AUBURN, Ala. – The Auburn swimming and diving program had five former swimmers recognized as part of the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association (CSCAA) 100 Greatest Swimmers and Divers, the organization announced Tuesday.
The roster includes 100 women and 100 men and is a compilation of the most-accomplished college swimmers and divers across all divisions.
For the women, Auburn was represented by Maggie Bowen and Kirsty Coventry. Bowen was a three-time SEC Swimmer of the Year who won six individual NCAA titles while Coventry was named SEC Swimmer of the Year in 2005, and with seven Olympic medals, she is the most decorated Olympian in Auburn history. The two were part of three consecutive national championships for the Auburn women from 2002 to 2004.
The men's roster features a trio of sprint freestyle specialists in Fred Bousquet, Cesar Cielo and Rowdy Gaines. Bousquet became the first man ever to swim the 50-yard freestyle in under 19 seconds at the 2005 NCAA Championships while Cielo set the NCAA and U.S. Open record for the 50-yard freestyle (18.47) three years later at the 2008 NCAA Championships.
A 22-time All-American selection, Gaines was considered the top freestyle swimmer in the world during his time at Auburn and won eight NCAA championships, five as an individual. He also won three Olympic gold medals swimming for Team USA.
The selections were made in recognition of CSCAA's centennial celebration with a blue-ribbon panel selecting the athletes out of 973 finalists and nearly 3,000 nominees. In the coming months, the CSCAA will recognize the 100 Greatest Coaches along with the Centennial MVPs and Alumni of Impact for each program.
WOMEN
Maggie Bowen
A three-time SEC Swimmer of the Year, Bowen captained Auburn's NCAA championship teams in 2002 and 2003. She was a six-time individual NCAA champion, sweeping the 200 and 400 individual medleys for three straight years. A 16-time SEC champion, Bowen also earned six international medals, highlighted by 200-meter individual medley gold at the 2001 World Championships.
Kirsty Coventry
From 2003 to 2005, Coventry led the Auburn women program to three consecutive NCAA championships. She was named Swimmer of the Year by both the SEC and CSCAA following a season that saw her establish new NCAA records in the 200 backstroke, 400 individual medley and 200 individual medley. Coventry's seven Olympic medals make her the most decorated Olympian from Africa.
MEN
Fred Bousquet
At the 2005 NCAA Championships, Bousquet became the first man ever to swim the 50 freestyle in under 19 seconds, shattering Tom Jager's fifteen year-old record by 0.31 seconds. It was the third of his three titles in the event, to go along with three additional relay titles. A four-time Olympian, Bousquet also captured 15 SEC championships with the Tigers.
Cesar Cielo
At Auburn, Cesar Cielo won four individual NCAA titles, twice sweeping the 50 and 100 freestyle events at the NCAA Championships. A two-time CSCAA Swimmer-of-the-Year, Cielo is the most successful Brazilian swimmer in history having earned three Olympic medals and six individual World Championships.
Ambrose "Rowdy" Gaines
A 22-time All-American selection, Ambrose "Rowdy" Gaines was considered the top freestyle swimmer in the world during his time at Auburn. He won eight NCAA championships, five as an individual, and 14 SEC championships. Gaines went on to win three Olympic gold medals and was later inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.