AUBURN, Ala. – It didn’t take long for Hungary’s Lora Komoroczy to grasp the importance of the Auburn-Alabama rivalry. Six months on campus and 51.37 seconds in the pool at the James E. Martin Aquatics Center.
That’s how long the Auburn freshman needed to swim the 100 backstroke Jan. 24 to lead Auburn to a dual meet victory over Alabama, the second fastest time in program history.
“It was so new because in Hungary, we don’t have these rivals,” Komoroczy said. “I think it’s so much fun. I told my teammates after the dual meet that this meet was better than my junior world championship. It was crazy. It’s so special.”
One of 12 Tigers competing in this week’s 2025 Women’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in suburban Seattle, Washington, Komoroczy qualified in the 100 back, 50 free and 100 fly, and will also compete in relays.
“My legs are stronger than my arms so every time I’m getting tired, I’m using my legs,” said Komoroczy, who began swimming at age 8 and soon joined a club team and began competing. “I always loved being in water. It felt so easy to be in the water and I always loved to play.”
Komoroczy’s success as a club swimmer in Hungary attracted attention from college coaches in the U.S., including Auburn’s Ryan Wochomurka.
“I started asking my friends and coaches, ‘How does this work?’” she recalled.
Fortunately for Auburn, Komoroczy’s college tour began where it would end, on the Plains. A subsequent visit to a second school further confirmed her initial impression.
“This was the first university I saw,” she said. “I came here and it felt different. It felt immediately like home. Everyone was so nice and so helpful. If I need to imagine where I’m going to spend the next four years of my life, I’d want to be here. This would be the place.”
Coming from Budapest, Hungary, Komoroczy needed a couple weeks to adjust to learning and conversing in her second language.
“I knew what they were talking about,” she said. “It was just so hard to talk. In the first two weeks, I was just quiet, and usually I talk a lot and I love talking with people. I think my brain couldn’t switch that fast. Day to day, it’s getting better and I’m learning new words.”