All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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Although it has required some long hours, Niwot High alums Ryan Gonzales and Tyson Christensen are enjoying every minute of the Denver Nuggets' first NBA Finals trip in franchise history. No, neither Gonzales nor Christensen is suiting up for head coach Michael Malone, but both have been instrumental to the Nuggets' home-court success this postseason. Gonzales, a 2002 Niwot grad, works for Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Nuggets, as a Senior Director and Producer of Broadcast...
Not many student-athletes nowadays are willing - or able - to take the path that Julian Lettow traveled throughout his time at Niwot High School. Besides opting out of his sophomore basketball season due to COVID-19 concerns, Lettow balanced academics with hoops, tennis and baseball for all four years, earning the increasingly rare distinction of being a three-sport athlete. The effort he put forth made receiving his diploma all the more satisfying. "I put a lot of work into these four years,"...
For the second consecutive spring, Alena Kasanicky, Mina O'Dell and Kate Jones are all set to represent Niwot High School at the Class 4A girls golf state championships, which runs May 30-31 at Thorncreek Golf Course in Thornton. Each member of Niwot's trio qualified for the state's big dance after putting up a strong showing at the 4A Region 3 tournament at The Fox Hill Club in Longmont on May 23. Kasanicky and O'Dell, a sophomore and a junior, respectively, carded an 86 while the senior Jones...
Despite being Colorado's most successful Class 4A girls track and field program over the past decade, Niwot High School had remarkably never produced a state title winner in shot put until May 19, 2023, when Jade West staked her claim to history. West's heave of 40 feet, 8.25 inches traveled a full 29 inches further than what the second-place thrower produced at the 4A state championships in Lakewood. In fact, observers reported that West had another throw that reached 42 feet at state, but it...
Three days of exceptional performances at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood gave the Niwot High School girls track and field team its fourth consecutive Class 4A state title on May 20. The Cougars took first in eight of the 19 events and finished with 154 total points, significantly more than any other team - boys or girls - throughout all five classifications. Mesa Ridge High was runner-up on the 4A girls side with 67 points. Madison Shults wrapped up her high school career by winning her second...
Stephen Codevilla, the younger brother of Niwot High School girls swimming great Mary Codevilla, is putting his own stamp on the Colorado swim scene with Silver Creek's boys team. At the Class 4A boys swim and dive state championships on May 13, Codevilla impressed in multiple individual and relay events, ultimately guiding his Raptors to their second straight team runner-up trophy. The Niwot High junior's best individual result came in the 100-yard backstroke, which took place immediately...
Stephen Codevilla, Joshua Dowlin and Hudson Kammerer were three of the biggest contributors, but the Silver Creek High School boys swim and dive team had help from its entire roster en route to finishing second at the Class 4A state championships on May 13. Silver Creek, which holds athletes from multiple St. Vrain Valley schools including Niwot and Silver Creek high schools, was runner-up to Cheyenne Mountain for the second consecutive season after winning the 2021 state title. "I love my...
The Cougars likely aren't fighting for a state regionals berth without Jed Kilpatrick having arguably the best season of his Niwot High School baseball career. Through May 12, the senior shortstop owns career-highs in batting average (.472), on-base percentage (.548) and fielding percentage (.932) while leading Niwot to 12 wins, the program's most since 2014. Kilpatrick believes that Niwot's emergence is due in large part to an improved culture built by a still fairly young group of Cougars....
As one of eight seniors on the Niwot High School girls soccer team, Tiffany Yie said it was an exciting yet difficult experience playing her final two games for the Cougars, although winning both made things at least a little easier. "A lot of the games were really special for me because this year I really cherished each game rather than like, 'Oh, I still have another year, it doesn't really matter what happens,'" said Yie, who tallied a goal and two assists in Niwot's senior day win over...
Reaching the state regionals tournament would have been nice, but head coach John Miller couldn't have asked for much more out of Niwot High School's inaugural varsity boys volleyball season. Miller entered the campaign hoping to simply be competitive in Year 1, and his Cougars fulfilled that goal with an 11-12 overall record. Niwot's team, which includes student-athletes from across the St. Vrain Valley School District, also went 6-6 in the strong Northern 1 League following a four-set loss at...
Now out of contention in the Class 4A team state tournament, Niwot High School girls tennis is focused on qualifying its lines for the individual championships. Fellow Region 5 schools, Centaurus, Erie, Northridge, Silver Creek, Skyline, Standley Lake and Thornton, will be at Niwot High May 3-4 to compete for Individual State Tournament spots in the Regional Tournament. The top two lines earn a ticket to the State Tournament in each of the seven Regional events (1 through 3 singles and 1...
Recent University of Northern Colorado football signee Kaiden Box is doing something a little different during his final high school semester. The Skyline High School quarterback was looking for a sport to play this spring and with neither baseball nor track enticing him, he was convinced by fellow Skyline senior Erik West to join the inaugural Niwot High School varsity boys volleyball team. It didn't take Box long to learn the sport and he soon developed an immense respect for his new...
Although he thinks of himself as a defense-first catcher, Niwot High School baseball senior Diego Castro has made an equally large impact this season with his bat. The Cougar backstop sports a .429 batting average through April 23 with a team-leading 18 RBIs. Last year, he hit just .162 in a similar number of plate appearances. Castro credited an offseason of facing pitching machines that allowed him to see higher velocities and breaking balls. "Honestly, I think I'm just more comfortable, more...
