All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
Sorted by date Results 251 - 300 of 350
Just about four months separate the Niwot Cougars from the heartbreak they endured in the Class 4A boys state soccer semifinals, bumped from fall to spring in the 2020-2021 school year. That is all in the past, though, with a new core of Cougars greeted with the chance to mold their own history. Head coach Stephen Dimit will be tasked with replacing the production of eight graduated seniors that accounted for nearly two-thirds of the goals scored last season. Fortunately for Dimit, the players...
After winning two of its final three games last season, the Niwot softball team is primed for continued success in 2021. Head coach Bobby Matthews' Cougars return their ace pitcher and nearly all their offensive production with plenty to prove in the 4A Longs Peak League. Senior Ayva McComas has hit over .500 in each of her three previous seasons and will once again be a leader on the diamond. Matthews' "steady" senior shortstop was named an honorable mention to the All-State team last year and...
After narrowly missing the qualifying mark for the 2016 Team USA women's discus team, Silver Creek graduate Valerie Allman made the mark and more in Tokyo. Allman became just the third American since 1932 to win gold in the women's discus with a 69.98 meter (229.6 feet) hurl on Aug. 2. She backed up a 66.42 meter (217.9 feet) throw in the qualification round on July 30 which had then set a record for the farthest throw ever by an American woman in the Olympics, yet still short of her 70.15...
Niwot High School alum Elise Cranny will take the world's center stage on July 30 at 4 a.m. MST when she competes for Olympic gold in the women's track and field 5,000 meter event. Cranny, who graduated from Niwot in 2014 with multiple Colorado state titles in cross country and track before running at Stanford University, won the Team USA 5,000m qualifying race in June with a time of 15:27.81. Her family watched from the sidelines at Hayward Field in Oregon as Cranny punched her ticket to...
Niwot high School Head Coach Nik Blume and his staff will be hosting a youth football camp on July 24 from 9 to 11 a.m. The free camp will be held at the NHS football field and players ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade are invited to attend. Walk-up registration begins at 8 a.m. and there is no ability level requirement. Blume hopes to introduce young players to Niwot football while teaching the skills of the game through drills. Several current players will also help coach. “Parents drop kids off for a couple hours and do some skills a...
With both the Niwot girls and boys track and field teams taking first place in the 4A state meet, it was no surprise that the All-State teams were drenched in Niwot green. Eleven girls and four boys received the recognition, which was based upon state meet results. Leading the list for the girls was senior Lucca Fulkerson, and for the boys junior Zane Bergen, who each won Athlete of the Year honors. Head Coach Maurice Henriques led the historic season and was named Coach of the Year. In girls...
Niwot head baseball coach Adam Strah announced his resignation on June 21. Since his promotion to the head coaching position in 2017, the Cougars compiled a 20-57 record in four seasons, with the 2020 season cancelled due to COVID. . Strah, who joined the program as an assistant coach in 2012, will continue teaching physical education and health at NHS. In his final year, the Cougars finished their 2021 season with a 5-11 record. Athletic Director Joe Brown said he was grateful for Strah’s leadership. “We're so thankful for all that he has giv...
Misha Barrett enjoyed every minute of the spotlight when he raced in the state Special Olympics 100 meter dash on June 24. The Niwot High special needs student, who may be better known for his talents on the basketball court, took fourth place in front of a packed Jefferson County Stadium in Lakewood. Born in Ukraine, Barrett has dealt with cognitive issues his entire life after he suffered an anoxic brain trauma at birth. As his senior year was coming to a close, Barrett underwent surgery to...
The seniors' division Hawks, majors' Giants and AAA's Cannon Ballers all took home the gold in the 2021 Niwot Youth Sports recreation baseball playoffs. Led by coaches Ben Bernstein, Mike Curtin and Scott Francis, the 4-8 Hawks upset the 10-2 Falcons in the championship game on June 26. The contest stretched to extra innings and the Hawks won on a walk-off bunt. "It was a wonderful seesaw game," said NYS baseball director Galen Scheidenhelm. "Both teams battled hard and the Hawks were able to...
It's not every year that a Niwot varsity baseball roster will include 10 seniors. Following a COVID-19 stolen junior season, the Cougars' crowded senior class led Niwot to a 5-10 record, the program's most wins since 2017. In their final four games together, Niwot cruised to a 3-1 record highlighted by a 16-7 win at Silver Creek on June 8 for the first time since 2016. The Cougar season ended at home with an 11-4 loss to the Class 4A eighth-ranked Windsor Wizards on June 10. Head Coach Adam...
