MINNEAPOLIS – Brady Samuels and Nick Sherman teamed up for a record-setting session Friday at the NCAA Championships, eclipsing Purdue benchmarks in the 100 backstroke and 200 freestyle.
Samuels finished 10th of 42 in the 100 back prelims with a time of 45.17, earning a second swim in the consolation final and honorable mention All-America accolades. He became the Boilermakers' first All-American in the backstroke since Louis Paul (200 back) in 2005.
Sherman broke his own record in the 200 free with a time of 1:33.27, resetting the team benchmark for the third time. He eclipsed an individual team record at NCAAs for the second time in his career, also accomplishing the feat in the 200 IM in 2021.
Samuels eclipsed Joe Young's team record (45.56) in the 100 back that had stood since 2019. Samuels now owns team records in the 100 butterfly and 100 back as well as the 400 freestyle relay. He has joined Nikola Aćin (50 & 100 free), Steele Jonson (1-meter & 3-meter diving), Matthew Martin (1000 & 1650 free) and Sherman (200 free, 200 IM) as Boilermakers to currently hold multiple team records in individual events.
Excluding the honorary All-America accolades awarded in 2020 in the wake of the cancellation of the NCAA Championships, Samuels is Purdue's first sophomore swimmer to earn All-America honors in an individual event since Giordan Pogioli (200 breast) in 2004.
Thursday, Samuels also posted a career-best time of 19.46 in the prelims of the 50 free. He moved into fourth place in team history with his Purdue season-best mark.
The Boilermakers had a top-20 finisher in both springboard diving events. Jordan Rzepka was 17th in the 1-meter prelims Thursday and Sam Bennett placed 18th in the 3-meter prelims Friday. Both Boilermakers narrowly missed out on honorable mention All-America accolades via a top-16 showing in the prelims.
The NCAA Championships conclude Saturday with Samuels and Sherman in the 100 free plus Rzepka competing in platform diving. Swimming prelims begin at 11 a.m. ET and the diving prelim starts at 1 p.m. ET. Saturday's finals session is set for 7 p.m. ET.
PURDUE AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Results from the first two days of individual events
Friday
100 Back
Brady Samuels, 45.17 (Prelim Time) – Finished 8th in Consolation Final; Honorable Mention All-America; PURDUE RECORD
200 Free
Nick Sherman, 1:33.27 – Finished 27th in Prelims; PURDUE RECORD
3-Meter Diving
Sam Bennett, 362.50 – Finished 18th in Prelims
Jordan Rzepka, 323.10 – Finished 36th in Prelims
Thursday
1-Meter Diving
Jordan Rzepka, 342.15 – Finished 17th in Prelims
Sam Bennett, 316.70 – Finished 32nd in Prelims
50 Free
Brady Samuels, 19.46 – Finished 40th in Prelims; 4th Fastest in Team History
200 IM
Nick Sherman, 1:42.97 – Finished 24th in Prelims
Samuels finished 10th of 42 in the 100 back prelims with a time of 45.17, earning a second swim in the consolation final and honorable mention All-America accolades. He became the Boilermakers' first All-American in the backstroke since Louis Paul (200 back) in 2005.
Sherman broke his own record in the 200 free with a time of 1:33.27, resetting the team benchmark for the third time. He eclipsed an individual team record at NCAAs for the second time in his career, also accomplishing the feat in the 200 IM in 2021.
Samuels eclipsed Joe Young's team record (45.56) in the 100 back that had stood since 2019. Samuels now owns team records in the 100 butterfly and 100 back as well as the 400 freestyle relay. He has joined Nikola Aćin (50 & 100 free), Steele Jonson (1-meter & 3-meter diving), Matthew Martin (1000 & 1650 free) and Sherman (200 free, 200 IM) as Boilermakers to currently hold multiple team records in individual events.
Excluding the honorary All-America accolades awarded in 2020 in the wake of the cancellation of the NCAA Championships, Samuels is Purdue's first sophomore swimmer to earn All-America honors in an individual event since Giordan Pogioli (200 breast) in 2004.
Thursday, Samuels also posted a career-best time of 19.46 in the prelims of the 50 free. He moved into fourth place in team history with his Purdue season-best mark.
The Boilermakers had a top-20 finisher in both springboard diving events. Jordan Rzepka was 17th in the 1-meter prelims Thursday and Sam Bennett placed 18th in the 3-meter prelims Friday. Both Boilermakers narrowly missed out on honorable mention All-America accolades via a top-16 showing in the prelims.
The NCAA Championships conclude Saturday with Samuels and Sherman in the 100 free plus Rzepka competing in platform diving. Swimming prelims begin at 11 a.m. ET and the diving prelim starts at 1 p.m. ET. Saturday's finals session is set for 7 p.m. ET.
PURDUE AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Results from the first two days of individual events
Friday
100 Back
Brady Samuels, 45.17 (Prelim Time) – Finished 8th in Consolation Final; Honorable Mention All-America; PURDUE RECORD
200 Free
Nick Sherman, 1:33.27 – Finished 27th in Prelims; PURDUE RECORD
3-Meter Diving
Sam Bennett, 362.50 – Finished 18th in Prelims
Jordan Rzepka, 323.10 – Finished 36th in Prelims
Thursday
1-Meter Diving
Jordan Rzepka, 342.15 – Finished 17th in Prelims
Sam Bennett, 316.70 – Finished 32nd in Prelims
50 Free
Brady Samuels, 19.46 – Finished 40th in Prelims; 4th Fastest in Team History
200 IM
Nick Sherman, 1:42.97 – Finished 24th in Prelims