes this year earn all three academic honors – Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (3.7+ GPA for 2021-22 school year), CSCAA Scholar All-America (3.5+ GPA for spring semester) and Academic All-Big Ten (cumulative 3.0+ GPA).
TRIPLE ACADEMIC HONORS FOR 2021-22
Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, CSCAA Scholar All-America, Academic All-Big Ten
• Nikola Aćin
• Ben Bramley
• Maggie Merriman
• Emily (Bretscher) Pfeiffer
• Nick Sherman
• Jenna Sonnenberg
• Maycey Vieta
• Andrew Witty
• Skyler Younkin
Bramley also repeated as an Academic All-America honoree as recognized by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Purdue swimming & diving earned 48 Academic All-Big Ten (25 women, 23 men) and 21 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (12 women, 9 men) honors for the 2020-21 school year. Freshmen are not eligible for those awards, but they are for the CSCAA Scholar All-America accolades.
Pfeiffer closed out her career as a five-time CSCAA Scholar All-America. Fellow 2022 graduates Aćin, Bramley and Merriman were four-year honorees. Vieta was recognized for the third year in a row.
2022 HIGHLIGHTS FOR PURDUE'S CSCAA SCHOLAR ALL-AMERICANS
• Championship Finalists at NCAAs: Maggie Merriman (Platform), Jordan Rzepka (Platform)
• Also Scored at NCAAs: Ben Bramley (Platform), Jordan Rzepka (1-Meter), Nikola Aćin (400 Free Relay), Keelan Hart (400 Free Relay), Nick Sherman (400 Free Relay)
• Medaled at Big Ten Championships: Jordan Rzepka (Silver on 3-Meter & Platform), Maycey Vieta (Silver on Platform), Nikola Aćin (Bronze in 200 & 400 Free Relays), Maggie Merriman (Bronze on Platform), Nick Sherman (Bronze in 200 & 400 Free Relays), Keelan Hart (400 Free Relay)
• Scored in All 3 Individual Events at Big Tens: Nikola Aćin, (50, 100 and 200 Free), Sam Bennett (All Diving), Ben Bramley (All Diving), Sophie McAfee (All Diving), Jordan Rzepka (All Diving), Nick Sherman (100 Free, 200 Free, 200 IM), Jenna Sonnenberg (All Diving)
• Eclipsed Team Records: Nikola Aćin (50 Free, 400 Free Relay), Nick Sherman (200 IM, 400 Free Relay), Keelan Hart (400 Free Relay)
• Competed at FINA World Championships: Maggie Merriman (10-Meter), Jordan Rzepka (1-Meter), Maycey Vieta (10-Meter)
• 15 Boilermakers scored in at least one individual event at Big Tens
The CSCAA honors student-athletes that achieved 3.5-plus grade-point averages during the spring semester/quarter, which coincides with swimming & diving's championship season, headlined by the NCAA Championships in March. First-team honorees competed at the NCAA Championships and second-team honorees achieved an individual NCAA provisional qualifying time (B Cut) or competed at their NCAA Diving Zone Championships meet.
Team GPAs also remained strong at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic. The Purdue men and women were recognized as CSCAA Scholar All-America Teams again. The women posted a 3.43 team mark and the men compiled a 3.20 GPA for the spring semester. The women are riding a streak of 10 consecutive semesters with a team GPA of at least 3.40.
| 2022 SPRING SEMESTERS BY THE NUMBERS | |
| WOMEN 4.0 GPAs: 10 3.5+ GPAs: 24 3.0+GPAs: 35 Cumulative Team GPA: 3.53 |
MEN 4.0 GPAs: 3 3.5+ GPAs: 18 3.0+ GPAs: 27 Cumulative Team GPA: 3.34 |
The Boilermakers had 14 NCAA Championships qualifiers this season and 10 of those student-athletes in turn earned Scholar All-America accolades for their 3.5-plus GPAs in the spring. Nikola Aćin, Ben Bramley, Keelan Hart, Maggie Merriman, Jordan Rzepka, Nick Sherman doubled up as the dual honorees – All-Americans at NCAAs and Scholar All-Americans for their work in the classroom. Sam Bennett, Sophie McAfee, Jenna Sonnenberg and Maycey Vieta were also recognized as a Scholar All-Americans by the CSCAA after competing at the national championship meets in Atlanta.
