Front Range Barracudas Name Pikes Peak Athletics Founder George Heidinger as Head Coach

The Front Range Barracudas Swim Club (CUDA), a USA Swimming Bronze Medal Club, has appointed George Heidinger as its new head coach.

Heidinger brings more than 20 years of experience in high-level club and national team swimming. He founded Pikes Peak Athletics in 2012, where he developed multiple USA Swimming National Junior Team members such as Daniel Carr, Caoline Bricker, Quintin McCarty, and Madi Mintenko. Pikes Peak is also the only club in Colorado to have its own training facility.

A former four-year swimmer at Carnegie Mellon University, Heidinger guided the club to Silver Medal status for five straight years and was twice named Colorado Coach of the Year.

He also served as USA Swimming’s National Junior Team Program Manager from 2011 to 2015, overseeing athlete development and international competition planning.

In that role, he supported National Team athletes and coaches at domestic and international meets, conducted personalized club visits, and was part of the National Team staff at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympic Games. He earned USA Swimming National Team Coaching Fellowship in 2007.

At CUDA, Heidinger will lead all aspects of the program, including staff development, swimmer progression, and community engagement.

Heidinger will head to Thornton, Colorado, to man the helm with the Front Range Barracudas, where they served over 270 swimmers on a year-round basis for more than half a century. He will officially take the role on September 1st.