Nathalie Kerrigan
Sprint and freestyle swimmer Nathalie Kerrigan (junior) finished seventh out of 59 athletes in the Women’s 100-Yard Butterfly, with a time of 1:02:59. She also placed eighth out of 62 athletes in the Women’s 100 Yard Backstroke, swimming a 1:04:38.
Kerrigan said she grew up swimming and surfing in her home state of Hawaii from an early age.
“It’s just been a huge part of my life. I guess I’ve been swimming for probably coming up on my 15th year,” Kerrigan said. “It’s always [been] something I really enjoyed.”
Kerrigan said swimming has not only helped her make friends but has brought her joy and kept her healthy. Teammate Elsie Cady (senior) echoed the same sentiment, describing Kerrigan as an amazing teammate and friend, both within and beyond the pool environment.
“Nathalie is amazing. Not only is she a beast in the water, [but] she’s so supportive and always has something positive to give,” Cady said. “I think that is important in life and on the pool deck.”
According to teammate Alex To (senior), Kerrigan’s positivity is infectious around the pool and makes her an essential asset to the team. He said Kerrigan always keeps her attitude positive even in the moments she may not be performing at her best.
“Nathalie has been one of our key team members over the past couple of years. We have practice starting at 6 a.m. and she is always there [with] a good attitude and that really helps bring the positivity up [at] morning practices,” To said.
Cady said Kerrigan is always practicing in the pool and works as hard as she can to do her best in the water. According to Cady and To, Kerrigan has been part of past relay teams that have broken school records. Cady also said Kerrigan has started her junior season with competitive times at the recent Redlands Pentathlon meet.
“She did really well there,” To said. “She was consistently among the top 10 of the women’s side in almost all of the events.”
After the pandemic in 2020, Kerrigan said she was unsure if she would continue swimming due to the lockdown.
“I was very worried about [whether] pools will ever open again. I had a good talk with one of my teachers who [told me] ‘It’s a skill, not just a sport. It’s something that you’re never really going to lose,’” Kerrigan said.
Kerrigan said intends to continue swimming after graduating, either recreationally or as a student athlete while completing a Master’s program.
“[Swimming] is a big part of who I am and my identity,” Kerrigan said. “I owe a lot to this sport.”
Carter Park
Carter Park (junior) swam a time of 53:75 in the Men’s 100-Yard Butterfly, placing seventh out of 57 athletes. In the Men’s 100-Yard Freestyle, he placed 13th out of 63 athletes with a time of 49:84.
According to Park, he first started swimming at the age of eight and since then has been committed to the sport. Park said swimming has been a way for him to stay physically active, find another community on campus and provide structure to his daily schedule.
“It’s a time commitment, but it’s something worth doing,” Park said.
As a part of the team’s Leadership Council, Park has stepped into a leadership role, supporting his teammates throughout the season. Teammate Brandon Kim (first year) said Park spends time supporting everyone on the team, pushing them to do their best and has been a role model for him since he shadowed Park on his recruitment trip.
“He always [pushes] me to make all the intervals or go harder in the gym,” Kim said.
Distance freestyle swimmer Joshua Spessert (senior) said Park brings energy to the pool as he swims and is always looking to do better.
“He’s always optimistic and encouraging and he always wants to do more for himself and others,” Spessert said.
Spessert said that Park’s role as a leader on the team allows him to lead by example with his work ethic both in and out of the pool.
“Carter, last year at the end of the season, broke the school record on the 4×50 medley relay with some other guys on the team,” Spessert said. “It just goes to show how much effort he’s been putting into his career.”
Park recently competed at the Redlands Pentathlon meet with improved times from the previous year and said it gives him and the rest of the team a baseline for the rest of the season.
Park said he is proud of the team’s accomplishments in two tough meets early in the season and he is excited for the team’s performance in the future.
“I think our team looks pretty nasty this year. We have a pretty good roster [with] a lot of fast freshmen and everyone from last year,” Park said. “We did pretty well at SCIACs last year. I think we can do even better this year.”
Contact Trisha Bhima at bhima@oxy.edu
