Atlanta, GA – Senior Samantha Richart competed in the 2016 NCAA Swimming Championships on Friday, March 18 in Atlanta, GA. Richart placed 31^st out of 50 swimmers in the 100-yard breaststroke preliminaries with a time of 1:00.78. Indiana freshman Lilly King won the race, recording a new NCAA record of 57.15.             

The Saline, MI native qualified for her time in the 100-yard breaststroke, a 59.88 mark, at the Mid-American Conference Championships in February. Richart is the seventh Rocket in program history to be invited to the meet. Past participants include former Rockets Reyna Smith (1995), Megan McKinley (2008), Kylie Gamelier (2009), Jacy Dyer (2011), Laura Lindsay (2011, 2012) and Claire Leichty (2012).

Richart dominated the 100 breast throughout the season, recording a first-place finish in eight out of nine meets. The senior touched second in the 100 breast at the MAC Championships with a time of 1:00.54. She recorded a meet-record and personal-best time of 59.88 in the preliminary round of the event. Richart outswam her previous personal-best time of 1:00.61, which she recorded at the Miami Invitational in December.