Barrett Kerrigan is no stranger to success. 

The Cheyenne Mountain senior has four state swimming championships, including three consecutive titles in the 500-yard freestyle. He is one of many swimmers in the Red-Tailed Hawks’ long history of success in the pool, but his legacy will extend beyond his gold medals. 

“He’s willing to swim wherever is needed to score points,” Cheyenne Mountain coach Kate Doane said. “He’s willing to accept challenges for himself and for the team. He truly cares about his teammates and wants to do well.”

At this year’s state meet, Kerrigan defended his 500-yard freestyle 4A state title in a time of 4 minutes, 36.79 seconds and added his first 200-meter freestyle state title in a time of 1:40.46. 

Kerrigan’s performances this spring earned him PPAC Swimmer of the Year and Colorado High School Activities Association 4A Swimmer of the Year honors. 

“I knew I had a lot of potential,” Kerrigan said. “I swam with several good swimmers who have been successful. I knew if I put my head down, I could do the same thing. I’m happy to see the fruition of hard work.”

Besides defending his state titles, Kerrigan wanted to be a good leader for the team, like the ones he looked up to as an underclassman on the Red-Tailed Hawk swim team. Kerrigan was part of the 2023 state championship team as a freshman. 

“We’ve had good leaders in the past, and I saw how hard they worked and how approachable they were, so I tried to make myself the same,” Kerrigan said. “I try to get to know names and goals and what they are trying to accomplish. The more you’re invested in other people, the better you will do individually.”

A year-round swimmer, Kerrigan’s inner drive and “quiet determination” have contributed to his consistency over the years. Three years with the Pikes Peak Athletics swim team led to big jumps in improvement. But the Gazette Preps Peak Performer of the Year is just tapping into his potential, according to Doane. 

“He’s all in. Anything he can do to make himself better, that’s what he does,” Doane said. “He’s got that motor; he can go forever.” 

Kerrigan will be continuing his swimming career at the U.S. Air Force Academy, fulfilling a lifelong dream of serving in the military. His father, Brian Kerrigan, served in the U.S. Marine Corps. and was a water survival instructor. 

Kerrigan began swimming at 8-years-old and excelled right away. 

“I knew I wanted to serve ever since I was a kid,” Kerrigan said. “Every Halloween, I dressed up as a soldier. The academy was a good fit for me. The team had a good culture, and I enjoyed the camaraderie everyone had there.”

Kerrigan has big goals for the NCAA, but is focused on summer basic training, which begins June 24. 

Winning a state championship with the Red-Tailed Hawks as a freshman gave Kerrigan the passion he has now for swimming. Four years later, the future Falcon is staying home with a village supporting him the whole way. 

“He’s respected amongst all athletes and coaches around the state,” Doane said. “He’s a great role model and shows other guys that hard work leads to great things.”