Brienne Ryan became the first Fordham female swimmer to compete at both the NCAA Championship and U.S. Olympic Trials, competing in the backstroke events as a junior in 2012, and was named a Mid-Major All-American by CollegeSwimming.com in 2012. She finished 20th overall at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 100-meter backstroke, clocking in at 1:02.49, while placing 70th in the 200-meter event in 2:17.42.
 
Ryan also competed at the 2012 Charlotte Ultra Swim in preparation for the Olympic Trials, where she took fourth in the "A" final of the 100-meter backstroke in 1:01.54, while finishing fourth in the "B" final of the 200-meter backstroke in 2:16.98 (12th overall).
 
At the 2012 NCAA Championships, Ryan finished in the top 20 in both the 100- and 200-yard backstroke, taking 17th in the 200 backstroke in a school record time of 1:54.67, while taking 20th in the 100 backstroke in 53.10 seconds.
 
Over her career, Ryan set four individual school records, as well as one relay record, inking new marks in the 50 and 100-yard freestyle, the 100- and 200-yard backstroke, and the 400 freestyle relay.
 
Ryan won the 200 back at the 2011 Atlantic 10 Championship and received All-Atlantic 10 honors in seven events at the 2012 Atlantic 10 Championships, earning First Team All-Atlantic 10 honors by winning the 50 freestyle in a school record time of 23.18 seconds, while also being a part of the winning 800 freestyle relay team, which won in an NCAA "B" qualifying time of 7:21.56.
 
Ryan capped her Fordham career with a bang, becoming the fourth Fordham female swimmer to win multiple events at the Atlantic 10 Championship. She received First Team All-Atlantic 10 honors by winning the 100 backstroke event in 52.97 seconds and later captured the 200 backstroke title in an Atlantic 10 record time of 1:55.79 in 2013. Ryan earned Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors as a part of the 200 and 400 medley relay teams, while scoring fifth in the 50 freestyle event (23.60). She received the 2013 Hobbs Family Award, as Fordham's female-student-athlete of the year.
 
 
Academically, Ryan was a CSCAA NCAA Division I Women's Swimming & Diving Scholar First Team All-American and was a two-time Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference selection.