Although he has his own personal goals, Jeremy Gillett is typically thinking about his team before anything else. On April 1, for example, the Niwot High School track and field senior shared that he took immense pride in representing his school as he competed on his home track at the NoCo Series #1 meet. Gillett ran in the 1,600-meter and as the race remained crowded up front entering the final stretch, his final push was motivated by a force greater than himself. "In that last 100 (meters), I...
Growing up in Niwot together, Lena Heilmann and her late sister Danielle developed a close relationship from a young age that held strong into their early adult years. The two spent their childhood summers together in Germany with extended family, and Lena said she even referred to Danielle, who was four years younger, as her "soulmate sister." After completing a double major at the University of Colorado Boulder in 2006 and a Masters in German Studies in 2008, Lena began her doctorate studies...
Graduating from Niwot High School in 2005 was only the start of Justin Rolando's educational journey. Four years at the University of Colorado Boulder and eight years at Caltech where he earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree, Rolando is now living in Boston working on the forefront of medical technology. His work is primarily focused on integrating engineering into the field of medicine for practical use. "We're trying to translate engineering and scientific ideas from..., we always call it from...
Scoring a meet-best 220 overall points was an added bonus for a Niwot High School track and field program hosting its first-ever home meet in school history on April 1. Aided by first-place finishes in six different events, the Cougar girls topped 23 other programs with 149 points. On the boys side, Lutheran High led the NoCo Series #1 meet with 76 points, just ahead of second-place Niwot with 71 points. It was a long day - and a busy week of preparation - for Niwot head coach Maurice...
Short-distance standout Kimora Northrup is still hunting for some more hardware in the final stage of her accomplished Niwot High School track and field career. Already an individual Class 4A state champion in both the 100 and 300-meter hurdles, the senior has her eyes set on winning gold again in both events to further cement an already strong Niwot legacy. Northrup, however, has been dealt some adversity early this season with knee problems limiting her to competing only in sprint relays in...
While it's not at the absolute forefront of his mind, Niwot High School track and field senior Freddie Ambrose is doing his best to cherish the final days of his prep career. "When I'm running with the other guys that I've been running with for four years, it's kind of like, 'Dang, this is one of the last times I'll ever be able to run with these guys when we're all racing for the same team,'" Ambrose said. Putting on a show at the state championships in May remains his highest priority,...
With several team state championships already in hand, there is still one thing left on longtime Niwot High School track and field head coach Maurice Henriques' to-do list that he has yet to accomplish: host a meet. On Saturday April 1, the 14-year coach's aspiration will finally happen with 25 schools (including Niwot) across the state scheduled to compete in the NoCo Series #1 meet at Niwot High School's on-campus track. Henriques pulled out all the stops in ensuring that his program's first...
Dustin Bell found his passion at an early age and he's done nothing but run with it. A 2005 Niwot High graduate, Bell was constantly surrounded by creativity growing up in an arts-friendly area. His passion for theater grew the quickest, though, with the help of family members taking him to shows in New York City. Bell then began acting at Jesters Dinner Theatre in Longmont and the Rocky Mountain Theatre For Kids in Boulder. "I had a family who was so supportive," said Bell, who was especially...
Early on, things are already clicking for the Niwot High School baseball team. The Cougars, under second-year head coach Ken Rosales, are off to a 2-1 start with a whopping 39 total runs scored in those three games. While it's still only mid-March, Rosales has been impressed by what he's seen from his players so far. "(I've seen) a lot of fight from them," Rosales said. "They're very skilled players even though we're a young team. But with that, they give it their all." Niwot began its season...
The fourth and final season of Evan Welding's prep swim career is shaping up nicely. Already an accomplished swimmer for Silver Creek High School's boys team, Welding has qualified for the Class 4A state championships in the 50-yard freestyle, 100 backstroke, 100 free, 100 fly and 100 individual medley. He is also a member of two relay teams that have made the cut for state. In a dual meet against Broomfield High on March 16, he took first in the 50 free thanks to a season-best 23.61-second...
Through hard work and a few career pivots, Niwot's own Eric Fayeulle is now navigating his third month as a segment producer for ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos." The 2015 Niwot High graduate began as a desk intern for ABC News in January of 2022 before working his way up to a desk assistant and then to his current role. Fayeulle's duties include overseeing news packages and scripts, conducting research on guests and developing stories. Before joining ABC, he spent a couple of years...
Jack Klein squeezed about as much as he could out of his four years at Niwot High School. Now about two months away from graduation, the senior in Niwot's International Baccalaureate Program is also the school's National Honor Society Treasurer and the youth board executive director of the Community Food Share, a local food bank focused on fighting hunger in Boulder and Broomfield counties. To complement his community work, Klein owns an accomplished athletics resume as well. In his primary spor...
For the Niwot High School track and field team, "slay" isn't used in jest. The trendy phrase is instead an acronym that head coach Maurice Henriques hopes can be a guiding force: Sacrifice. Loyalty. Accountability. Yearning. Every one of Niwot's approximately 140 athletes will be repping S.L.A.Y on the back of their T-shirts this spring season. "Those are things that we've been talking about from the first day of practice," Henriques said. "We're asking our coaches and we're asking our athletes...
Following an illustrious baseball career that included time playing, coaching and managing in the New York Mets' minor league system, 2005 Niwot High graduate Sean Ratliff is now writing a new chapter in commercial real estate. Ratliff, who helped Niwot win a pair of state championships in 2004 and 2005 before playing at Stanford University, was asked by former minor league teammate, Ike Davis, nearly four years ago to join him in the new venture. "It's commercial real estate, more or less -...
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...
