The first SCIAC title for the fledgling CMS varsity women's water polo program came in 1997, as the Athenas defeated three-time defending conference champion Redlands in a 9-8 overtime thriller. Senior Anna Hewitson, who earned SCIAC MVP honors that season, had a key steal while defending a 6-on-4 advantage in the final minute of overtime to set up the winning goal. That finish also was the final chapter in an impressive story arc that saw Hewitson graduate from Scripps in three years, and help build the new varsity program into champions. In her three seasons, she won SCIAC Newcomer of the Year in 1995, Collegiate II Nationals MVP in 1996, and the SCIAC MVP in 1997. She later became the first women's water polo player inducted into the Ted Ducey CMS Hall of Fame in 2011.