| 2022 CSCAA SCHOLAR ALL-AMERICANS (FIRST TEAM) | |
| Boilermaker | Major |
| Nikola Aćin | Kinesiology |
| Sam Bennett | Psychological Sciences |
| Ben Bramley | Finance |
| Keelan Hart | Construction Management |
| Sophie McAfee | Natural Resources & Environmental Science |
| Maggie Merriman | Human Services |
| Jordan Rzepka | Selling & Sales Management |
| Nick Sherman | Mechanical Engineering |
| Jenna Sonnenberg | Law & Society |
| Maycey Vieta | Media & Mass Communication |
| CSCAA SCHOLAR ALL-AMERICANS (SECOND TEAM) | ||
| Boilermaker | B Cut(s) / Zones | Major |
| Masy Folcik | 100 & 200 Breast | Kinesiology |
| Maggie Love | 100 Breast | Biomedical Engineering |
| Emily (Bretscher) Pfeiffer | Zone C Participant | General Management |
| Liam Walker | 100 & 200 Fly | Public Health |
| Andrew Witty | 100 Breast | Mechanical Engineering |
| Skyler Younkin | 200 Fly | General Management |
Unlike Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten, freshmen are eligible for the CSCAA academic honors. Purdue had nine student-athletes this year earn all three academic honors – Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (3.7+ GPA for 2021-22 school year), CSCAA Scholar All-America (3.5+ GPA for spring semester) and Academic All-Big Ten (cumulative 3.0+ GPA).
TRIPLE ACADEMIC HONORS FOR 2021-22
Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, CSCAA Scholar All-America, Academic All-Big Ten
• Nikola Aćin
• Ben Bramley
• Maggie Merriman
• Emily (Bretscher) Pfeiffer
• Nick Sherman
• Jenna Sonnenberg
• Maycey Vieta
• Andrew Witty
• Skyler Younkin
Bramley also repeated as an Academic All-America honoree as recognized by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Purdue swimming & diving earned 48 Academic All-Big Ten (25 women, 23 men) and 21 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (12 women, 9 men) honors for the 2020-21 school year. Freshmen are not eligible for those awards, but they are for the CSCAA Scholar All-America accolades.
Pfeiffer closed out her career as a five-time CSCAA Scholar All-America. Fellow 2022 graduates Aćin, Bramley and Merriman were four-year honorees. Vieta was recognized for the third year in a row.
2022 HIGHLIGHTS FOR PURDUE'S CSCAA SCHOLAR ALL-AMERICANS
• Championship Finalists at NCAAs: Maggie Merriman (Platform), Jordan Rzepka (Platform)
• Also Scored at NCAAs: Ben Bramley (Platform), Jordan Rzepka (1-Meter), Nikola Aćin (400 Free Relay), Keelan Hart (400 Free Relay), Nick Sherman (400 Free Relay)
• Medaled at Big Ten Championships: Jordan Rzepka (Silver on 3-Meter & Platform), Maycey Vieta (Silver on Platform), Nikola Aćin (Bronze in 200 & 400 Free Relays), Maggie Merriman (Bronze on Platform), Nick Sherman (Bronze in 200 & 400 Free Relays), Keelan Hart (400 Free Relay)
• Scored in All 3 Individual Events at Big Tens: Nikola Aćin, (50, 100 and 200 Free), Sam Bennett (All Diving), Ben Bramley (All Diving), Sophie McAfee (All Diving), Jordan Rzepka (All Diving), Nick Sherman (100 Free, 200 Free, 200 IM), Jenna Sonnenberg (All Diving)
• Eclipsed Team Records: Nikola Aćin (50 Free, 400 Free Relay), Nick Sherman (200 IM, 400 Free Relay), Keelan Hart (400 Free Relay)
• Competed at FINA World Championships: Maggie Merriman (10-Meter), Jordan Rzepka (1-Meter), Maycey Vieta (10-Meter)
• 15 Boilermakers scored in at least one individual event at Big Tens