All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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The Niwot girls soccer team faced its first test of the 2021 season when they traveled to Northridge for a match against the undefeated Grizzlies, one of the Cougars' opponents in the new Class 4A Longs Peak League. Unfortunately, the Niwot girls couldn't keep up with Northridge's attack, and went home on the wrong side of the 3-1 final score for the first time all season. Afterwards, Niwot head coach Jenna Machado said her young team has a lot more to learn about winning. "It's really hard...
The Niwot girls golf team learned some painful lessons about their short games at the Longs Peak League event at Thornton's Todd Creek Golf Course on May 27. Bedeviled by lightning-fast greens and what were described as "challenging pin placements," the Cougars gave up some strokes where they normally don't, and that was reflected in their higher than average final scores. Unfortunately, it was also reflected in the mood of the players, who weren't much for chit-chat between shots. Luckily, it...
A combination of familiar favorites and new sounds will be making their way to the Whistle Stop Park gazebo this summer when Niwot’s popular weekly summer concert series Rock & Rails returns to the stage on Thursday, June 3. From blues-inspired rock, to Afro-style reggae, the 2021 lineup has a little bit of something for all music fans and even a few surprises along the way, according to longtime talent manager Satir DeMarco. “I wanted to create a combination of ‘comfort food’, to honor the fol...
Behind a high-scoring offense, the Niwot girls soccer team improved to 5-0 on the year with lopsided wins against three league opponents during the week of May 20. Twelve Cougars found the net at least once, led by seniors and co-captains Maddie Borncamp (4) and Kiera Flanagan (6), who combined for 10 of Niwot's 24 goals during the stretch. But along the way, Niwot's newly configured defense faced its first rough patch, and the team's youthful skew was evident at times. For second-year coach...
It was another record-setting weekend for the Niwot girls track team, as they competed in back-to-back meets at Roosevelt and Longmont on May 21 and 22. Along the way, the Cougars posted a slew of personal bests, three top Class 4A marks, and one of the fastest 800-meter times in state history. Now heading into the second half of the 2021 season, longtime Niwot track coach Maurice Henriques has just one goal for his team. "It's just to keep working hard and stay healthy," he said following the...
Anna Enssle is a freshman at Niwot High, but has taken on some challenges that are normally confronted by older students. In an email, Niwot choir Director Laura Walters said that Enssle is an "amazing leader," and has made choir "an incredible place this year." "Anna Enssle is a freshman in Sedalia, one of our auditioned choirs...She is very confident learning and singing her music, has an amazingly positive attitude, and goes above and beyond wherever we need her in class. She has a lovely...
With 10 goals and 2 assists in five games, speedy senior Kiera Flanagan has led the Niwot girls soccer team to a 5-0 start to the 2021 season, and a 36-4 scoring advantage over its opponents. In three of her starts, the fourth-year varsity forward and captain has scored multiple goals, including four at Roosevelt on May 13. At mid-way through the short season, she is the leading scorer in the Longs Peak League, and sixth overall in Class 4A. For second-year head coach Jenna Machado, Flanagan is...
A slow start gave way to an avalanche of scoring, as the Niwot girls soccer team cruised to a 9-0 victory over Roosevelt on May 13. The Cougars were led by senior Kiera Flanagan and her four goals, but several newcomers also contributed to the lopsided win, which second-year coach Jenna Machado took as a promising sign for the youthful team. "I was very happy with that," Machado said of the effort from the freshmen and sophomores in her team's second win of the season. "I'm very excited because...
Alex Williams joined the Niwot High theater tech crew as a freshman, hoping to learn more about stage lighting and design. Four years later, not only has "Goose" become a lighting "wizard," according to faculty stage manager Jason Watkins, but also an indispensable member of the crew who won't be easy to replace. "I have known Goose for three years, and it has been extremely wonderful to see him progress in that time," Watkins said in an email. "He is my right hand man this year. Being an...
