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HRCA's team of qualified coaches is here to guide swimmers to excellence in the pool. Email your coach at: seahawksteam@hrcaonline.org
I swam summers on a recreational swim team in Kansas City, Missouri and competitively in high school. I was a swim lesson instructor and swim coach for YMCA's in Missouri, Illinois, and Massachusetts. I coached swim club and team as the Youth Swim Coordinator for The Clubs at River City in Peoria, IL. My favorite part of coaching is helping young swimmers develop quality stroke technique, build endurance and find a love for swimming.
Kerri.McGrath@HRCAonline.org | 303-471-8942
I was born and raised in Colorado, went to Smoky Hill High School, and graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in 2019. I swam competitively from the age of 8 until I graduated high school. I graduated with a degree in Recreation, Tourism, and Hospitality, and have truly found my calling working as the Aquatic Program Specialist at HRCA. It is such a privilege getting to assist with putting the coached programs together, while also getting to be on deck coaching! I have had a lifelong love for swimming and being in the water – my favorite summers were spent at swim meets every weekend and swimming in Lake Michigan with my family. My favorite things outside of work and swimming are spending time with my dog, watching hockey and cheering for the Colorado Avalanche, and climbing 14ers! My favorite stroke is freestyle (backstroke a close second) and my favorite event was the 500 free. The best thing about coaching is seeing swimmers gain more confidence in themselves as they progress in technique and speed, while developing a true love for swimming!
Kiersten.Johnson@HRCAonline.org | 303-471-8892
My name is Kelton Burns, and I’ve lived in Colorado for about 17 years now, but I was born in Arlington Heights, Illinois. I started swimming when I was ten with no experience whatsoever, only knowing how to tread water for just a couple of minutes. At first, I wasn’t sure about it, but by the end of my first season of summer swimming, I had fallen in love with the sport and aspired to be a coach. Over time, I became more and more connected with the sports, primarily focusing on technique in my strokes until I finally had the skills to be a coach and to know what to look for in swimmers. I have been and always will be a 100 freestyler, but my coaches over the years have claimed me to be an IMer, due to my technique in all the strokes. I currently attend Rock Canyon High School in Highlands Ranch, and while I don’t currently have time to swim on a team, I always try to stay in touch with the sport (outside of coaching) even when I have very little time. As a last note, my favorite part of coaching is definitely the improvement that I see in my swimmers. Seeing them listen and apply my advice is extremely rewarding, and that behavior is something that makes all coaches feel appreciated!
As a girl who has been living in the water since I was 7 months old, I am thrilled to join the HRCA team as a swim coach. My competitive career started at age 7 on HRCA Seahawks, and transitioned to Highlands Ranch Aquatics when I was 8. At 14, I joined the Heritage High School Varsity team. My swimming experiences taught me that proper technique comes first. Times will get faster once you slow down to master good technique. Throughout my swimming journey, I have also learned several valuable life lessons — time-management, discipline, confidence, and passion. Outside of swimming, you will find me in the outdoors skiing, SCUBA diving, hiking, whitewater rafting, and perfecting my underwater photography.
Joel was a swimmer and coach in North Carolina before recently moving to Colorado. When he isn’t coaching Seahawks, you can find Joel teaching Elementary PE. Joel’s passion for teaching quality stroke technique, having fun with the swimmers, and watching swimmers improve is evident when you see him on deck or in the pool.
Hi I'm Savannah. I began swimming when I was 8 and started swimming with a club team my sophomore year of high school. My favorite events to swim are 100 back and 200 IM. I have been coaching 4 years. Swimming has added so much happiness to my life and I want to share that with my swimmers.
I'm Linden. I've been swimming competitively for 10 years. Right now, I swim for HRA and am on the varsity team at Highlands Ranch High School. Butterfly is my favorite—I'm always up for a challenge! I started swimming with Seahawks, learning about teamwork and discipline, and having fun in the pool. I'm diving into coaching because swimming has brought me so much joy, and I want to share that with others. For me, it's not just about training hard, but also about enjoying every step of the process!
I have spent most of my life in Highlands Ranch, but I was born in California and have lived in Germany as well. I started swimming when I was six. I went through the whole HRCA swim program, from Learn to Swim to Elites, and swam Seahawks in the summer. I was also on the Mountain Vista girls’ swim and dive team. My favorite stroke is freestyle, and my favorite event was always the 50 free. I recently graduated from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa in the spring of 2022. My favorite thing about coaching is having fun with the swimmers!
Jeff grew up in Long Beach, CA and spent most of his childhood shooting hoops, surfing, and doing tricks on his BMX bike. Although an active kid, Jeff fell into some sedentary habits for a few decades as an adult working in IT. To counteract some of these bad habits, Jeff discovered a love of swimming and doing triathlons in 2014! One of the constants in Jeff’s life over the past eight years has been HRCA’s Ranch H2O masters swim program on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 6:30 a.m. Jeff is an accomplished open water swimmer and triathlete, finishing Horsetooth 10k races in 2019 and 2021, and finishing Ironman Arizona in 2018 and Ironman Wisconsin in 2022. His two favorite places to swim are the gravel pond at Chatfield Reservoir and Wellington Lake. Jeff’s favorite stroke is freestyle – in the open water! His favorite thing about coaching is seeing students integrate healthy long-term exercise and mental habits into their lives.
Hello! From a young age, I have always enjoyed being in the water. My competitive swimming journey began when I started high school in Sacramento, CA. When moving here to Colorado, I kept up with my passion for swimming by continuing to swim for fitness, incorporating the same sets and pieces that I had when I was in high school. I get in the water at least four times a week to work out. I love to share my passion for swimming by coaching and teaching. I have taught swim team at South Suburban Parks and Recreation, and swim lessons for Camp Mowglis. Something that I enjoy is fostering others to reach their full potential in swimming, creating a lifelong bond with the sport.
Hey I’m Georgia. I have been swimming competitively for about eight years and my favorite stroke is freestyle. I want to be a coach because of the positive impact my past coaches had on making me who I am today. Some other things about me are that I am going on 9 years of playing the violin and I love reading. When I’m not working, I’m playing tennis. My favorite movie is Fight Club, and I live for a good dance party!
I started swimming competitively in 2018 as a freshman in high school. I started coaching in 2019 have loved doing it. I also am a high school swim official. Currently, I go to MSU Denver and study cybersecurity.
I started swimming and competing for Arizona Country Club in 1958; a long time ago! At age 12, I started swimming for Desert Rats and Phoenix Country Club. I swam for Xavier in high school, and graduated from Arizona State University in 1975. I joined Colorado Masters at South Suburban in the ‘90s and started teaching swim lessons for HRCA in May of 2002. I have been coaching Highlands Ranch Seahawks since 2005 and have loved and enjoyed it ever since. So many fantastic memories of swimmers who have learned to swim and compete in the pool. My favorite stroke has always been freestyle, and I’ve competed in the all the sprint events my whole life. I look forward to another summer coaching and giving these swimmers as many skills as they can use to become the best they can be!-Fun facts: Jewelry designer, trail hiking, biking, love dogs and horses, LOVE being a grandmother, and a mother to 2 fantastic people…Danny and Faryl.