Broomfield's Ridley Hagerman named Daily Camera girls swimmer of the year

Hagerman led Broomfield High School to its first-ever Class 4A state swimming championship.

Mar. 21, 2026 at 5:53pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Broomfield High School senior Ridley Hagerman was named the Daily Camera's girls swimmer of the year after leading the Eagles to the Class 4A state title. Hagerman won gold medals in the 500-yard freestyle, 200 medley relay, and 400 free relay, and placed second in the 200 free. Her leadership and fun approach to the sport helped inspire her teammates to the state championship.

Why it matters

Hagerman's success highlights the growth of the Broomfield High swim program, which finished as state runner-up two years ago before breaking through for its first state title this season. Her individual accomplishments and ability to balance intense competition with a lighthearted team spirit make her a standout athlete and leader.

The details

Hagerman, a senior, won gold medals in three of the four events she competed in at the Class 4A state meet - the 500-yard freestyle (4:53.03), the 200 medley relay (1:50.28), and the 400 free relay (3:33.92). In the 200 free, she placed second with a time of 1:50.04. Her dominance in the pool, combined with her fun leadership style, helped inspire the Broomfield team to the state championship, beating out second-place Cheyenne Mountain by 103 points.

  • Hagerman helped lead Broomfield to a state runner-up finish two years ago.
  • This season, Broomfield won the Class 4A state team title on March 15, 2026.

The players

Ridley Hagerman

A senior swimmer at Broomfield High School who was named the Daily Camera's girls swimmer of the year after leading the Eagles to the Class 4A state championship.

Emily Austin

The head coach of the Broomfield High School swim team.

Ellie Foulke

A senior swimmer at Broomfield High School who helped lead the team to the state title alongside Hagerman and Myra Wherry.

Myra Wherry

A senior swimmer at Broomfield High School who helped lead the team to the state title alongside Hagerman and Ellie Foulke.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“She was like, 'All right, I'm going to sit here. I'm going to help coach with you.' 'Where's my stopwatch? Where's my clipboard?' She would stand there, and her goal was always to get the time right on the nose. Whatever the stopwatch says, she wanted it to match the board as close as possible. She would take small victories when she hit the stopwatch on time. That was just a cute little way for her to let off some steam and be a part of things, but just do some fun stuff.”

— Emily Austin, Head Coach

“I think as we started to realize if we all just come together and really work together as a team, we can do really good things for Broomfield. That really became apparent, especially in sophomore year when we got second. That was a win for us, because we had never placed that high.”

— Ridley Hagerman

“I had my travel meet in Wisconsin and I dropped a lot of time, and then I realized in the 500 (free), I was like, 'Wait this is something if I just actually put an effort towards, I can be good.' I think I went from like a six minute that meet to a 5:39, and my coach was like, 'Where did that come from?'”

— Ridley Hagerman

What’s next

Hagerman will continue her swimming career at the United States Naval Academy after graduating from Broomfield High School.

The takeaway

Hagerman's leadership and competitive drive, combined with her ability to keep the team loose and having fun, helped transform the Broomfield High swim program into a state champion. Her example shows how a star athlete can elevate an entire team through both their talent and their team-first mentality.