When Joaquin Herrera enrolls at Adams State University in August, he will become the first student in his family to attend college, a goal that seemed out of reach when he entered high school. But late in his freshman year, the affable Herrera made a decision that seemed straightforward at the time, but would end up having life-changing ramifications. "I played soccer in the fall, and then during the spring, I went out for track just to get faster, and just to sprint," he said. As it turned...
Niwot's summer calendar will look more like its pre-pandemic norm, after the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee voted to provide funding for three familiar events at its monthly meeting on May 4. The board also elected new officers, and discussed its financial priorities for the rest of 2021. Officer Elections In the first order of business, the NLIDAC unanimously elected member Scott Firle as chair, replacing Laura Skaggs, who is leaving her seat on the committee in January...
For Niwot High band director Wade Hendricks, students like Jacob Pennington don't come around very often. Both a talented musician and gifted student, the junior is both a role model to his fellow bandmates and a delight to have in class. "[Jacob] has lent his abilities to our groups on both trumpet and piano, jumping in and doing whatever is asked of him," Hendricks said in an email. "He is a fantastic soloist and has a great ear, analyzing chords and harmonies before I can figure them...
The Niwot girls tennis team found itself on both sides of a 4-3 final score during the opening week of the 2021 season, which was not entirely unexpected by longtime coach Aimee Keronen. A short preseason and an infusion of newcomers to the Cougars' 2021 lineup made a shaky debut performance almost inevitable, she said. "We have a lot of freshmen this year, which is good," she said. "We're hoping we can get them in the right direction. It's a short season so it's tough, but we're going to do the...
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...
Junior Nguyen Pham is a talented student in Niwot High's IB art program who prefers to let her artistry do the talking. She is currently enrolled in a 3-D design course at the school, where she has worked with everything from metal and plaster, to wood and clay. Last month, one of her sculptures was featured in St. Vrain Unframed student art show, a virtual showcase of the most interesting student artwork from schools around the district. Pham's submission resulted from an assignment to create...
Niwot fans were in high spirits as the players took the court at the Class 4A Region 7 volleyball tournament on May 1, eager to see the number-10 seed Cougars battle their way back to the state championships. But levity turned to concern as Niwot's first match against No. 18 seed Erie progressed, and momentum never seemed to stay with the Cougars long before an error or foul call would intervene. That made it impossible for the offense to find its rhythm, and Erie took advantage of a team on...
Senior forward Ismael Dominguez didn't earn the nickname "Big Game Ish" by accident. His penchant for being in the right place at the right time has turned the tide for Niwot more than once, most recently in the final minute of the Class 4A state soccer quarterfinals against Regis Groff on April 24. With the seconds ticking away and the score tied 1-1, Dominguez remembered some timeless advice from his father, turning what came next into an "amazing experience" for the third-year varsity attacke...
Niwot freshman Juliette Molina has been appearing on stage since age seven, but when the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled live performances in 2020, the accomplished singer and actor decided to broaden her creative horizons. Over the past several months, she has been writing, directing, and starring in a one-woman film called "Passion Project," about a student who is struggling to choose a path in life. "My character is in high school, and all of her friends know what they want to do for college,...
On April 24, the fast-paced 2021 gymnastics season wrapped up at the Class 4A state championships with a familiar name on top of the all-around standings. With top-five scores in each rotation, Niwot gymnast Mia Curry successfully defended her state all-around title, and led her team to third place overall in the process. Afterwards, Cougar head coach Marisa Purcell called the junior's performance "phenomenal," especially after such a challenging year. "She did a great job," Purcell said. "She...
Ever since joining the varsity squad as a freshman, Keegan Stobbe has energized Niwot soccer's attack with his speed and intensity, not to mention his scoring average of nearly two points per game. But midway through the 2021 season, the senior took his talents to Niwot's back line and put his energy into preventing scoring chances rather than creating them. So far, it's been a winning trade-off for both Stobbe and the Cougars, who are a serious contender for this year's Class 4A state soccer...
Teyha Laughlin has excelled in Niwot High's visual arts classes, but was hoping to expand her creative horizons during her senior year. So under the mentorship of art teacher Beth Collier, she has pursued an independent study that has taken her art in exciting new directions. "Teyha is a senior now, and she has been in one or another of my art classes every year since she was a freshman," Collier wrote about the talented portrait artist. "She is creative, funny, and such a hardworking student. I...
