All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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Although the Rocky Mountain slopes are within reach, there are surprisingly few young athletes in the Front Range who ski competitively. Why? Skiing can't exactly be learned in a backyard or driveway; effort and time are required to fully appreciate the thrill of gliding down Colorado's infamous powder. But for those who've gone the extra mile, the payoff can be fruitful. Since joining the Boulder Nordic Junior Racing Team in seventh grade, Sophie Spalding has been glued to the slopes and has be...
The end of a season can bring about many emotions, but it was all smiles on Feb. 25 as the Niwot High School unified basketball team wrapped its final pair of games. Junior Natalie Carrillo was one of 11 NHS students with intellectual disabilities who hooped it up this winter, and she was simply grateful for the experience. "It's like a family," Carrillo said following Niwot's season finale, a 72-70 loss to Mead High School in a tournament hosted by Skyline High School. "Everyone's sweet and...
The bigger picture doesn't go unseen by Niwot High School senior Veer Gandhakwala. In an age where demands on students only seem to be increasing, Gandhakwala has dedicated countless hours of his time toward helping Niwot students with disabilities through the school's unified sports teams. Over the past two years, he has volunteered as a "partner" for unified basketball and bowling, two programs that offer athletic opportunities for special needs students. As a student-athlete himself in both...
After falling just short the past two years, Jamieson Legh finally got over the hump of winning an individual state championship in her final run. The fourth-year Niwot High School swimmer finished runner-up in the 100-meter butterfly as both a sophomore and junior, plus she took second in the 100 backstroke last year and placed third the season prior. But given one last opportunity as a senior, Legh took advantage and won both events by a combined 6.73 seconds at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic...
Overall, head coach Ella Thramann would consider her first year leading the Niwot High School girls swim program a success. The Cougars wrapped up their season at the Class 4A state championships on Feb. 9, and led by senior Jamieson Legh, took fourth as a team at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center in Thornton. “I'm very happy with how it ended,” Thramann said. “They all just swim amazingly. Jamieson had first in the 100 butterfly and 100 back, so that was cool to watch her get that first place in those.” After finishing runner-up at state in...
Jordyn Ballard has come a long way since interning with the Left Hand Valley Courier during her senior year at Silver Creek High School eight years ago. Following a memorable three-plus year run working in the athletics communications department at West Texas A&M University, Ballard accepted the position of Associate Director of Athletic Communications at Kansas State University in December. She moved to Manhattan, Kansas, in January and is currently preparing for the Wildcats' upcoming spring...
For quite a few Niwot girls swimmers, the Longs Peak League Championships on Feb. 4 was a back and forth trek from the pool to the podium. Charlotte Heuer and Jamieson Legh each won a pair of individual races, Steph Mow led the 100 backstroke and Rowan Lavigne secured the 100 breaststroke gold to help give head coach Ella Thramann a league title in her inaugural season guiding the program. The Cougars also topped the competition in three relays: the 200 medley, 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle....
Everything is coming together at the best time possible for Izzy Fay, the lone diver on the Niwot girls swim and dive team. In Niwot's final meet before the state championships, Fay ran away with a first-place finish at the Longs Peak League Championships on Feb. 4. Her score of 450.85 was about 85 points higher than the next-closest diver. "This is probably my best meet so far, to be honest," Fay said soon after her final dive at the Mountain View Aquatics Center in Loveland. "But my season is...
It hasn’t been an easy season for the young Niwot High School boys wrestling team. Wins have been tough to assemble and with a limited number of opportunities remaining, head coach Bobby Matthews wants his Cougars to continue “pushing forward.” As regionals loom (Feb. 10-11), staying focused becomes even more important with state championship spots up for grabs. Sophomore Ryder Evans and juniors Eric Falcon and Gavin Burrage, a trio of bright spots for the Cougars, are faced with the challenge of being at their best in February. Momentum is ke...
Looking back at her nearly-complete Niwot High School girls swim career, the relationships Rowan Lavigne has built come to the senior's mind almost immediately. "Since freshman year, I've made my best friends on the team," Lavigne said. "I'm (grateful to) have my last season with them and everybody." Lavigne has grown particularly close with a pair of fellow seniors who've joined her at the state championships the past three seasons, Julianna Strope and Stephanie Mow. Four years ago as freshmen...