The Niwot baseball team won back-to-back games for the first time in 2021 after taking down Skyline on June 3 and Centaurus on June 5. Now sitting at 4-9, Head Coach Adam Strah said his team hasn't panicked despite its record. A postseason appearance may be unlikely but Niwot has found its groove in the season's waning stretch. "I would say they just have kept pushing forward and a little bit of that is paying off now," Strah said. Following a 5-3 loss at Riverdale Ridge on June 1, the Cougars...
In his final stretch at Niwot High, the dreaded senioritis has eluded pitcher/outfielder Micah Sheats on the baseball diamond. His two-way talent shined on May 22 when he pitched a six-inning shutout and hit a home run during a 12-0 mercy-rule victory at Thompson Valley. The performance was nothing new as Sheats owns an over .300 batting average in 52 career games through May 30. As a freshman in 2018, Sheats hit .311 and played in all 23 of Niwot's games. He followed that season up with a...
Led by senior pitchers Hayden Morford and Micah Sheats, the 2-7 Niwot baseball team kept its opponents quiet during a 1-2 week on the diamond. Following a 10-4 loss at Fort Morgan on May 19, Niwot returned home to face Severance on May 20. Morford, making his first start of the season, allowed two runs in six and one-third innings against the Silver Knights. His brilliant effort wasn't enough, however, as the Cougars couldn't get any offense going behind their southpaw starter and lost, 4-0....
Another busy week concluded for the Niwot baseball team which secured its first win of the season on May 12 at Northridge. Niwot wasn't able to keep the momentum going and fell to Mountain View on May 13 and Frederick on May 15. The Cougars now sit at 1-5 and have just 10 games remaining to make up some ground in the 4A/3A Longs Peak League. Senior Dylan Olson toed the rubber at Darryl Kile Field in Greeley against Northridge. He allowed two unearned runs in three and two-thirds innings and was...
The Jon Hill era is set to begin for the Niwot girls basketball team with the program finding its new head coach. Niwot Athletic Director Joe Brown announced the move on May 5 following the retirement of longtime head coach and Colorado High School Athletics Association Hall of Famer, Terri Ward. Although Ward has stepped away from coaching, she will remain around the program in a mentorship role. Hill said he looks forward to bringing a fresh energy to the program while having Ward's wisdom...
Playing in his first season with the Colorado Thunderbirds hockey club, Niwot High junior Jack O’Rourke didn’t shy away from the bright lights. O’Rourke scored four total goals in three consecutive elimination games to propel the Thunderbirds’ AAA Tier One Elite 16U team to the USA Hockey National Championship Game. Although the Thunderbirds fell to the North Jersey Avalanche in the title game on May 3, the experience was an unforgettable one for O’Rourke. “Those were the biggest games we've ever played and we capitalized on it,” said O’Rourke...
Following an over two-year wait, the Niwot baseball team began its 2021 campaign with three games in three days. Although Niwot went winless, the Cougars possess a core of improving talent. Niwot's opener came on May 6 at Severance. After Niwot scored five runs in the top half of the third inning, Severance regained the lead with seven in the bottom half and held on for a 10-7 victory. Senior Micah Sheats got the start on the mound and was pulled during the rough third inning. Offensively,...
The past year has been challenging for prospective college athletes, particularly those who missed their junior seasons of competition in the spring of 2020. But for 15 Niwot High athletes, the arduous journey through the virtual recruiting process came to a satisfying end at the school's Letter of Intent signing ceremony on May 3. "This is probably the hardest year in the history of college athletics to have an opportunity to play at the collegiate level," Niwot High athletics and activities...
Niwot's quest for a 4A boys soccer state title came to an abrupt end on April 28, at the hands of the eventual champions, the Windsor Wizards. The Cougars' defense didn't have an answer for Windsor senior John Burnett who scored both Wizards' goals in their 2-1 victory. Niwot senior Keegan Stobbe netted the Cougars' lone goal in their lowest offensive output since a March 20 loss to Skyview. Despite the outcome, there was a lot to be proud of this season for head coach Stephen Dimit. In...
For the second time in four seasons, the 11-1 Niwot boys soccer team is back in the 4A state semifinals. The three-seeded Cougars clawed past Coronado and Regis Groff to arrange a date with No. 2 seed Windsor on April 28. In Niwot's state quarterfinals matchup against the 11-seeded Regis Groff Fusion on April 24, senior Ismael Dominguez scored the game winning goal with 58 seconds left in regulation, giving Niwot a hard-fought 2-1 victory. "I kept telling the guys I want a ring this year,"...