It's been nearly two years since the Niwot girls golf team played its last round, but head coach Ed Weaver isn't mourning the lost 2020 season. With two proven veterans and some promising new prospects in 2021, he's focused on picking up right where the Cougars left off-with a Class 4A state title in their sights. "What I'm trying to do is just business as usual," he said about how his team weathered the long layoff. "Not looking backwards and just looking to today and forward and trying to...
With a score of 169.375, the Niwot gymnastics team claimed first place at the Class 4A Region 3 meet, held April 15 at Overland High School in Aurora. The Cougars were led on the day by Mia Curry, who scored 35.800 to place first in the individual all-around standings. The junior, whose home school is Silver Creek, posted top scores in floor (9.3) and bars (8.925), and took second overall in vault (8.75) and beam (8.825). Joining her as all-around competitors for the Cougars were veterans Ava...
A brand new event is coming to town this summer, and organizers from the Niwot Business Association are as busy as its namesake putting it all together. On April 6, they crossed off an important item on their to-do list after the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee voted to approve funding for the Honey Bee Harvest Festival, a full-day celebration of pollinators and their important role in our community. "There's really lots of elements to it," NBA Vice President Deborah Read...
The Niwot volleyball team seemed well on the way to victory over defending league champions Thompson Valley after an energetic first set win, powered by almost error-free blocking from the Cougars' "Great Wall" of Morgan Daughtery, and Mackenzie and Grace Demmel. But the momentum started to take a turn mid-way through the second set, when Niwot's errors started outpacing their points, and a talented Eagles' squad was able to take advantage. The Cougars went on to drop that set, plus the next...
There wasn't much drama in Niwot soccer's 6-0 rout of Roosevelt on April 5, but at least one play will always be memorable to Carter Kruse, a longtime varsity defender who suddenly found himself with an unprecedented chance. "There was not much of a lead up to it," the senior said of the play that resulted in his first-ever high school goal. "Orlando [Lopez] was fouled inside the edge of the box...and then Coach Dimit called me forward to take [the penalty kick]. While it was fun to score, I...
Niwot sophomore Morgan Lane was a curious kindergartener the first time she heard someone play the violin. "We had show-and-tell, and one of my friends brought their violin and played "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" for the class," she recalled. "And I thought it was the coolest thing. So I went home and begged my parents to let me play." That was nearly a decade ago, and Lane has been working her way toward virtuoso status ever since. Today, she is a member of two orchestral groups at Niwot...
The past 12 months have been especially challenging for independent musicians, and many are still struggling to make ends meet as pandemic restrictions on large gatherings linger. To help those in need, local singer/songwriter Taylor Shae and aid organization Rocky Mountain Music Relief are partnering for a benefit concert at The Wheel House (101 2nd Avenue in Niwot) on Saturday, April 10. "It has been a really tough time," Shae, a 2018 graduate of Silver Creek High School, said. "But when I...
Paperwork delays at the Boulder County Community Planning and Permitting Department are holding up construction of a small parking facility west of downtown Niwot, but Chuck Klueber of the Niwot Business Association is hopeful that work will resume soon. "The county is asking for additional information with regard to the grading permit, electrical permit, and they want to see details of the lighting plan," Klueber, head of the NBA's streetscapes committee, said. "So that has been a hang-up. We...
By Jocelyn Rowley When it comes to art, Noah Randall doesn't limit himself to one mode of expression. "I really like exploring almost any way that I can express myself," the Niwot senior said. "I mainly do it through music, but I've found other outlets like drawing and painting. Even jewelry and poetry, just anything I can get my hands on that I can express myself through, I at least give it a try." The senior is currently enrolled in Niwot's advanced drawing and painting class, but outside the...
The wins just keep coming for Daisha Agho and the Niwot volleyball team. During the first week of April, the Cougars dispatched three more opponents in the new Longs Peak League, improving to 7-0 on the season, and moving up to third overall in the Class 4A state rankings. One of those opponents was Frederick, an up-and-coming team that is also making its way up the rankings, and that managed to win a set against Niwot for the first time all season. "I'm actually not upset about that loss,"...
