Barrett Kerrigan, a senior swimmer at Cheyenne Mountain High School, is preparing for his final high school season with hopes of adding to the school’s swimming legacy, according to an April 2 report. The CHSAA Swimming & Diving State Championships for Classes 5A and 4A are scheduled for May 8 and 9 at Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center in Thornton.
Kerrigan has already established himself as a two-time state champion in the Class 4A 500-yard freestyle event. His achievements place him among the notable swimmers who have contributed to Cheyenne Mountain’s history of success. “The swim club that I was a part of at the time practiced at the high school pool,” Kerrigan said. “If you ever go into the Cheyenne Mountain pool, there’s banners all over the walls just showing the great teams that have been there in the past. I got to look up at all the record boards and see the past swimmers from Cheyenne Mountain that put up really impressive times.”
Cheyenne Mountain coach Kate Doane praised Kerrigan’s abilities: “He just has this unique ability of kind of knowing where everybody else is in the water,” Doane said. “He knows when he can turn it on and put his hand on the wall first. He has a great ability of just turning that switch on, which is great in anything distance.”
Kerrigan won his first state title as a sophomore by narrowly defeating Glenwood Springs’ William Jones and repeated as champion his junior year with a personal best time of 4 minutes, 35.60 seconds—over three seconds ahead of Jones. He also finished sixth in both recent seasons’ state finals for the 200 freestyle event.
Looking ahead to this season, Doane said about her senior swimmer: “I’m just excited to hopefully watch him fulfill some dreams this year.” She added, “I am sure he would love to be a two-time state champion individually (for this season). I am sure he would love to be part of a relay state championship. We’re doing what we can to make that happen.”
Kerrigan’s efforts extend beyond individual events; five teammates have also qualified for multiple events at state championships this year—including Townes Doane, Coach Doane’s son—showcasing depth within Cheyenne Mountain’s program.
Doane reflected on her coaching philosophy: “It starts at the top,” she said. “Excellence is expected in the district… We’re training over Spring Break… There is no down time.” The Hawks hope their preparation will help them contend against strong rivals such as Monarch and Evergreen while aiming for another conference championship.
Reflecting on team culture, Kerrigan said: “We have amazing coaching and then we also have a really good team culture… It’s just a really welcoming environment in which kids want to succeed and start to really improve in the pool.”
Both coach and athlete expect another competitive season as they strive toward new records while maintaining Cheyenne Mountain’s tradition of excellence.