Cruising to a 7-0 victory at Severance High School on April 8, the Niwot boys soccer team secured a perfect 9-0 record to win the 3A/4A Longs Peak League. “They worked so hard for this,” said head coach Stephen Dimit. “They prepared all year long however they could to get ready to do this. To win the league and to win it as dominantly as we did, that's big.” The win over Severance came on the heels of a 6-0 win over Roosevelt on April 5 and a 10-0 win over Mountain View on April 6. In Niwot’s final six games of the season, the Cougars o...
The wins keep coming for the 6-1 Niwot boys soccer team which has now won five in a row and holds a one game lead in the 3A/4A Longs Peak League through April 4. Led by head coach Stephen Dimit, Niwot is in the midst of playing six games in 10 days against league opponents. The Cougars' third game of the stretch came at home against Frederick on April 3. Timely goals paired with strong defense helped Niwot shut out the Warriors (4-1), 4-0. Senior Aidan Martin opened the scoring at the 35:56 mark...
Flaunting a 3-1 record through March 29, the Niwot boys soccer team has shown dominance on both sides of the ball. Through four games, the Cougars have outscored opponents 27-4 including back-to-back 10-goal outputs in wins over Berthoud on March 23 and Riverdale Ridge on March 25. Prior to Niwot's 10-1 win over Riverdale Ridge, the Cougs' nine seniors were honored on the Niwot pitch. Both Ashton Campie and Aidan Martin relished their senior day as they each scored three goals. "He (Martin) can...
Led by senior Keegan Stobbe and junior Azael Marrufo, the Niwot boys soccer team went 1-1 in its first week of games. The Cougars opened with a convincing 6-1 win over Fort Morgan on March 18 before dropping a narrow 2-1 contest against Skyview on March 20. Stobbe scored a pair of goals and four other Cougars found the back of the net once against Fort Morgan, including Marrufo, Tavan Karbassi, Ismael Dominguez and Jett Feiner. Junior Jacob Elston assisted on two of the goals, while Stobbe,...
Just months before the pandemic hit, the Niwot boys soccer team completed its fall 2019 season with a shining 11-6 record and second place finish in the 4A Northern League. Pending a possible snow cancellation, the Cougars will return to the pitch on March 18, 499 days after losing to Golden in the second round of the 2019 4A playoffs. Several impact players from that 2019 team will give it another shot in 2021. Fifth-year head coach Stephen Dimit will enjoy nine seniors on his 23-man roster including Aidan Martin, Keegan Stobbe, Ismael Domingu...
Prior to Niwot's season finale on March 5, girls basketball head coach Terri Ward shed a few tears while completing her routine sweep of the gym floor. Ward had been doing the same monotonous chore before home games for almost 30 years, but with her decision to retire following this one, it dawned on her that this would be her last time. "It's hard to stop being what defines you or who you are and I think this does, because this is who I am, this is what I've done," Ward said. "And to leave...
In its final tilt of the season, the Niwot girls basketball team fell to Greeley Central, 52-20 on March 5. Niwot's three seniors, Adeline Spencer, MacKenzie Demmel and Grace Wardle, played in their ultimate home game and were honored prior to tip-off. Despite getting shut out in the first half, the Cougars rallied for 20 points in the second half to enter the offseason on a high note. Head coach Terri Ward, who was coaching in the final game of her 28-year career, said they were playing...
It has been an adversity-filled but ultimately fruitful journey at Niwot for girls basketball senior Adeline Spencer. Through undergoing knee surgery during her sophomore year and now navigating a pandemic season, Spencer has learned the value of perseverance sooner than most. Even more, her lone season on varsity this winter has been derailed with hip and leg issues. Spencer said she will be having hip arthroscopy surgery followed by a derotational femoral osteotomy procedure once the season en...
The 7-1 Northridge Grizzlies girls basketball team came down to Niwot on Saturday, Feb. 20 to face the 0-8 Cougars. An upset in the 4A Longs Peak League did not occur as the Grizzlies defeated Niwot, 66-22. While Niwot was already facing an uphill battle, the absence of senior MacKenzie Demmel made the challenge even more difficult. To make matters worse, sophomore Addy Ruth exited with a lower-leg injury less than one minute into the game. Demmel and Ruth combined have accounted for just under...
