It's been 20 years, but Maggie Bowen-Hanna still remembers jumping into the pool after Auburn won the NCAA Women's Championship in 2002. She was exhausted both mentally and physically, but it didn't matter. She was overcome with joy.
"I remember being so humbled to have been a part of Auburn's first ever women's NCAA championship team," Bowen-Hanna said. "I felt so much pride and admiration for my teammates. And I felt so grateful to my coaches, family, friends, and to Auburn for the support and for creating the path that led us to that moment."
It was not only the first women's national championship in the program's history. It was the first women's national championship in Auburn history.
The Tigers were not the favorites going into that 2001-02 season. They had finished fourth on the women's side the year before. But they set a goal to win the national championship, they believed they could do it, and they put in the work to achieve it.
"We worked harder than any other team in the country – together," Bowen-Hanna said. "We had complete respect for and trust in one another. We faced obstacles and overcame them. We dealt with setbacks but did not break our focus. We were a team that believed in each other."
"It took a community," associate head coach Kim Brackin said. "It wasn't just the coaches that decided we're going to win a championship. It was the team. It was the staff. It was everybody involved – the weight coach, the nutritionist – everyone had a mission. We worked for it every day. Everybody was on board, and that's what stands out. That's what I think make it special."
It was the beginning of a dynasty at Auburn as the women would go on to win the national championship in four of the next five years. The Auburn men claimed five national championships of their own in that same five-year span.
Current Auburn S&D head coach
Ryan Wochomurka was a freshman on the men's team when the women won their first national title in 2002.
"In many ways, I think watching that group through the entirety of the year kind of come together and align in such a way of chasing something that had never been done here at Auburn, it was extremely inspiring on a personal level," Wochomurka said. "But then, I think it gave great insight to the men's team as well. To say, 'Hey, here's a roadmap that this group has put together on how to chase a national championship.'
"That team really set a standard of excellence that continued for a multi-year run of continued national championships on the women's side. And then now for us and where we are as a program, it gives us a great roadmap on how to move this program where we currently are into that realm of relevancy again at the national level."
This weekend, Bowen-Hanna, Brackin, head coach David Marsh and others from that 2001-02 women's team will return to Auburn to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of winning the first women's national championship in Auburn history.
"I can't believe it's been 20 years," Bowen-Hanna said. "But at the same time, I can recall all of those moments and feelings like it was yesterday. It's such an honor and so humbling to be recognized again. I very much hope that in doing so, we serve to encourage and inspire the swim team and all student-athletes to strive for greatness.
"There is no better place to be a winner than at Auburn University."
