ROSEMONT, Ill. – A trio of personal-best list scores while contributing three of the five victories in Purdue's Saturday sweep in the dive well set the stage for a Holden Higbie-Sophie McAfee team up for matching Big Ten Diver of the Week honors.
Higbie was also recognized as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week. He won on 3-meter with a list score of 409, moving into 14th place in team history. McAfee swept the springboard events for the third straight NCAA meet dating back to November. She improved on her 14th-best score in team history on 1-meter (317.75) in the women's triple dual vs. Missouri and Illinois. Both list totals represented team season bests in those events as well.
Teammates Max Miller and Daryn Wright also teamed up for a Diver of the Week sweep on Oct. 25, at the time marking the first time the Boilermakers had accomplished the feat since November 2019. Purdue now has four different Diver of the Week honorees in a season for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign (Jamie Bissett, Layne Rogers, Casey Matthews, Michelle Cabassol). The 2013-14 season also marked the last time the Boilermakers had two weekly award sweeps for diving in the same year.
Jordan Rzepka (men's 1-meter) and Wright (women's 10-meter) won events Saturday as well. The five event wins in the dive well helped the women top Missouri and Illinois, improving to 6-0 in duals. The men would not have finished tied with Missouri at 150-150 in the team scoring without the diving victories or the 1-2-3 finish from Rzepka, Higbie and Miller on 1-meter. Higbie (376.20) finished only 1.4 points behind Rzepka (377.20) and just three points separated Rzepka and Miller (373.60).
McAfee's seven event victories are tied with Wright for the most by a Purdue diver this season. Her winning score on 3-meter (355.25) was just 1.7 points shy of her team season best. The junior won her first career Big Ten Diver of the Week honor.
Higbie was victorious for the second time this season, improving on his winning 3-meter list (387.15) at the Dan Ross Indiana Intercollegiate by 21.85 points. He enjoyed a 53-point improvement on his previous personal best on 1-meter.
The Boilermakers are back in action Saturday, Jan. 27 for the annual rivalry dual at Indiana. Platform diving is traditionally contested as a scoring event for both genders in the dual with IU.
PURDUE WEEKLY HONOREES THIS SEASON
• Diver of the Week: Daryn Wright (Oct. 19, Oct. 25), Max Miller (Oct. 25), Holden Higbie (Jan. 17), Sophie McAfee (Jan. 17)
• Freshman of the Week: Pat Broderick (Nov. 8), Holden Higbie (Jan. 17)
• Swimmer of the Week: Brady Samuels (Nov. 8)
THE LAST TIME…
• Purdue had four different Big Ten Diver of the Week winners in a season: 2013-14
• Purdue had two Big Ten Diver of the Week sweeps in a season: 2013-14
• Purdue men had a swimmer and a diver win Big Ten Freshman of the Week in a season: 2021-22
• Purdue diver won Big Ten Diver and Freshman of the Week simultaneously: Daryn Wright in January 2023
• Purdue men's diver won Big Ten Diver and Freshman of the Week simultaneously: Jordan Rzepka in February 2022
Higbie was also recognized as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week. He won on 3-meter with a list score of 409, moving into 14th place in team history. McAfee swept the springboard events for the third straight NCAA meet dating back to November. She improved on her 14th-best score in team history on 1-meter (317.75) in the women's triple dual vs. Missouri and Illinois. Both list totals represented team season bests in those events as well.
Teammates Max Miller and Daryn Wright also teamed up for a Diver of the Week sweep on Oct. 25, at the time marking the first time the Boilermakers had accomplished the feat since November 2019. Purdue now has four different Diver of the Week honorees in a season for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign (Jamie Bissett, Layne Rogers, Casey Matthews, Michelle Cabassol). The 2013-14 season also marked the last time the Boilermakers had two weekly award sweeps for diving in the same year.
Jordan Rzepka (men's 1-meter) and Wright (women's 10-meter) won events Saturday as well. The five event wins in the dive well helped the women top Missouri and Illinois, improving to 6-0 in duals. The men would not have finished tied with Missouri at 150-150 in the team scoring without the diving victories or the 1-2-3 finish from Rzepka, Higbie and Miller on 1-meter. Higbie (376.20) finished only 1.4 points behind Rzepka (377.20) and just three points separated Rzepka and Miller (373.60).
McAfee's seven event victories are tied with Wright for the most by a Purdue diver this season. Her winning score on 3-meter (355.25) was just 1.7 points shy of her team season best. The junior won her first career Big Ten Diver of the Week honor.
Higbie was victorious for the second time this season, improving on his winning 3-meter list (387.15) at the Dan Ross Indiana Intercollegiate by 21.85 points. He enjoyed a 53-point improvement on his previous personal best on 1-meter.
The Boilermakers are back in action Saturday, Jan. 27 for the annual rivalry dual at Indiana. Platform diving is traditionally contested as a scoring event for both genders in the dual with IU.
PURDUE WEEKLY HONOREES THIS SEASON
• Diver of the Week: Daryn Wright (Oct. 19, Oct. 25), Max Miller (Oct. 25), Holden Higbie (Jan. 17), Sophie McAfee (Jan. 17)
• Freshman of the Week: Pat Broderick (Nov. 8), Holden Higbie (Jan. 17)
• Swimmer of the Week: Brady Samuels (Nov. 8)
THE LAST TIME…
• Purdue had four different Big Ten Diver of the Week winners in a season: 2013-14
• Purdue had two Big Ten Diver of the Week sweeps in a season: 2013-14
• Purdue men had a swimmer and a diver win Big Ten Freshman of the Week in a season: 2021-22
• Purdue diver won Big Ten Diver and Freshman of the Week simultaneously: Daryn Wright in January 2023
• Purdue men's diver won Big Ten Diver and Freshman of the Week simultaneously: Jordan Rzepka in February 2022