Like all seniors in the class of 2021, Niwot girls basketball point guard Grace Wardle has been dealt a rough hand. The Cougars' season had already been cut down to 14 games and that number is even lower for Wardle. She has played in just three games this season and has missed another three and counting due to COVID-19 exposure protocols. Wardle said it has been hard to watch her team play from the virtual sideline in what has been a "disappointing" thorn in her senior season. Despite the...
After a disappointing 0-2 start to its season, the Niwot girls basketball team took a step in the right direction, but fell to the Longmont Trojans on Feb. 3, 45-33. Head coach Terri Ward blamed a poor first quarter in which the Cougars were outscored 14-1 for Niwot's eventual demise. "You can't score one point (in a quarter) in a varsity game and expect to win," Ward said. "It's not going to do it." Fortunately for Niwot, they settled in during the second quarter to claw back into the game....
With just one week to prepare, Niwot girls basketball opened its season on the wrong side of the scoreboard against Roosevelt on Jan. 26 and Riverdale Ridge on Jan. 30. Head coach Terri Ward dubbed Roosevelt a top-10 4A team and the Roughriders left Niwot's home court with a 79-19 win. Senior Grace Wardle led the Cougars in scoring with six points on a pair of three-pointers. Another senior, MacKenzie Demmel, who took last season off to play volleyball, used her hops to snag nine rebounds....
In April 2020, the St. Vrain Valley School Board authorized an architect design contract for an eight-lane swimming pool to be added onto Silver Creek High School. Nearly a year later, construction is set to begin in February and is expected to be completed in the fall. "People are excited about it," said Silver Creek Athletic Director Patrick DeCamillis. "I think it's a win for the community for sure, not just Silver Creek, but the St. Vrain community and Longmont in general." Up next on the ag...
Before the pandemic wreaked havoc on the Niwot sports calendar last spring, the most unprecedented thing about 2020 was the abysmal 2-21 record of the girls basketball team, the worst of longtime coach Terri Ward's career. But in 2021, the Cougars are returning several key players with experience, and Ward is looking for a return to normalcy-at least on the court. "The good piece is we don't have like only one returning starter or one returning player and (normally) we would have nine to 10...
This is the final entry in a three-part series on how the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on high school athletics have impacted college recruiting for the Class of 2021. Read part one here and part two here. One of the best ways for high school athletes to market themselves, particularly in baseball, is to attend showcase events. College coaches can watch potential recruits in action and assess the player competing against elite athletes, more than just through a highlight video. But with COVID, these events have suffered greatly. “(With) t...
First-year Niwot girls swim head coach Kyle Bachrodt will have limited time to learn his new team members. Although their final schedule hasn't been decided, meets are permitted to begin as soon as Jan. 25, just one week after the start of practice. Luckily for Bachrodt, he leads a Niwot team that is well-versed in success. The Cougars are coming off back-to-back Northern Conference championships and the expectations remain high in 2021. Former head coach Sarah Stamp stepped down following last...
After competing as a club team the past few seasons, the Niwot boys volleyball team will have to wait a little longer for the elusive official high school varsity designation. Budget cuts related to COVID-19 made the addition of a sport unfeasible in the St. Vrain Valley School District according to Niwot athletic director Joe Brown. In April 2019, the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) had approved boys volleyball to become a CHSAA sanctioned sport for the 2020-21 season, but...
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health has become a strong area of concern in high school athletics. Last week, the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) hosted three webinars, "Taking Care of You, when Your World has been Turned Upside Down." The webinar featured JC Pohl, a licensed therapist, author and advocate for improving school culture, and Caleb Campbell, a former NFL player and mental health speaker. Student-athletes were given self-care strategies and advice on...
This is part two of a three-part series on how the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on high school athletics have impacted college recruiting for the Class of 2021. Read part one here. The effects of COVID-19 have hit the University of Colorado football program and head coach Karl Dorrell. The Buffs' 2020 season was pushed back two months and they will miss out on significant ticket revenue with Boulder County health regulations limiting fan attendance. "We have a really good recruiting class...
Luke Werner dedicated himself to the game of football at a young age. From hitting the field early in the wet, morning dew, and practicing after school until it was so dark he couldn't see the ball, it is safe to say that for this Boulder High School senior, life revolves around football. After playing 9 games total his sophomore and junior year, MaxPreps credited Wernerwith nearly 200 all-purpose yards at wide receiver. Although he specializes in being an impact player on offense, Werner is...