The Easter Bunny won't be hiding eggs in Niwot this year, but that won't stop Pat Murphy from filling baskets and bellies at a free pancake breakfast at Niwot Real Estate (7915 Niwot Rd.) on Saturday, April 3, from 8 - 11 a.m. "I couldn't go by another year without doing anything," Murphy said. "All of my volunteers are helping. My tried and true flippers Chris Klatt and the gang will be flipping." Murphy has been hosting the town's annual Easter egg hunt for more than 40 years, and was crushed...
The Niwot High School Education Foundation is gearing up for its annual online auction, and thanks to robust support from sponsors, it should be an exciting one for potential bidders, according to the group's president Mako Shimoda. "This year, everybody's been so generous, knowing that we've been unable to do our normal fundraising," she said, noting that there are donations from businesses in Niwot, Longmont, and Boulder. "So we have a fair amount of items-lots of various restaurant gift...
Niwot gymnastics picked up its second win of the jam-packed 2021 season with a 169-157 victory over conference foe Loveland on March 27. Led by defending Class 4A all-around champion Mia Curry, Niwot gymnasts posted the top two scores in floor, bars, and beam and clinched two of the three top spots in the all-around standings. Afterwards, head coach Marisa Purcell said that the "little things" are coming together for the Cougars, but overcoming the long layoff continues to be a challenge....
As a varsity defender for Niwot soccer, Connor Grant is usually more concerned with keeping the ball out of the net than putting it in at the other end. But so far in 2021, the senior has been doing both, first in a 10-0 rout of Berthoud on March 23, when he scored a pair of goals, and then against Riverdale Ridge on March 25, when he had a goal and an assist. That brings his season scoring total to seven points, and puts him among the team's offensive leaders, a position Grant admits is "a bit...
Mild spring weather, friendly faces, and Irish themed-fun made for a perfectly charming afternoon at Lucky Niwot Day on Saturday, March 20. "I was so glad we changed the day," organizer Deborah Read Fowler said of the first-time celebration, which was postponed from March 13 due to the snow storm. "The weather was perfect and it was wonderful to see so many people having socially distanced fun." The town's salute to St. Patrick's day featured festivities for the whole family, and then some....
Fourth-year Niwot volleyball coach Daisha Agho isn't easily impressed, but the Cougars' dominating performance against rival Silver Creek in the 2020-21 home opener had her at a literal loss for words. With solid contributions from both returning veterans and some new faces, Niwot easily handled the Raptors in three straight sets, and managed to exceed Agho's already high expectations. "I came into the final huddle and I had no idea what to say to them," she said after Niwot's 25-15, 25-19,...
Niwot head gymnastics coach Marisa Purcell was candid about how the 16-month layoff between the high school seasons had impacted the skills of her gymnasts. With gyms and recreation centers closed during lockdown periods, team members had difficulty getting training time on a consistent basis, and that could set back many of the gains she saw from her youthful team during the successful 2019 season. "We just haven't had a lot of places to go," she said. "That's been the hardest part, not...
Niwot's long-delayed 2021 volleyball season is off to an undefeated start, and senior Natasha Terekhova is one of the main reasons why. Now in her fourth year with the varsity, the athletic outside hitter is a major contributor on both offense and defense as well as a natural team leader. Though her final season isn't going quite the way she once envisioned, Terekhova is thrilled to be back on the court with her Cougar teammates playing the game she has loved since fourth grade. "There's so...
On March 13, many of us went to bed feeling a little sheepish about buying into the hype of winter storm Xylia, which local forecasters had teased all week with predictions of improbable snow totals and comparisons to the memorable blizzard of March 2003. Store shelves had been cleared, events were rescheduled, and we looked forward to engaging in treasured snow-day traditions. But after a few false starts on Saturday afternoon, it appeared that Xylia was destined to be a bust. By all...