The first two years of Eric Falcon's Niwot High School wrestling career didn't go according to plan. Beset by the COVID-19 pandemic and a leg injury, he was unable to dedicate his complete focus to the sport until his junior season. Success began to follow and now as a senior, the 165-pound Falcon has cemented himself as one of Niwot's top wrestlers. Two of his best meets this season resulted in second-place finishes at the Wheat Ridge Invitational on Dec. 10, and at the Alameda Wrestling...
While Niwot High School girls basketball's first win of 2022-23 was inarguably a team effort, few Cougars were as critical to the victory as Molly Slupik. A junior starting forward, Slupik had dominant runs in multiple aspects of her game, all contributing to a 42-39 win at Skyline High School on Jan. 14. Her physicality on the boards, particularly on the offensive side, stood out the most for head coach Jon Hill. "I told her she's got to get on the offense glass," Hill said. "She worked her...
The Niwot girls basketball team is winless no more. Following an 0-9 start to the Niwot High School girls basketball season, head coach Jon Hill's Cougars rallied late in the game to beat the Skyline Falcons on Jan. 14, marking the program's first victory since last February. The celebration that ensued following the 42-39 win was special for a team that had maintained both its confidence and work ethic throughout a difficult stretch. "We've been doing a lot of the right things and the results...
Niwot High School's wrestling coach, Bobby Matthews, opened the Gary Daum Classic wrestling tournament with a brief tribute to the late NHS wrestling coach, then asked the crowd to join him in a moment of silence in honor of the memory of Daum's daughter Lindsay and his granddaughter Meadow who died tragically last summer. Following the national anthem, the tournament began with 15 schools competing at Niwot High School, including schools as small as Lyons High School and as large as Boulder...
Although only a sophomore, Ryder Evans has proven early on that he can compete against Colorado's top wrestlers. The 126-pound Niwot High underclassman owns an 18-5 record so far this season and his focus remains locked on qualifying for the state tournament. With several of the area's best wrestlers coming to Evans' home gym at Niwot High School for the Gary Daum Classic on Jan. 7, he was given an opportunity to test his skills against other state hopefuls. Evans made quick work of his first...
Over the course of a season, not many other events mean more to the Niwot High School wrestling program than the Gary Daum Classic. The annual wrestling tournament, previously known as the Boulder Valley Invitational, returns to Niwot High on Saturday, Jan. 7 for the 10th time running under its current title, a name given in honor of longtime Cougar head coach Gary Daum, who passed away in 2012 following a battle with cancer. Daum arrived at Niwot High in 1977 as a special education teacher. He...
For the first time since breaking his ankle as a sophomore, Alexander Long finally feels like a "complete basketball player" midway through his senior season at Niwot High School. "I didn't really rebound until this year - just strength and stuff in my ankle," Long said. "It's good to finally be able to run and have it not hurt or bother me, it's not in my mind." On the court, Long takes the most pride in his defensive abilities. He may not light up the scoreboard offensively, but the Cougar...
Overall, it was a mixed bag of results for the Niwot High School wrestling team at the Keith Kilker Memorial boys wrestling event held from Dec.16-17 in Keenesburg. The Cougars left Weld Central High School 3-4 in duals with junior Gavin Burrage going a perfect 8-0 in the 190-pound class and sophomore Ryder Evans finishing 6-1 at 126 pounds. Those two, in particular, entered winter break as definite bright spots for the young Niwot team. A few other Cougars also enjoyed some success in Keenesburg. Per head coach Bobby Matthews, Moi Carmona...
The Niwot High School girls swim and dive team entered winter break on a high note by topping the Class 4A field at the REX Memorial Coaches Invite on Dec. 17. Niwot placed 12th overall, but the team's 244 points were the most amongst the 13 Class 4A schools competing, which included local foes Longmont High School and Silver Creek High School. Jamieson Legh was once again the Cougars' standout as the senior took second in the 100 butterfly (55.87 seconds) and third in the 50 freestyle (23.99)...
The term downhill guard doesn't suit many better than it does Rose Pacheco. Her ability to drive towards the hoop may appear reckless at times, but it frequently results in two points for the Niwot High School girls basketball team. Through the first seven games of her sophomore season, Pacheco is averaging a team-best 11.3 points per game. Pacheco's success remains one of the few bright spots of what has been an otherwise difficult 0-7 start for the Cougars. Still, she remains optimistic that N...
After moving to the United States during his sixth-grade year, Vithal Arya was tasked with learning a culture far different from the one he had experienced growing up in India. "It's a culture shock because there's not really middle school, high school, it's just K-12, and that's practically every school (in India)," Arya said. "Extracurriculars don't really matter as much as they matter here. In India, schools are basically all for academics. We're not really big on sports. The only big sports...
