BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Bridgewater State University sophomore Samantha Richner has been selected as the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Women’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week.

A native of Hanson, Massachusetts, Richner captured top honors in the high jump at the season-opening Tufts Snowflake Classic with a leap of five feet, 2.25 inches (1.58 meters) as she helped the Bears finish third in the team standings.

Richner is currently ranked 21th in all of Division III in the high jump.

As a rookie during the 2013-2014 academic year, Richner set the Bears' indoor high jump record at the BU John Thomas Terrier Invitational.  She also equaled BSU Hall of Famer Judy Smith's ('81) outdoor high jump mark of five feet, six inches (1.68 meters) at the Division III New England Championships.

This past indoor season, Richner tied her own school mark in the high jump at the MIT Art Farnham Invitational.

Richner has won the MASCAC individual championship in the high jump in each of her first three track and field seasons. She won both the indoor and outdoor titles during her rookie campaign, and repeated as the MASCAC indoor high jump champion this past winter.

The schedule continues for the BSU track & Field teams on Saturday when they compete at the UMass Dartmouth Corsair Classic.

Notes: Richner has been selected as the MASCAC Field Athlete of the Week four times (three indoor/one outdoor) over her first two seasons at Bridgewater State….Richner garnered MASCAC Rookie of the Week honors an impressive ten times (six indoor/four outdoor) last season.