The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women was founded in 1971 to govern collegiate women's athletics and to administer national championships. During its existence, the AIAW and its predecessor, the Division for Girls' and Women's Sports (DGWS), recognized via these championships the teams and individuals who excelled at the highest level of women's collegiate competition.
Helen Vanderburg is a former Canadian synchronized swimmer and world champion.
Tracy Anne Stockwell, OAM,, née Tracy Anne Caulkins, is an American former competition swimmer, three-time Olympic gold medalist, five-time world champion, and former world record-holder in three events.
Carla Dunlap-Kaan is a professional American female bodybuilding champion.
Michelle Calkins is a former Canadian synchronized swimmer, world champion, and coach.
Catherine Mai-Lan Fox, born December 15, 1977 in Detroit, Michigan, is an American former swimmer who competed for Stanford University, and won two gold medals swimming freestyle at the 1996 Summer Olympics, one in the 4x100 freestyle relay and one in the 4x100 medley relay.
Tracie Lehuanani Ruiz-Conforto is a three-time Olympic medalist from the United States in synchronised swimming.
Kelly Kryczka is a Canadian competitor in synchronized swimming, world champion and Olympic medalist.
Nathalie Schneyder is an American competitor and Coach in synchronized swimming and was an Olympic champion in team competition in 1996 in Atlanta. She also won team golds in FINA World competitions and Pan Pacific competitions. She competed in team, individual, and duet synchronized competition.
Rebekah Dyroen-Lancer is an American competitor in synchronised swimming and Olympic champion.
Cynthia Lee Woodhead, commonly known by her family nickname "Sippy", is an American former competition swimmer, world champion, Olympic medalist, and former world record-holder. She won three gold medals at the 1978 World Championships, when she was only 14 years old, and set seven world records during her career.
Jill Ann Sterkel is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic champion, former world record-holder, and water polo player. Sterkel won four medals in three Olympic Games spanning twelve years from 1976 through 1988. She was the women's head coach of the Texas Longhorns swimming and diving team at the University of Texas at Austin from 1993 to 2006.
Beulah Detwiler Gundling was an American synchronized swimmer, aquatic artist, choreographer and author.
Teresa "Terry" Andersen is a retired American synchronized swimmer who won all three gold medals at the 1973 World Aquatics Championships, in the solo, duet and team routines. This feat was repeated only in 1986 by Carolyn Waldo. Also in 1986, Andersen was inducted to the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Sue Baross Nesbitt, is an American synchronized swimming champion and international coach. She is currently the head coach with the Riverside Aquettes in Riverside, California.
Kim Welshons was an American synchronized swimming competitor. She won 13 national titles and was part of the American team that won a gold medal at the 1963 Pan American Games. She was 12 at the time, and remains the youngest gold medalist at the Pan American Games. After retiring in 1970, she coached the Mexico national team for two years and served as technical spokesperson for major U.S. television networks for eight years. In 1971, she was inducted into the U.S. Synchronized Swimming Hall of Fame and in 1988 into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. She died of a pancreatic cancer in 2015, aged 64.
Gail Johnson is an American synchronized swimming competitor who won four gold medals at the world championships in 1973 and 1975. After retiring from competition she had a long career as a national synchronized swimming coach. In 1983, she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Julie Sauvé was a Canadian synchronized swimming coach. Sauvé began her coaching career with the Club Aquatique Montréal Olympique in the 1970s before joining the Canadian synchronized swimming team in 1982. She continued to coach at the Club Aquatique Montréal Olympique until she was fired in 1993. While with the Canadian synchronized swimming team, Sauvé coached Olympic medallists Sylvie Fréchette, Penny Vilagos and Vicky Vilagos. After leaving the Canadian team in 2012, Sauvé coached the synchronized swimming teams of Brazil and Singapore during the remainder of the 2010s. Sauvé was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 2012.
Deborah Muir is a Canadian former synchronized swimmer and coach. She began her career with the Calgary Aquabelles club in 1965 and won silver medals in the synchronized swimming team competitions at both the 1971 Pan American Games and the 1973 World Aquatics Championships. At age 20, Muir retired from competition and began a career in coaching. She coached swimmers of the Calgary Aquabelles to 22 national titles over a decade. She also helped athletes clinch medals in the World Aquatics Championships, the FINA Cup, the Commonwealth Games, the Pan American Games and the Summer Olympic Games. Muir has won various awards for her coaching career, and is an inductee of the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame and the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Sylvie Fortier is a Canadian former synchronized swimmer. She won medals in Canadian provincial and national competitions, at the World Aquatics Championships, the Pan American Games and the Pan Pacific Games. Fortier was named the 1976 world champion in synchronized swimming for her achievements that year and was a torch bearer for the opening ceremony of the Montreal Summer Olympics. She retired in 1977 aged just 18. Fortier is an inductee of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame and the Aquatics Hall of Fame.