Things are beginning to look up for the Niwot boys wrestling team. Coming off a disappointing last-place finish at the Fort Lupton Invitational, the Cougars rebounded nicely on Dec. 7 to beat a revitalized Timnath High School program, 57-12. Niwot then fell in a dual meet against Silver Creek High School on Dec. 9 but bounced back again the following day in a strong showing at the Wheat Ridge Invitational. Junior Gavin Burrage was named champion of the 175-pound class while both 165-pound...
Several Niwot High School girls swimmers were at their best on Dec. 8 in a dual meet against Erie High School. Head coach Ella Thramann said that many of her Cougar swimmers broke their personal-best times, all leading to an impressive 199-93 win at the Aquatic Center of St. Vrain Valley schools. Lauren Brooks set her best time in the 100 freestyle (1 minute, 41.15 seconds), senior Rowan Lavigne qualified for state in the 50 free (26.36) and Shefali Joshi’s 2:16.82 in the 200 free was close to the state-qualifying time — Thramann believes she...
While the Niwot boys wrestling team hasn’t found much success yet, there are still plenty of opportunities ahead. The Cougars currently have only two seniors in Charlie Kidd and Vithal Arya, three juniors and 21 underclassmen. Early struggles are to be expected, and Niwot indeed scuffled on Dec. 3 at the Fort Lupton Invitational, placing last out of the eight teams competing. Sophomore Ryder Evans was the bright spot for Niwot as he nearly took the 126-pound championship match. “He was actually up 14-1 and made a mistake,” Matthews said. “Tryi...
It was only game No. 1, but when Jerek Funkhouser scored 27 points in Niwot High School's season opener on Dec. 1, it was a great omen for the Cougar boys basketball team. The senior's career-best output, part of a 73-13 home blowout of Regis Groff, was aided by an all-in team effort on offense. "It was just awesome to see that our offense is playing for each other this year," Funkhouser said. "Most of our buckets were off just easy cuts to the basket and within the offense. It's awesome to see...
New Niwot High School girls swimming head coach Ella Thramann has both veteran influencers and young talent helping her navigate the early days of her first season. On the older side, seniors Jamieson Legh and Rowan Lavigne, in particular, are helping make Niwot's head coaching transition a bit easier. Both have been integral in creating Thramann's team-first culture focus. "A lot of the girls come into swimming and they're scared that they are, one, not going to be as good as the others and,...
The Niwot girls basketball team may be young, but second-year head coach Jon Hill believes the Cougars are well aware of his expectations. In Hill's inaugural run last season, he was fortunate to have five seniors helping him with the transition. Those leaders are now gone, though, and with the 2022-23 season beginning Dec. 1, he'll be relying heavily on a talented group of team-oriented sophomores. "Culture, being in year two, has been a big help," Hill said. "We're not surprised by expectation...
Zoie Chociej's dominant senior season has her feeling optimistic that she can continue her softball career in college. The Niwot High School second baseman had highs in batting average (.645), RBIs (33) and home runs (six) while striking out only six times in 73 plate appearances for the fall 2022 season. She was also named the MaxPreps/NFCA National Player of the Week in August thanks to her 10-for-10 start to the season, including three home runs. Chociej said that her success helped put her...
Despite still being a "growing" team, the Niwot High School cheer team and head coach Christina Ayers are looking forward to what she expects to be a competitive showing at the state spirit championships. "We're fighting for finals this year," Ayers said. "We have a show, we have the girls that are fighting for it and ready for it. I think it's attainable - it's whether or not we get out there on the floor and we do what we know we can do." The Cougars, who were unable to compete in the Blast...
The admiration gymnast Nia Terrell's teammates have for their senior leader is abundant. As Niwot High School entered its final event at the Class 4A team state gymnastics championships on Nov. 4, all anyone in green and white wanted to do was ensure that Terrell's prep career would end on a high note. Niwot was in the mix for a top-three finish and the Cougars just needed a strong performance on floor, Terrell's only event of the day, at host Thornton High School. Niwot delivered. Freshman...
Raiden Stahly, Niwot High School football's only four-year varsity member this season, played his final high school snap on Nov. 4 in the Cougars' finale against Denver North. It was a mix of emotions, but all of them were real for the tight end/outside linebacker. "Going into it I was excited and sad," said Stahly, who also lent his voice to the National Anthem prior to the game. "I saw the end of the season and (my) high school career ending. (There are) a lot of good people on my team and...
