Kelly Byrne ’27 was named this week’s Bison Athlete of the Week for the second time this season after a remarkable performance in the 2026 Patriot League Championships. Byrne took home gold in the 400 IM and bronze in the 1650 freestyle, as well as set three new Bucknell top-ten times.
Ranking second in Bucknell history, Byrne earned the gold medal after swimming a personal-best of 4:16.24 in the 400 IM. She won the event by 1.75 seconds, beat her preliminary time by almost seven seconds and became the second Bison in a row to win the 400 IM, after Clara Renner ’28 took home the gold in 2025.
Later, Byrne knocked nearly eight seconds off her personal best and took the bronze in the 1650 free with a 16:52.36, ranking eighth in program history.
In the 500 freestyle, she set the fifth-fastest time in school history with a 4:51.87. She knocked off almost four seconds of her prelim time to finish fourth in the A-Final and she was a bit over half a second from another medal.
The Bison women took home third at the Patriot League Championships for the second year in a row. Catch Byrne and the Bison back in action at Kinney Natatorium on Friday, Feb. 27.
