BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University women's swimming & diving team edged Little East Conference (LEC) rival Eastern Connecticut State University, 117-114, on Friday evening at the Moriarty Pool. Tonight's meet was also a Morgan's Message® awareness event.

The Bears (4-6) placed first in seven of the 13 events on the evening.

Sophomore Cailey Simard (Haverhill, Mass.) swept the diving events as she posted a season-best score of 296.65 points on the one-meter board as well as 296.75 points on the three-meter.

Freshman Ava Anderson (Lynn, Mass.) placed second and recorded career-best scores on both diving boards. Anderson tallied 213.00 points on the one-meter and 208.90 points on the three-meter.

Simard and Anderson combined for 26 team points in the diving competition.

Sophomore Emily Bradford (Pittsfield, Mass.) was the first to touch the wall in the 1,000-freestyle with a collegiate-best time of 12:01.32.

Junior Brynn Murray (Chelmsford, Mass.) captured top honors in the 200 freestyle (2:08.00) while the Bears also received first place performances from junior Jenna Fiebiger (Johannesburg, South Africa) in the 50 freestyle (27.08), junior Brianna Matte (Cumberland, R.I.) in the 200 backstroke (2:23.16) and junior Samantha White (Plymouth, Mass.) in the 200 breaststroke (2:50.09).

Morgan's Message® was created by the family and former teammates of Morgan Rodgers, a former Duke University lacrosse student-athlete who died tragically in July 2019 after battling mental health struggles. The mission of Morgan's Message® is to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health within the student-athlete community and equalize the treatment of physical and mental health in athletics. Morgan's Message® aims to expand the dialogue on mental health by normalizing conversations, empowering those who suffer in silence, and supporting those who feel alone.

The BSU swimming & diving teams are back in action tomorrow afternoon at two o'clock as the Bears welcome LEC foe Plymouth State University to the Moriarty Pool. The Bears will also hold Senior Day festivities prior to the start of the meet.