Considering her team's youth, Niwot High School head gymnastics coach Marisa Purcell was more than pleased with her Cougars following the final event of the Class 4A team state championships on Nov. 4. "They've worked so hard in trying to put it all together and it hasn't [come together] kind of all season," Purcell said. "So the fact that this whole meet overall has just come together [was great]." That hard work culminated in a total score of 176.525 and a third-place team finish at State - Pa...
Digesting his No. 2 singles state individuals tournament semifinals loss hasn't been easy, but Niwot boys tennis junior LiChen Liao is surrounded by a support system which should help him return next season with a vengeance. Liao, who won the No. 2 singles title last year, said that his No. 1 singles teammate, senior Luke Weber, was there for him following his 6-1, 6-2 loss to Kent Denver's Will Moldenhauer at City Park in Pueblo on Oct. 14. Weber had a similar experience last season when he...
Make it a five-peat. For the fifth time in as many seasons, the Niwot High School girls cross country team took first place at the Class 4A state championships on Oct. 29. Months of preparation, including two trips to the Norris Penrose Event Center course in Colorado Springs, helped Niwot score 20 points - miles ahead of second-place Battle Mountain (122) and third-place Durango (134). "It was just incredible," said senior Madison Shults, who was one of six Cougars to finish in the top 10....
Admittedly, LiChen Liao wasn't pleased with the results in the Class 4A boys individual state tennis tournament. He had won the No. 2 singles title last year and his goal was, of course, to defend that title his junior season. But with a 6-1, 6-2 loss to Kent Denver's Will Moldenhauer, Liao's repeat attempt fell short in the semifinals at City Park in Pueblo on Oct. 14. The Niwot High School No. 2 singles player remained proud, though, knowing his full effort was given. "Obviously, I was hoping...
Thanks in part to a position change, Eric Walker has been a valuable producer for the 12-3 Niwot High School boys soccer team, which begins Class 4A state playoff action on Oct. 27. Cougars head coach Stephen Dimit moved Walker from center back to striker and the senior responded by becoming one of Niwot's leading scorers. His six regular season goals were third-most on the team, behind juniors Javier Alvira (9) and Josh Ary (10). "After a few games, just getting the experience up there (at...
The final hurdle the Niwot High School cross country team had to clear before the state meet came in the form of the Class 4A Region 3 championships on Thursday, Oct. 20 at the North Area Athletic Complex in Arvada. In need of a top-four regionals team finish to qualify for State, both the Cougar girls and boys took first place with relative ease. Niwot was led by a first-place freshman on each side — Rocco Culpepper for the boys (16 minutes, 7 seconds) and Addison Ritzenhein for the girls (18 minutes, 41 seconds) — and 13 total Cougars pla...
A whopping seven Niwot cross country underclassmen — girls and boys combined — had a top-10 finish in the Longs Peak League Meet on Oct. 12. On the boys’ side, Cougar freshman Rocco Culpepper led all runners with a time of 15 minutes, 18.9 seconds which was about 23 seconds ahead of Severance’s Caden Schweer. Niwot seniors Carlos Kipkorir Cheruiyot and Jeremy Gillet finished third and fourth, respectively, while sophomore Keegan Geldean (fifth), senior Frederick Ambrose (sixth) and sophomores Christopher Wood (seventh) and Gavin Engtrak...
The face of Niwot High School boys tennis picked up his final piece of high school hardware on Oct. 15 in the state individuals tournament. Senior Luke Weber cruised through the Class 4A No. 1 singles bracket, defeating Cheyenne Mountain’s Andrew Ballenger in the first round (6-1, 6-0), Evergreen’s Sam Billups in the second round (6-0, 6-0) and D’Evelyn’s Aswaanth Karuppasamy (6-4, 6-2) to advance to the finals. Unfortunately for Weber, he was met by defending No. 1 singles state champion Nathan Gold of Kent Denver, who picked up the 6,0, 6-0 f...
Hannah Waldron has erupted during her senior season for the Niwot girls volleyball team. The four-year varsity player recorded her first-ever 10-kill game against Roosevelt on Oct. 5 and then proceeded to have back-to-back 14-kill performances against Frederick and Mountain View. She believes that much of her recent success can be credited to her teammates, including sophomore Anne Haley, who leads Niwot with 346 assists. "My connection with Anne has been just really on fire," Waldron said....
