COLUMBUS, Ohio – A pair of medals in the dive well coupled with Abby Marcukaitis' team record in the 200 backstroke headlining a list of 18 lifetime bests that went into the program record book highlighted the Big Ten Championships for Purdue Women's Swimming & Diving.
Sixteen Boilermakers scored in at least one individual event, including a quintet that scored in all three of their individual events. Purdue had three championship finalists in both springboard diving events, the only school to do so on either 1-meter or 3-meter.
Daryn Wright finished top five in all three diving events, winning bronze on platform for the second year in a row and leading the way for Purdue by accounting for 78 team points. She's now a perfect 9-for-9 in career top-10 finishes at Big Tens and was one of only two divers to be a championship finalist in all three events this year. Wright posted the second-highest point total by a Boilermaker since the top-24 scoring format went into effect in 2016; only Emily Bretscher (83) in 2020 accounted for more.
Avery Worobel also finished top five on both springboards, winning silver on 3-meter to earn second-team All-Big Ten and All-Freshman Team honors – the latter being a new edition to the league's championship meet. She became Purdue's first freshman to win a medal in a springboard event since Casey Matthews in 2009. Matthews went on to become an NCAA champion (2013), Big Ten champion (2014) and Purdue Hall of Famer (2020).
Marcukaitis broke her own program record in the 200 backstroke, lowering the mark to 1:54.09. She also won the C final of the 100 back.
Sophie McAfee closed out her career at Big Tens with two more top-10 finishes, making her 11-for-12 in such showings over four years. She accounted for 252 team points in her career at Big Tens, with only Bretscher (300) providing the Boilermakers with more during the current scoring format. However, Bretscher had a five-year run at Big Tens due to the COVID-19 eligibility extensions. Through her first four years, Bretscher was at 255 points.
Masy Folcik and Kathryn Ackerman closed out their careers as five-year scorers at Big Tens. Ackerman, who surpassed the 200-point for her career, joined Purdue this season as a grad transfer from Michigan. Jenna Sonnenberg and Mahala Erlandson joined McAfee as four-year scorers at Big Tens. Sonnenberg scored in all three diving events for the second time in her career.
Hannah Hill (50 free) and Ackerman (400 IM) eclipsed Purdue's records entering the season. They originally broke those records during the fall semester.
Campbell Scofield became Purdue's first freshman swimmer to qualify for an A final at Big Tens since 2015, earning a spot on the All-Freshman team as the top-finishing freshman in the event.
Sophomore Kate Mouser and freshman Adele Sands both scored in all three of their individual events. Since 2016, Mouser has joined Alex Clarke as Purdue's only swimmers to accomplish that feat both of their underclassman seasons. Sands, Mouser and Clarke are now the only Purdue swimmers to be three-event scorers as freshmen in the top-24 format era. Freshman Lara Phipps swam on the maximum four relays as the only Boilermaker to do so this season.
Mouser and Sands both posted a trio of lifetime bests – all of which doubled as NCAA provisional qualifying times (B Cuts) – that moved them up the team's all-time leaderboards.
Along with Marcukaitis, Abbie Kehemier, Scofield and the 200 medley relay team all accounted for top-five times in team history.
Purdue's swimmers will have the option of competing in time trials this weekend at the two-day Boiler-Make-It NCAA last chance meet. Swimming qualifiers for the women's NCAA Championships will be announced on Wednesday, March 5. The Zone C Diving Championships (March 9-12 in Columbus) serve as diving's NCAA qualifier for teams based in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky.
Sixteen Boilermakers scored in at least one individual event, including a quintet that scored in all three of their individual events. Purdue had three championship finalists in both springboard diving events, the only school to do so on either 1-meter or 3-meter.
Daryn Wright finished top five in all three diving events, winning bronze on platform for the second year in a row and leading the way for Purdue by accounting for 78 team points. She's now a perfect 9-for-9 in career top-10 finishes at Big Tens and was one of only two divers to be a championship finalist in all three events this year. Wright posted the second-highest point total by a Boilermaker since the top-24 scoring format went into effect in 2016; only Emily Bretscher (83) in 2020 accounted for more.
Avery Worobel also finished top five on both springboards, winning silver on 3-meter to earn second-team All-Big Ten and All-Freshman Team honors – the latter being a new edition to the league's championship meet. She became Purdue's first freshman to win a medal in a springboard event since Casey Matthews in 2009. Matthews went on to become an NCAA champion (2013), Big Ten champion (2014) and Purdue Hall of Famer (2020).
Marcukaitis broke her own program record in the 200 backstroke, lowering the mark to 1:54.09. She also won the C final of the 100 back.
Sophie McAfee closed out her career at Big Tens with two more top-10 finishes, making her 11-for-12 in such showings over four years. She accounted for 252 team points in her career at Big Tens, with only Bretscher (300) providing the Boilermakers with more during the current scoring format. However, Bretscher had a five-year run at Big Tens due to the COVID-19 eligibility extensions. Through her first four years, Bretscher was at 255 points.
Masy Folcik and Kathryn Ackerman closed out their careers as five-year scorers at Big Tens. Ackerman, who surpassed the 200-point for her career, joined Purdue this season as a grad transfer from Michigan. Jenna Sonnenberg and Mahala Erlandson joined McAfee as four-year scorers at Big Tens. Sonnenberg scored in all three diving events for the second time in her career.
