Hall of Fame
Kelly Lightner Kline earned All-American honors at Shippensburg four years in a row. From Lebanon, Kline was a team co-captain for three seasons.
In her freshman year Kline set school records in the 100 butterfly with a time of 0:59.61 and in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:13.76. The following season she helped Shippensburg compile an 11-2 dual meet record and place third in the Pennsylvania Conference. She was an All-American again in several events as Shippensburg placed 17th at the AIAW national championships. She was named “Woman Athlete of the Year” by the Central Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1979.
Kline was an All-American in the 50 and 100 butterfly, the 100 individual medley and four relays at the national championships in 1980. The team compiled a 15-1 dual meet record and took third again at the conference championship meet. Shippensburg cracked the top 10 national championships by placing seventh in the team standings.
Shippensburg placed sixth at the national championships in 1981 and Kline played a key role in that effort. She swam one leg on the Lady Raiders’ 200 yard freestyle relay team which won the national title in a time of 1:40.04. All five of Shippensburg’s relay s placed at the national championships and Kline was on three of them. The 200 medley relay, with Kline swimming butterfly leg, was fifth in 1:55.09. The 400 medley relay team was third in 4:10.08. In addition, Shippensburg was 11-1 in dual meet competition and second in the Pennsylvania Conference that year.
After graduation, Kline became a reading specialist in the Palmyra Area School District while remaining active in the sport of swimming.
In 1986 she was YMCA Masters National Champion in the 50 yard butterfly. She finished second in four events.
In 1987 she was YMCA Master’s National Champion in the 50 butterfly and helped Lebanon win national titles in the women’s 200 freestyle and 200 medley relay events. She also placed second in the 100 individual medley, the 100 butterfly, the 200 individual medley and the 400 individual medley.
In 1989 Kline competed at the U.S. Masters Swimming National Short Course Championships in Boca Roton, Florida, and placed in six individual and two relay events. Her best finish was in the 100 butterfly. She took second in 1:02.03. Competing in the 30-34 age group, Kline was in the 1989 U.S.M.S. Short Course Yards Top Ten in six individual events.
Kline also rode in the RAGBRAI in Iowa with her husband. The RAGBRAI is a 457 mile bicycle tour that attracted 13,000 participants in 1987. The race begins with the riders dipping their rear wheels in the Missouri River and finishes when the riders dip their front wheels in the Mississippi. Kline was pregnant at the time.
