Freshman Abby Burns: A Sports Phenom

By Kervin Coleman | Published April 4, 2023

It’s rare to compete successfully in two different sports at the college level. However, at Kean University there’s a new name to add to that short list: freshman standout, Abby Burns. 

Burns currently plays pitcher for the Cougars softball team and is also a member of Kean’s women’s swimming team, which just won an NJAC Championship this past season. 

“Winning an NJAC title was the goal but I wasn’t expecting it to come,” Burns said. “It was a good feeling, a grateful feeling.” 

In softball, Burns’s stats to date are 24.1 innings pitched, 2.30 earned run average, 24 hits, 10 runs, 32 strikeouts, and 0 home runs allowed with a 3-0 record.

On March 13, Burns was named NJAC rookie pitcher of the week. That week she struck out 22 batters, reported a 1.50 earned run average, and two wins on 14 innings pitched. 

“I was genuinely surprised,” Burns said. “I honestly didn’t think there was a specific category for that.”

At the time of this interview in late March, the team was sitting at 12-4, riding a seven-game winning streak.

“Abby is hard-working, has tremendous time management skills, and is very coachable,” Softball Head Coach Margie Acker said. “She is a competitor who is extremely talented.”

One would think handling the task of two sports would be a burden but to Burns, that’s the easy part. She’s been swimming and playing softball congruently since the age of five.

 Her parents are a driving force in her sports career; her parents were also her coaches. Burns’  mother handled the swim portion, while her father handled softball.

“My parents pushed my sister and me to our limits very early on,” Burns said.

Burns is an interior design major. Her workload is extensive on a day-to-day basis but a majority of it is attributed to the classroom. 

“I’ve been handling both sports my whole life, that’s not the hard part; it is not as hard as you think,” Burns said. “My school workload is much, much more rigorous than my sports workload.”

As the softball team progresses through the season, it’s giving Burns more chances to earn her stripes and increase her reps. Burns received NJAC Swimmer of the week honors twice this season. 

At the end of the swim season, capping off an NJAC Championship, the Cougars finished undefeated at 11-0 and a conference record of 5-0. 

This is only the Cougar’s sixth season since reinstating the swim team. The swimming program was put on hiatus in 2003 and restarted again in 2017. In 2018, the Cougars were among one of the worst teams in D3 swimming but managed to rebound, ending the season ranked 33 in the country.

“It’s truly remarkable what we accomplished in five seasons,” Cougars Swim Coach Chris Swenson said.

   Swenson attributes great deals of credit to Burns for the team’s success. Burns was a catalyst in bringing it home for the Cougars by earning first place points in the 200 free (2:01.16) and 100 fly (1:00.30) as well competing in the first event apart of the relay team which also first place points with a time of 1:51.71. The Cougars defeated the TCNJ Lions to a score of 150-112 to capture the championship.

Swenson described the win as historic and huge for the successful future of the program. 

“I live in the moment and go for it all,” Burns said. “I give it everything I have, and fight no matter what.”

Swenson had been recruiting Burns since her sophomore year of high school at Souderton High School. 

Burns is Swenson’s third two-sport athlete, the other two are senior Sian Seeger who also is a standout volleyball player, and graduate student Katie Pileggi who completed her career as part of the women’s lacrosse team. 

“I’d like to see her in the NCAA’s next year,” Swenson said. “It’s a realistic goal for her.”

Swenson described Burns as an athlete for which the moment is never too big. When the lights are at their brightest, Burns doesn’t shy away. 

Acker attributes all of her teammates on both squads for molding her into the player she is.

 “Being a two-sport athlete can be challenging and add academics into the mix, it makes it even more rigorous but she is making it look easy,” Acker said. “Coach Swenson and I work really well together so figuring out what works for all of us has been pretty easy.”

Burns made the choice to come to Kean based on her major but it has transitioned into her being a force whether in the classroom, in the pool, or on the field. Burns’s two biggest goals are to get her degree and continue competing in sports at the highest level while maintaining her production.  

“I’m always tired because of my workload, mentally and physically,” Burns said. “I just fight through it.”

---