Kelly Brown Buckley: From Fledgling Swimmer to National Qualifier
Written by Doug Goodnough, ’90
Kelly Brown Buckley, ’92, certainly made a splash during her time at Hillsdale College. As a member of the first swimming team in the College’s history in 1989, Brown and a group of walk-ons went from a group trying to stay afloat to a program that qualified for the NAIA nationals during her senior year.
Buckley, currently entering her 20th year as an English teacher at Elkhart (Indiana) High School, said the early days of the Charger swim program were a learning experience for everyone.
The first coach, Dick Powers, also served as the College’s women’s volleyball coach, and went about trying to recruit talent for the fledgling program. In fact, Buckley never swam competitively in high school.
“We were all walk-ons, and he found me,” Buckley said of how she joined the team. “He was learning swimming right along with us. It was just a way for me to connect, make friends, and stay in shape. I was really surprised at how well we bonded, how well we learned through many mistakes along the way, to be a team and compete at the collegiate level. None of us had ever done it.”
She said the program really started to improve when a new coach, Amy Thayer, was hired before her senior year.
“With (Thayer), they allowed some little scholarships to be put into place, which upped our game,” Buckley said.
In fact, Hillsdale qualified for NAIA nationals in Canton, Ohio. Buckley, a freestyle sprinter, was part of three relays that competed on the national stage. She said it was a memorable finish to her collegiate career.
“We were proud to make it there for the first time,” Buckley said of nationals.
She also met her husband, Brian Buckley, ’87, while at Hillsdale. “Buck” is currently the athletic director at Elkhart High School, and their two daughters, Katie, 22, and Kortney, 21, are both finishing their college degrees. Another Hillsdale connection is Krista Kreider Riblet, ’92, who teaches with Buckley in the same department at Elkhart, and the families live in the same neighborhood. She said the Hillsdale family feel remains.
“Every part of Hillsdale was just a safe, family environment for me,” said Buckley, who was an education major and a member of the Chi Omega sorority. “I was grateful for swimming and my classes because it put me in with so many other groups of people as well.”
Doug Goodnough, ’90, is Hillsdale’s director of Alumni Marketing. He enjoys connecting with fellow alumni in new and wonderful ways.
Published in March 2023