FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – Freshman Kaden Springfield shined in his first championship final at the NCAA Championships, claiming bronze in platform diving to account for Purdue Men's Swimming & Diving's best finish at the national championship meet since 2022.
Springfield improved on his list total on the tower by 32.55 points while moving up from eighth in the prelim to third overall for a medalist finish. He joined an elite list of Boilermakers to medal at NCAAs as a freshman.
Seniors Jordan Rzepka and Brady Samuels also finished strong in their final days of NCAA competition for Purdue. Rzepka was sixth on platform for his third top-nine showing of the week, completing an All-America trifecta. Samuels broke 42 seconds in the 100 freestyle for the second time in his career, improving on his second-fastest time (41.92) in team history.
With seven scoring finishes for the week adding up to 62 points, the Boilermakers placed 17th in the team scoring at the national championship meet. They finished top 20 for the sixth time since 2015 and top 25 for the 16th time since 2005.
The Purdue men and women both finished top 20 at NCAAs Championships for the first time since 2021. The women were 18th with 53 points last week at NCAAs.
Freshman Tyler Wills nearly gave Purdue an eighth All-America performance, placing 17th in the platform diving prelim as one spot shy of a scoring finish.
Springfield achieved the rare feat of medaling despite competing first among the eight divers in the championship final. Just as he did in the prelim, he did not miss a dive to keep himself in striking position for a spot among the top three, a result that became a reality when he finished strong with his top scores (82.50, 71.40) over the final two rounds. His back 3 ½ in round 5 produced the top score among the field in that pivotal and penultimate round. His list total in the final was 408.50.
Rzepka finished second in the prelim ahead of Olympian and three-time NCAA platform champion Carson Tyler, who he also beat to win the Big Ten title in the event on the first Saturday of the month. But after a long week of competition that saw him finish sixth on 1-meter Thursday and ninth on 3-meter Friday, Rzepka's entries were not clean in rounds 1 and 3 of the final at NCAAs. He finished strong per usual with his big scores over the final 3 rounds, but it was not enough to overcome the slow start. His list total of 393.20 was 22 points below his mark in the prelim.
Rzepka still managed to earn All-America honors – with three top-10 showings – in all three diving events, achieving the feat for his career with Friday's finish on 3-meter. He is Purdue's seventh male diver to achieve the feat in a single year and the first since 2022. Over his four seasons, Rzepka was a six-time All-American, the most honors by a Boilermaker since Steele Johnson's nine from 2015-18.
Springfield joined David Colturi (2008), David Boudia (2009), Johnson (2015) and Tyler Downs (2022) as Purdue men to medal at NCAAs as freshmen. All five won a medal on the tower during their first years at NCAAs.
Samuels finished 21st among a field of 65 swimmers in the ultra-fast 100 free. He was 15th among a field of 45 in the 100 butterfly while resetting the Purdue record in both the prelims and finals, becoming a three-year All-American.
As Rzepka and Samuels wrap up their collegiate careers, 2025 NCAA qualifiers Max Miller, Zach Welsh, Springfield and Wills will headline Purdue's returnees for the 2025-26 season.
SATURDAY AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Platform Diving
• Kaden Springfield, 408.50 – 3rd in Championship Final (16 Points); All-America
• Jordan Rzepka, 415.90 (Prelim Score) – 6th in Championship Final (13 Points); All-America
• Tyler Wills, 339.20 – 17th in Prelim
100 Freestyle
• Brady Samuels, 41.92 – 21st in Prelims; Improved on his 2nd Fastest Time in Team History
ALL-AMERICAN IN ALL 3 DIVING EVENTS IN ONE SEASON
• Jorda Rzepka – 2025
• Tyler Downs – 2022
• Steele Johnson – 2015, 2017, 2018
• David Boudia – 2009, 2010, 2011
• David Colturi – 2010
• Zach Schultz – 2007
• Steven LoBue – 2006
Springfield improved on his list total on the tower by 32.55 points while moving up from eighth in the prelim to third overall for a medalist finish. He joined an elite list of Boilermakers to medal at NCAAs as a freshman.
Seniors Jordan Rzepka and Brady Samuels also finished strong in their final days of NCAA competition for Purdue. Rzepka was sixth on platform for his third top-nine showing of the week, completing an All-America trifecta. Samuels broke 42 seconds in the 100 freestyle for the second time in his career, improving on his second-fastest time (41.92) in team history.
With seven scoring finishes for the week adding up to 62 points, the Boilermakers placed 17th in the team scoring at the national championship meet. They finished top 20 for the sixth time since 2015 and top 25 for the 16th time since 2005.
The Purdue men and women both finished top 20 at NCAAs Championships for the first time since 2021. The women were 18th with 53 points last week at NCAAs.
Freshman Tyler Wills nearly gave Purdue an eighth All-America performance, placing 17th in the platform diving prelim as one spot shy of a scoring finish.
Springfield achieved the rare feat of medaling despite competing first among the eight divers in the championship final. Just as he did in the prelim, he did not miss a dive to keep himself in striking position for a spot among the top three, a result that became a reality when he finished strong with his top scores (82.50, 71.40) over the final two rounds. His back 3 ½ in round 5 produced the top score among the field in that pivotal and penultimate round. His list total in the final was 408.50.
Rzepka finished second in the prelim ahead of Olympian and three-time NCAA platform champion Carson Tyler, who he also beat to win the Big Ten title in the event on the first Saturday of the month. But after a long week of competition that saw him finish sixth on 1-meter Thursday and ninth on 3-meter Friday, Rzepka's entries were not clean in rounds 1 and 3 of the final at NCAAs. He finished strong per usual with his big scores over the final 3 rounds, but it was not enough to overcome the slow start. His list total of 393.20 was 22 points below his mark in the prelim.
Rzepka still managed to earn All-America honors – with three top-10 showings – in all three diving events, achieving the feat for his career with Friday's finish on 3-meter. He is Purdue's seventh male diver to achieve the feat in a single year and the first since 2022. Over his four seasons, Rzepka was a six-time All-American, the most honors by a Boilermaker since Steele Johnson's nine from 2015-18.
Springfield joined David Colturi (2008), David Boudia (2009), Johnson (2015) and Tyler Downs (2022) as Purdue men to medal at NCAAs as freshmen. All five won a medal on the tower during their first years at NCAAs.
Samuels finished 21st among a field of 65 swimmers in the ultra-fast 100 free. He was 15th among a field of 45 in the 100 butterfly while resetting the Purdue record in both the prelims and finals, becoming a three-year All-American.
As Rzepka and Samuels wrap up their collegiate careers, 2025 NCAA qualifiers Max Miller, Zach Welsh, Springfield and Wills will headline Purdue's returnees for the 2025-26 season.
SATURDAY AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Platform Diving
• Kaden Springfield, 408.50 – 3rd in Championship Final (16 Points); All-America
• Jordan Rzepka, 415.90 (Prelim Score) – 6th in Championship Final (13 Points); All-America
• Tyler Wills, 339.20 – 17th in Prelim
100 Freestyle
• Brady Samuels, 41.92 – 21st in Prelims; Improved on his 2nd Fastest Time in Team History
ALL-AMERICAN IN ALL 3 DIVING EVENTS IN ONE SEASON
• Jorda Rzepka – 2025
• Tyler Downs – 2022
• Steele Johnson – 2015, 2017, 2018
• David Boudia – 2009, 2010, 2011
• David Colturi – 2010
• Zach Schultz – 2007
• Steven LoBue – 2006