Byrne Sets Top-10 Time in 1,650 Freestyle as Bison Compete in Navy Invitational

Saturday, January 31

Annapolis, Md.

12 p.m.

Bucknell University

Navy Invitational

Byrne Sets Top-10 Time in 1,650 Freestyle as Bison Compete in Navy Invitational

1/31/2026 6:37:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving

LEWISBURG, Pa. – Kelly Byrne picked up a win in the 1,650 freestyle while setting the 10th-fastest time in school history as the women's swimming and diving teams competed in the Navy Invitational at Lejeune Hall on Saturday.

The Bison won two events and posted 16 top-five finishes on the day. There was no team scoring as American, Lafayette, Navy, Lehigh and Shippensburg competed. Navy will host the Patriot League Championships from February 18-21.

Byrne won the 1,650 free by more than 17 seconds, and her time of 17:00.90 now ranks 10th in school history.

The Bison opened the day with a win in the 200 freestyle relay. Natalia Gajecki, Virginia Hastings, Clara Renner and Kyla Kelly won by less than three-tenths of a second, finishing in 1:34.59.

Tori Castro took second in the 200 IM with a time of 2:06.40, and Sofia Burns was right behind her in fifth with a time of 2:07.64. Jennifer Bolden took second in the 500 freestyle in 5:02.71. Kelly (5:05.32) and Hanna Klingensmith (5:05.41) took sixth and seventh in the event.

In the 100 backstroke, Hastings (57.59) took fifth and Talia Bugel (57.76) took sixth. Emma Briganti took second in the 200 butterfly, finishing with a time of 2:07.56.

Kennedy DeVeaux finished in third in the 100 freestyle in 51.65. Renner was right behind her with a time of 51.69 finishing in sixth. Tessa Feld took fourth in the 400 IM in 4:35.50.

The Bison took third and fifth in the 200 medley relay. Gajecki, Sam Benzija, Hastings and Castro took third with a time of 1:44.83. Alivia Wainwright, Ava Stallmeyer, Sara Ketron and Renner took fifth in 1:47.46.

Hastings took third in the 100 fly, finishing in 56.52. Sydney Dettmann followed with a second-place finish in the 200 free with a time of 1:51.44. DeVeaux also competed in the event, taking sixth in 1:52.85.

Gajecki finished in fourth in the 200 backstroke with her time of 2:05.11, and Renner was right behind her in sixth with a time of 1:08.94. In the 200 breaststroke, Stallmeyer took second in 2:19.54 and Benzija (2:21.40) took fifth.

Natalie Penman took sixth in both diving events. She scored a 228.10 in the one-meter dive and a 234.85 in the three-meter dive. Dea Mielenz took seventh in the three-meter dive with a score of 231.90.

This was Bucknell's final competition before the Patriot League and ECAC Championships. The Bison have several weeks of preparation before traveling back to Annapolis for the PL Championships from February 18-21.