Niwot senior Autumn Baldwin is a talented trumpet player in the school's advanced jazz and symphonic bands, and also a member of the chamber singers choir group. Lately, she has also turned her talents to composing and songwriting, and has contributed to "several performance pieces," according to Niwot music director Wade Hendricks. "The once-shy underclassman has become a terrific senior leader and role model for younger students in the NHS band program," he said. "She is not shy about grabbing...
The Niwot swim and dive team didn't claim the top prize at the 2021 Class 4A championships on March 12, but neither did they come home empty-handed. Four Cougars turned in medal winning individual performances on the day, and junior Mary Codevilla even made history with a record-setting time in the 500-yard freestyle. Unfortunately, that wasn't quite enough to overcome Heritage and Mullen in the team standings, and Niwot ended falling just short of its ultimate goal. Afterwards, first-year...
New events headed to Niwot this spring and summer, as the Local Improvement District advisory committee approved a full slate of funding requests at its monthly meeting on March 2. The LID members also welcomed a new face to the monthly Zoom call, as Heidi Storz officially began her five-year term as a residential representative. Treasurer's Report The LID's December 2020 revenue report has been released by the state of Colorado, and it raises a couple of "interesting" points, treasurer Bruce Ra...
If first-year head swim coach Kyle Bachrodt had any doubts about his team's status as a contender for the Class 4A state swim and dive title, then its performance at the 2021 Longs Peak League conference championships put them to rest. After winning eight of the meet's 12 events and setting at least two state-best times along the way, the Cougar swimmers are peaking at exactly the right time, Bachrodt said, and he is looking forward to seeing them in the pool on March 12 with the best in...
The Niwot boys didn't end up on the winning end of the score in their 2021 season finale, but even that wasn't enough to dampen Michael "Misha" Barrett's spirits before, during, and after the game. A longtime Cougar basketball fan, the three-point specialist has dreamed about suiting up for the Niwot varsity since middle school, and on March 5, he finally got the chance to do just that in front of a supportive home crowd. "I will remember this moment for the rest of my life," the senior said...
The challenging 2021 season finally got the best of coach Bobby Matthews and the Niwot wrestling team at the Class 4A Region 3 qualifying tournament at Loveland High on March 5-6. Despite a season-best effort from most of his wrestlers, no Cougars advanced far enough in their respective brackets to capture a berth to the upcoming state championships. But there were also a number of positives during the weekend, and Matthews is already looking forward to seeing all but one of the youthful squad...
Reeves Moor has been passionate about basketball since the age of eight, but, for complicated reasons, he decided to take up tennis instead after moving from Chicago to Niwot before his sophomore year. That paid off in a state championship during his senior season, but Moor still missed his time on the hardwood. So in January, he dusted off his sneakers and joined up as a "rookie" senior for Niwot basketball. "I came back this year because of COVID, and it was a new chance," he said. "I grew up...
Boulder County's newest commissioners Claire Levy and Marta Loachamin got a crash course in the history of the Niwot Local Improvement District when the BOCC met with members of the LID advisory committee on Feb. 25. They also got an earful about some missteps by their predecessors, as well as some still-lingering conflicts that arose from the NRCD building moratorium from two years ago. But the meeting ended with an optimistic tone, and an agreement from both boards to work more cooperatively...
The Niwot boys basketball team finally broke their season-long losing streak with a rousing 54-45 victory over league foe Berthoud on Feb. 22. But it was their decidedly unrousing 65-35 defeat two days later at the hands of the Frederick Warriors (8-3) that made the strongest impression on head coach Clayton Wittrock. "We played one quarter of basketball like we know we can play, and that wasn't enough," he said after the Cougars' tenth loss of the season, their fourth by 30 points or more....
The sport of lacrosse has exploded across Colorado schools and recreation leagues in recent years, and now it's coming to Boulder County. Starting Sunday, April 11, Niwot resident and former collegiate lacrosse player Neema Kassaii will be conducting a weekly youth lacrosse clinic at East Boulder Community Park (5660 Sioux Drive). "The clinic is geared towards beginners and intermediate level players, especially at the younger age groups, as we will be teaching/reinforcing the basics," he wrote...
