All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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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...
Multi-talented is perhaps the best way to describe Gabe Martinez. In addition to becoming an Eagle Scout in February, the Longmont Christian School senior has taken on both baseball and tennis during his prep career. Because LCS doesn't support a boys tennis team, Martinez joined the Niwot High program during his freshman year. Cougar head coach Aimee Hites has utilized Martinez, a doubles player, in a swing role this season, which has him practicing with varsity but playing most of his matches...
In about one month's time, the Niwot boys tennis team will be squaring off against Colorado's top talent in the state championships. Head coach Aimee Hites' Cougars got a taste of that level of play on Sept. 8 when defending Class 4A co-champions Cheyenne Mountain visited campus. Disappointment soon arose, though, as Niwot, which placed third in state last year, mustered little success in a 5-2 loss to the Red-Tailed Hawks. Senior Luke Weber won the No. 1 singles match (6-1, 6-2) and junior LiCh...
It was a successful Homecoming week for Niwot High School. Football won on its home turf, volleyball swept Silver Creek, boys tennis went 1-1, softball got a win and for cross country, both the girls and boys teams cruised to first place in the RE-1J District Meet. The cross country boys were led by four seniors who finished from third place to sixth in the order of Jeremy Gillett, Frederick Ambrose, Stefan Haug and Carlos Kipkorir. And even though the first and second place individual finishers...
NHS cross country head coach Kelly Christensen opted to roll with mostly freshmen and sophomore runners during Niwot’s first two meets of the season, giving them some valuable experience before the veterans take control. Not only have the Cougars’ underclassmen gotten their feet wet, but they also littered the leaderboard during their first meet of the year on Aug. 27, at the Vista Nation XC 2-Mile Invitational in Highlands Ranch. On both the girls and boys sides of the freshmen/sophomores-only race, the Cougars took first place overall and...
Coming off a third-place finish in the Boulder High Panther Invitational on Aug. 26, the Niwot boys tennis team returned to Class 4A Region 5 play on Aug. 30 at Mountain View. The Cougars arrived in Loveland with a perfect 4-0 league record and it was preserved upon leaving as all seven matches ended in a sweep. Senior Luke Weber didn’t lose a point in his No. 1 singles match and in the four doubles matches, only one total point went in favor of Mountain View. Senior Ryan Gray and junior Kyle Davidson led the No. 1 doubles, sophomore Rex W...
Chad Volf's versatile skill set at quarterback proved perfect for Niwot football's offense in their 22-16 season opener win over Greeley Central on Aug. 26. Volf rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another to get his junior campaign off to a strong start. Still, though, Volf hopes the Cougars can do even more damage moving forward. "I think Friday went really well," Volf said. "I feel like on offense we could have had a couple more touchdowns, but I think the three we had were pretty...
The past, future and present are all looking pretty good right now for the Niwot cross country program. One year after the girls' squad won state and the boys finished runner-up, the Cougars' juggernaut remains dangerous. On the boys' side, coming so close to winning Class 4A last season has Niwot motivated to finish the job in 2022. "I know the boys were pretty disappointed being runner-up and not doing as well as a team as they wanted to," said head coach Kelly Christensen. "They're on a reall...
While Niwot boys tennis head coach Aimee Hites expects senior and No. 1 singles player Luke Weber to finish top three in Class 4A, it’s her No. 1 doubles team of freshman Oskar Hansen and sophomore Sebastian Moy that has amazed her the most. The Cougars’ young duo is already among the strongest in recent program history, Hites believes. “Our one-doubles is probably the best one-doubles team I've ever coached, so that's exciting,” Hites said. “They're winning the majority of their matches.” Per MaxPreps, Hansen and Moy are 2-1 through Aug...
The lengthy bus drive south to Pueblo West High School on Aug. 18 was well worth it for the Niwot boys soccer team after senior goalkeeper Matt Hansen pulled off a miraculous 50-yard game-winning goal on a penalty kick. That's right, the goalkeeper. With just seconds left and the score tied 2-2, Cougar head coach Stephen Dimit called upon Hansen to take the penalty kick. Dimit's decision took into account that Hansen doubles as Niwot football's placekicker, making him no stranger to long distanc...
In what could have been considered a transitional season following the graduation of eight seniors, the Niwot boys soccer team continued its winning ways last fall and reached the second round of the Class 4A state playoffs. Last season was fun, said seventh-year head coach Stephen Dimit, but the Cougars are now setting the bar a little higher. "This is a hungry year," Dimit said. "They had a lot of fun last year, but I think they also really want to build on what they started. That's a great...
Niwot softball's 2022 season commences Aug. 16, and for the third straight year, Autumn Rutherford will be one of the Cougars' biggest bats. Rutherford's ability to impact the game offensively with both power and speed earned her first-team all-conference honors in the 4A Longs Peak League as just a sophomore. Now entering her junior campaign, she hopes to be recognized on a grander scale with an all-state nod. During the past few months, her skills have been displayed throughout the country...