On Dec. 7, the Colorado High School Athletics Association announced that Season B, originally slated to begin in early January, will now be pushed to at least February. At Niwot High School, boys and girls basketball, girls swim and dive and wrestling are the sports impacted. CHSAA's verdict came after the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment expressed concern with statewide COVID-19 cases on the rise. CDPHE Executive Director Jill Hunsaker Rye prioritized getting students back...
Since the COVID-19 pandemic escalated in March, it has been a rollercoaster year for Niwot's Boy Scout Troop 161. Despite the challenges associated with running a troop during a pandemic, Head Scout Master Bill Dickens' group has adapted with ease. After halting operations for over a month in the spring, Troop 161 shifted to remote mode with virtual meetings. Dickens said the troop was mostly quiet over the summer and missed its planned trip to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. When Boulder...
Although this year's U.S. Arabian & Half-Arabian National Championship Youth Judging Contest was held virtually, it was the same story for the Colorado Arabian Horse Club's Region VIII team. Led by fifth-year coaches Kendra McConnell and Rachel LeClere, the club has won 19 of the last 20 national championships and did so again this November. In her first year competing at nationals, Niwot High School junior Lily Thomas earned the Reserve High Individual Overall. McConnell said that Thomas's...
Emotions were running high at Erie's Tiger Stadium on Friday, Nov. 20. In a season finale battle of winless teams, Niwot senior quarterback Ayden Bartko led a game-winning fourth-quarter drive to defeat the Thornton Trojans, 26-20. Head coach Nik Blume came away with his first win leading the green and white. He credited his resilient senior class for sticking together despite a challenging season. "I couldn't be more proud," Blume said. "Our seniors carried us tonight. (Wide...
Much to my surprise, I tested positive for COVID-19 in October. We all know of the highly contagious nature of the virus and unfortunately, I must have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yes, I am a 20-year-old college student attending CU Boulder, but I live with my parents in Longmont and limited myself to a small group of friends. Colorado’s cases are skyrocketing and unless you build a hut in Antarctica, odds are you’ll be exposed eventually. Despite this belief, it was still a shock when my turn came. Sometimes life doesn’t go your...
A late fourth quarter score silenced Niwot football's comeback effort against the Cheyenne Mountain Indians Friday night at Erie High School. Despite missing several key players to injuries, Niwot lost to Cheyenne Mountain by just one score, 27-20. Head Coach Nik Blume's squad is still in search of its first win through six games. Just days before the game, Niwot's originally scheduled opponent, the Mitchell Marauders, were forced to quarantine under COVID-19 safety protocols. Instead of facing...
After spending two years as head coach of Niwot’s junior varsity baseball team and two years as NHS varsity pitching coach, Colin York’s Niwot reign came to a close in October as he accepted the head baseball coaching position at Frederick High School. “I am incredibly excited for him,” said Niwot head coach Adam Strah. “I think he's going to do a great job. I think he's ready.” York’s ability to be a rock for Niwot was one of his best attributes according to Strah. A constant and calm presence isn’t a bad trait to have in this chaotic year. ...
For anybody who has followed Niwot football over the past few years, the name Ayden Bartko should ring a bell. Niwot's senior quarterback has just three games remaining in his high school career and his departure will leave a gaping hole for the Cougars. Between the lines, Bartko has racked up 2,865 passing yards in 32 career games dating back to his 2017 freshman year. At 6-foot-5 and 205 lbs, Bartko towers over his teammates and uses his height to comfortably read the field. Although it...
It will take at least another week for the Niwot Cougars (0-4) to secure their first win of the season after falling to the Lewis-Palmer Rangers, 44-16 Thursday night at host Erie High School. Navigating a "thin" roster, first-year Head coach Nik Blume was impressed with how his players continued to compete. Over half of Niwot's roster is composed of freshmen who have been tasked with learning on the run. "We knew it was a project coming in and you're seeing that for us right now every night...
Niwot High School athletic director Joe Brown has found his man in Kyle Bachrodt to take the reins for the Niwot swim team. “I really couldn't be more excited,” Bachrodt said. “Niwot is a very well-known program in all of their athletics (and) all of their academics. I've had a few meetings with the other head coaches in all of the sports and with our AD, and I couldn't be more proud to be working alongside with all of those folks.” Bachrodt, who grew up in Evergreen, attended the University of Colorado Boulder and helped win a national champio...