Hannah Hill (50 free) and Ackerman (400 IM) eclipsed Purdue's records entering the season. They originally broke those records during the fall semester.
| NOTABLES FROM BIG TENS | |
| Purdue's Top Scorers 1.) Daryn Wright – 78 Points Platform – 3rd in A Final (27 Points) 3-Meter – 4th in A Final (26 Points) 1-Meter – 5th in A Final (25 Points) 2.) Avery Worobel – 54 Points 3-Meter – 2nd in A Final (28 Points) 1-Meter – 4th in A Final (26 Points) 3.) Sophie McAfee – 49 Points 3-Meter – 7th in A Final (23 Points) Platform – Won B Final (20 Points) 1-Meter – 19th in Prelim (6 Points) 4.) Jenna Sonnenberg – 38 Points 1-Meter – 8th in A Final (22 Points) 3-Meter – 22nd in Prelim (3 Points) Platform – 6th in B Final (13 Points) T-5.) Campbell Scofield – 23 Points 200 Fly – 7th in A Final (23 Points) T-5.) Abby Marcukaitis – 23 Points 200 Back – 5th in B Final (14 Points) 100 Back – Won C Final (9 Points) 7.) Kate Mouser – 21 Points 200 Fly – 6th in B Final (13 Points) 400 IM – 5th in C Final (4 Points) 500 Free – 5th in C Final (4 Points) |
Lifetime Bests to Move/Join Purdue Record Book • Abby Marcukaitis – 1:54.09, Purdue Record in 200 Back • Kate Mouser – 4:12.97, 3rd in 400 IM • 200 Medley Relay – 1:38.13, 3rd …Marcukaitis, Folcik, Hill, Phipps • Campbell Scofield – 1:57.02, 4th in 200 Fly • Abbie Kehmeier – 1:56.48, 4th in 200 Back • Kate Mouser – 1:57.96, 6th in 200 Fly • 400 Free Relay – 3:18.67, 6th …Phipps, Hurley, Sands, Hill • Mahala Erlandson – 2:12.76, 7th in 200 Breast • Adele Sands – 1:46.33, 7th in 200 Free • Kate Mouser – 4:43.71, 7th in 500 Free • Reagan Mattice – 16:26.04, 7th in 1650 Free • Adele Sands – 4:45.01, 8th in 500 Free • Keira Kask – 1:58.57, 9th in 200 Fly • Adele Sands – 16:30.43, 10th in 1650 Free • 800 Free Relay – 7:09.44, 10th …Sands, Mouser, Hurley, Mattice • Sophia Capp – 2:14.88, 11th in 200 Breast • Avery Worobel – 361.20, 12th on 3-Meter …Purdue Freshman Record • Mahala Erlandson – 1:01.62, 12th in 100 Breast |
Campbell Scofield became Purdue's first freshman swimmer to qualify for an A final at Big Tens since 2015, earning a spot on the All-Freshman team as the top-finishing freshman in the event.
Sophomore Kate Mouser and freshman Adele Sands both scored in all three of their individual events. Since 2016, Mouser has joined Alex Clarke as Purdue's only swimmers to accomplish that feat both of their underclassman seasons. Sands, Mouser and Clarke are now the only Purdue swimmers to be three-event scorers as freshmen in the top-24 format era. Freshman Lara Phipps swam on the maximum four relays as the only Boilermaker to do so this season.
Mouser and Sands both posted a trio of lifetime bests – all of which doubled as NCAA provisional qualifying times (B Cuts) – that moved them up the team's all-time leaderboards.
Along with Marcukaitis, Abbie Kehemier, Scofield and the 200 medley relay team all accounted for top-five times in team history.
Purdue's swimmers will have the option of competing in time trials this weekend at the two-day Boiler-Make-It NCAA last chance meet. Swimming qualifiers for the women's NCAA Championships will be announced on Wednesday, March 5. The Zone C Diving Championships (March 9-12 in Columbus) serve as diving's NCAA qualifier for teams based in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky.
| ACTIVE CAREER SCORING LEADERS AT THE BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS | ||||||
| Boilermaker | Career Points | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Sophie McAfee | 252 | 49 | 71 | 67 | 65 | NA |
| Daryn Wright | 209 | 78 | 74 | 57 | NA | NA |
| Kathryn Ackerman* | 204.5 | 13 | 35 | 38 | 75 | 43.5 |
| Jenna Sonnenberg | 110 | 38 | 7 | 30 | 35 | DNC |
| Masy Folcik | 47 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 19 | 10 |
| Kate Mouser | 45 | 21 | 24 | NA | NA | NA |
| Abby Marcukaitis | 45 | 23 | 22 | -- | NA | NA |
| Maggie Love | 34 | -- | 22 | 3 | 9 | NA |
| Kaitlin Simons | 34 | 2 | 13 | 19 | NA | NA |
| Mahala Erlandson | 31.5 | 7 | 19.5 | 3 | 2 | NA |
| Reagan Mattice | 23 | 7 | 7 | 9 | NA | NA |
| Campbell Scofield | 23 | 23 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Cecilie Wiuff | 20.5 | DNC | 13 | 3.5 | 4 | NA |
| Madeline Greaves | 20 | -- | 4 | 1 | 14 | NA |
| Hannah Hill | 12 | 3 | DNC | 9 | -- | NA |
| Adele Sands | 11 | 11 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Keira Kask | 9 | 9 | -- | NA | NA | NA |
| Abbie Kehmeier | 4 | 4 | -- | NA | NA | NA |
| *2021-24 at Michigan | ||||||