The University of Colorado’s 17th class to be inducted into the CU Athletic Hall of Fame was announced in June and it features former Gunbarrel resident Dick Tharp, who was the school’s athletic director from 1996-2004. Interestingly, Tharp and his staff created the Athletic Hall of Fame early in his tenure as AD. Among his many accomplishments at CU, he hired former head football coach Gary Barnett in 1996, oversaw a $42.6 million expansion to Folsom Field and developed a long-term plan for the athletic department. “I'm honored by it, humbl...
Anne Booth and Autumn Rutherford were both major producers in nearly every facet of the game last year for Niwot High School softball. Now entering their junior seasons, expectations have only risen as the Cougars begin their quest for a second consecutive playoff appearance. Niwot's pair of junior stars combined for 13 home runs last season and were the only Cougars to hit over .500, plus Rutherford led the team in stolen bases and Booth won 12 games in the circle. CeCe Smith, Zoe Cameron,...
Reaching the 4A state championships for the first time since 2017 wasn't a fluke for last year's Niwot boys golf team - it was simply a product of a consistently competitive program. The Cougars brought one golfer from each grade level to the state tournament and finished seventh in class 4A. Although they'll now be without 2022 graduate Christopher Gunlikson, who placed sixth individually at state, the foundation remains sturdy for a successful fall season. "We've got a pretty good program," sa...
Although she's just entering her junior year, Julia Rudolph has been a valuable leader for Niwot High School track and field. Rudolph was named a team captain last season and then helped the Cougars win the 4x400-meter relay state title, as well as the state Class 4A team championship. Rudolph continued to beat the competition in early June at the Great Southwest Track and Field Classic in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Competing for Niwot track head coach Maurice Henriques' REAL Training, she ran a...
This fall will look a little different for Niwot senior Ben Classen. After spending the past two years playing football, the Niwot High incoming senior has decided to shift his complete focus to track and field. Classen believes his best chance of securing an athletic scholarship will come through track, a sport that he excelled in last spring. His decision also factored in the elimination of any potential for injury he could have suffered playing football. Last season, Classen was named...
A rarity in most sports, Rachel Noble was a four-year varsity player on the Niwot girls basketball team. The 2022 grad accumulated an impressive 80 career games played while scoring a total of 254 points in a Cougar uniform. She was also part of a tight-knit senior class that included Carly Toothaker, Jordyn Stewart, Maddi Tajchman and Grace Crall, who together helped Niwot (7-15) win its most games since the 2018-19 season. "I loved my senior season," Noble said. "It wasn't anything on the reco...
Staying active is a must for recent Niwot grad Grace Crall, and she accomplished this need well by playing both basketball and soccer during her successful high school career. In Crall's final basketball campaign with the Cougars, she led the team in three categories: rebounds (110), blocks (12) and assists (30). The senior took particular pride in her rebounding, which as a taller player, was a facet of the game that was drilled into her from an early age. "I think a lot of people don't want...
Gracing the podium's peak is nothing new for 2014 Niwot alum Elise Cranny. Nearly one year removed from her first Olympics, she made national headlines once again on June 26 by taking first place in the 2022 USATF Outdoor Championships' 5000-meter with a time of 15 minutes, 49.15 seconds Cranny's win came courtesy of an impressive surge in the final 2000 meters. After crossing the 3000-meter mark well behind the leaders, and in ninth place - albeit still within one second of first - she made a m...
One of the first gifts Carly Toothaker could remember receiving as a young child was a soccer ball, and after some time to reflect on her recently-completed high school career, that present can be considered an ember to a life encapsulated by sport. Toothaker's father became her first soccer coach, with her mother doing the same in basketball. The immense early guidance helped her become a multi-year varsity starter in both sports at Niwot High. In soccer, which she considers her primary sport,...
Becoming a state championship-caliber track and field athlete is a calculated process. Even as the so-called "offseason" commences during the summer, Niwot's top talent remains focused on maximizing their abilities. Cougar head coach Maurice Henriques, fresh off leading Niwot's girls team to another state title, stays working with his athletes through his club program, REAL Training. The club includes athletes from across the state and in June alone, REAL has competed in two prominent meets:...
Niwot High graduated senior Easten Leatherwood has just a few more weeks before he leaves for Durango to begin his college football career at Fort Lewis College. A 3A North Central 3 League All-Conference honorable mention last fall for Niwot football, he committed to the Division II Skyhawks in February and created a homecoming of sorts. Both of his parents attended Fort Lewis and Leatherwood grew up in Durango before moving to Longmont shortly after completing fourth grade. He said Fort Lewis...
Not many high school baseball pitchers have suffered the setbacks Nick Yard has experienced during his prep career. The recent Niwot High graduate has undergone not one, but two Tommy John surgeries over the past three years. Following his freshman season in which he was second on the Cougars' varsity staff with 35 innings pitched, Yard braved his first Tommy John surgery in January of his sophomore year to repair his ulnar collateral ligament. He then fought back and pitched just one game his...
