Carter O'Leary named Badger-Large Swimmer of the Year

The 2025-26 Badger-Large Swimmer of the Year title belongs to none other than DeForest senior Carter O’Leary.

And it belongs to him for the second consecutive season.

O’Leary, who will continue his swim career at NCAA Division III UW-Eau Claire next season, completed the illustrious cycle in high school boys’ swimming in his career at DeForest: becoming a four-time Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) State Championship participant.

At the WIAA state swim meet this season, O’Leary finished runner-up in the 500-yard freestyle, thanks to an impressive time of 4:37.44. This effort was fueled by a fourth-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle, where the senior swam to a time of 1:41.99.

At sectionals a week prior in McFarland, O’Leary claimed the 500-yard freestyle individual title, thanks to a first-place time of 4:39.43, helping his Norskies finish fourth overall in team scoring at the meet.

In addition, O’Leary scored two runner-up finishes at the 2026 Badger-Large Conference Swim Championship Meet, both in the 200 and the 500-yard freestyle with respective times of 1:47.38 and 4:48.27.

O’Leary leaves DeForest as one of the more, if not the most, decorated swimmers in the Norskies’ swim program. He now holds program records in the 200, 500 and 100-yard freestyle events.

In addition to O’Leary, DeForest swim coach Courtney Butler was named the 2025-26 Badger-Large swimming Coach of the Year on the girls’ side.

Butler, who coaches both the boys’ and girls’ teams, helped guide the Norskies girls’ swim team to a second-place finish at the Badger-Large Conference Tournament in November. She won the boys’ Coach of the Year honors in March 2025.

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2025-26 BADGER CONFERENCE SWIM AWARDS

GIRLS SWIMMING

BADGER LARGE

SWIMMER OF THE YEAR–ALYSE BLOCK OREGON

COACH OF THE YEAR–COURTNEY BUTLER DEFOREST

BADGER SMALL

SWIMMER OF THE YEAR–CHEYENNE BORROUGHS STOUGHTON

COACH OF THE YEAR–JESSICA GARVEY MCFARLAND

BOYS SWIMMING

BADGER LARGE

SWIMMER OF THE YEAR–CARTER O’LEARY DEFOREST

COACH OF THE YEAR–JUSTIN SAWRAN OREGON

BADGER SMALL

SWIMMER OF THE YEAR–GAVIN REISER STOUGHTON

COACH OF THE YEAR–TODD WUERGER SAUK PRAIRIE