Bucknell women dominate Loyola; men show improvement at meets

Bucknell’s swimming and diving teams split results over the weekend, with the women posting a resounding 214-85 victory at Loyola (Maryland) on Jan. 16 while the men fell 172-128 but logged several personal-best performances. The weekend’s results underscored the depth of the Bucknell women’s roster and highlighted individual progress on the men’s side as the season progresses.

The women’s win at Loyola was comprehensive. Clara Renner emerged as a focal point, winning three events, and Tori Castro added two victories while registering a top-10 time in program history in the 100-yard butterfly. Those performances pushed multiple event times onto Bucknell’s all-time lists, reinforcing the program’s long-term standards and giving local fans measurable milestones to follow.

On the men’s side, the 172-128 loss to Loyola masked encouraging signs. Several Bucknell men recorded personal bests and marked top-10 times on the team’s all-time lists, signaling upward momentum for athletes pushing toward season goals. Those individual improvements matter for Bulldogs in training and for Union County supporters tracking local talent; personal-best swims often translate into better relay positioning and stronger showings in future dual meets and invitationals.

Bucknell then returned to Sojka Natatorium in Lewisburg on Jan. 17 to host La Salle. The home meet was scheduled to stream on YouTube, providing an accessible way for Union County residents, students, and alumni to watch the Bison compete without traveling. Bucknell’s athletics pages included full result summaries, event winners, and notes putting individual swims in context against the school’s historical lists, giving parents, coaches, and local followers a clear picture of how weekend performances stack up.

For local readers, the weekend offers both immediate and longer-term takeaways. The women’s dominant scoreline signals a team capable of high-level depth across events, a selling point for community pride and future recruiting conversations. The men’s string of personal bests indicates developing competitiveness that could translate into improved dual-meet outcomes as the season continues.

Bucknell now carries these marks into remaining winter meets; residents who follow Sojka Natatorium events can watch upcoming home action in person or via the athletics stream as the Bison chase faster times and higher placements on the program’s all-time lists.