After suffering a second-round loss to Kent Denver in the state dual tournament, the Niwot boys tennis team still has an opportunity to secure some hardware in the Class 4A individual state championships. Niwot hosted regionals on Oct. 6 and six of its seven lines took first, meaning they will be the No. 1 seeds from Region 5 at the "individuals" state tournament. The Cougars' No. 2 doubles team of junior Kyle Davidson and senior Ryan Gray took third place and will enter as an alternate. Head...
The final chapter of Madison Shults' Niwot High School cross country career has been a good read. In the month of September alone, Shults had top-10 finishes in the RE-1J District Meet, the St. Vrain Invitational and the Desert Twilight XC Festival - which all also resulted in team wins. Shults gave special recognition to head coach Kelly Christensen and a slew of others for helping make her senior season memorable. "I definitely have to credit it to our coaches," Shults said. "Our coaches are...
Niwot softball's power-hitting pitcher Anne Booth reached a difficult milestone during the Cougars' loss to Riverdale Ridge on Sept. 29. In only her junior season, Booth recorded her 100th career hit on a double, and although it's more of an individual accolade, she was sure to mention her fellow teammates, a few of whom have also racked up some large numbers. "It's really cool to finally see with the stats how much work I've been putting in, and the team as well," Booth said. "A lot of our othe...
While Niwot boys tennis head coach Aimee Hites believed her No. 8 seed Cougars were capable, drawing No. 1 Kent Denver in the second round of the Class 4A state dual tournament was a challenge. Niwot (10-5, 8-0 4A Region 5) traveled to Kent Denver, a private co-ed school in Cherry Hills known for its tennis programs, on Oct. 1 for the second round of the state team tournament. After a hard-fought match ended with Niwot on the short end of a 4-3 final score, the Sun Devils moved on in the...
As is typical this season, Niwot cross country’s depth on the girls’ side delivered another meet win. All eight Cougars girls who traveled down to Mesa, Ariz., for the Desert Twilight XC Festival on Sept. 30 finished within the top 20 to secure the team victory. The strong showing marked the third consecutive first-place finish for the Niwot girls — the St. Vrain Cross Country Invitational and the RE-IJ District Meet being the others. In the 5,000-meter Desert Twilight race that included 21 total teams and 174 girls, not only did the Couga...
The stage is set for Luke Weber's grand finale. Two years after winning the No. 3 singles state title and leading the Niwot boys tennis team to an overall state championship in 2020, Weber is focused on creating some similar magic during his senior season. The now-No. 1 singles star's first test will come on Sept. 28 when No. 9-seeded Grand Junction comes to No. 8 Niwot for the first round of the Class 4A state tournament. "It's been a long journey, just playing all four yours going to state,"...
Only one season removed from winning it all in 2020, the Niwot High School boys tennis team is back in the Class 4A state tournament with high aspirations. Niwot, which finished third in State last year, finished the regular season 9-4 (8-0 4A Region 5). The Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) announced on Sept. 23 that Niwot will enter this season's new-look championship as the No. 8 seed. Head coach Aimee Hites' Cougars just barely earned themselves a first round home meet...
Homecoming week took a hit on the Niwot cross country team. According to head coach Kelly Christensen, his Cougars were far from 100% when they lined up for the St. Vrain Cross Country Invitational on Sept. 17. But even without four top runners, the Niwot girls team squeaked out a first-place finish at Lyons High School. An encouraging takeaway for Christensen was that a few underclassmen, on both the girls and boys’ sides, were able to keep a shorthanded Cougars team competitive. Sophomore Bella Nelson led the Niwot girls with a third-place f...
Being a freshman on varsity comes with its challenges. Instead of typically facing opponents of a similar age in middle school, there's a chance that someone four years older stands on the opposite side of the court. Charlie Kirtland is currently experiencing the ups and downs of being a freshman on the Niwot High School boys tennis team. He entered the season looking to claim Niwot's No. 3 singles spot and after impressing in his varsity debut against Dawson School in mid-August, he hasn't...
Outside linebacker Gavin Burrage wasn't going to allow Niwot football to lose its first-ever game played on campus. Going up against Skyview, Burrage's barrage held the Wolverines to only one touchdown in a historic 15-6 win on Sept. 9. "I thought it was our team's best game," Burrage said. "The energy was really high, we were all performing our best and it was just a great game for me." Including Burrage, two other juniors on Niwot's defense have stood out, not only in the Skyview game, but...
