All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
Sorted by date Results 251 - 300 of 1623
The Niwot High School boys basketball team has strung together two tough weeks as their season continues to slide. Niwot fell roughly to both Severance High School and Riverdale Ridge High School. The Cougars started the week with a loss to the Riverdale Ridge Ravens, 66-48, to fall to 3-3 on the year before losing to the Severance Silver Knights, 59-36, dropping to 3-4 on the year. Niwot started slow against Riverdale Ridge, only scoring 12 points in the first half. The Ravens ran up the...
Even when not at full strength, the Niwot High School girls swim team is a formidable opponent. On Dec. 13, the NHS girls swimming team hosted the Roosevelt High School Roughriders at the St. Vrain Aquatic Center next to Silver Creek High School, and came away with a 197-88 victory. Coach Ella Thramann said, “This meet, we had very few of our girls there, but the ones that stood out the most were Charlotte Heuer, who made state [qualifying times] in 50 free (26.44) [and] 500 free (5:46.29), our A relay for 200 free relay, [which] was 2 s...
As one of only two seniors on this year's Niwot High School boys basketball team, Jackson Carano prides himself on being a leader. The third-year varsity forward has his own personal goals, but nothing compares to the value he puts on overall unity. "The biggest thing I've taken away is the importance of team building," Carano said. "As a team captain this year, that's one of the biggest things that I've wanted to focus on. I think we're doing it pretty well. It's building each other up as a...
The Niwot girls basketball team had a tough week, but if the team's last three quarters are any indication, things are looking up for the 2-3 Cougars. On Dec. 5, Niwot traveled to Roosevelt High School to take on the Roughriders, but came out on the short end of a 71-17 score. The Cougars had trouble generating any offense as sophomore Ella Zechman led the team in scoring with five points. Junior Evelyn Melis added four points and no other player had more than two points. Rose Pacheco, the...
In the world of high school sports, triumphs and setbacks are an inevitable part of the journey. The Niwot High School wrestling team faced challenges in the first three duals of the season, resulting in a 0-2 record to start the year. Breaking into the regular season, the Cougars dropped their dual against Timnath High School on Dec. 6 in a 48-30 loss. Despite the team's defeat, several athletes performed well. Sergio Rodriguez at 132 pounds pinned his opponent at 4:57, adding 6 points to...
Several young talents on the Niwot High School girls swim team are finding success early this season despite their inexperience. In the Cougars' 207-106 dual meet victory over Erie High School on Wednesday, Dec. 6, four underclassmen managed a first-place finish. Sophomore Emmy Hostelley won the 100-yard freestyle (1 minute, 4.65 seconds), freshman Camilla Wier-Bigelow's endurance proved best in the 500 freestyle (6:10.24), sophomore Lila Repsher led the 100 backstroke (1:11.11), and sophomore...
The Niwot High School boys basketball team started hot with a 3-0 start to the season before a tough second week. The Cougars took on Roosevelt High School and Silver Creek High School, falling in both games. Niwot started the week on Tuesday against the Roosevelt Roughriders, playing their first away game of the year. The Roughriders gave Niwot its first loss of the year, outscoring the Cougars 48-40. Walker Bounds, NHS boys basketball coach said, “I was encouraged by the team sticking together after a tough loss. They are a tight-knit g...
As expected, Colorado's girls dominated the 2023 Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) Saturday, Dec. 2, in Portland, Oregon, but no one was more dominant than Niwot's Addison Ritzenhein who now adds the title of National Champion to her growing list of credentials. Ritzenhein, just a sophomore, came into the 18th Nike national race expected to be one of the top five or six finishers in the race, but splashed through the mud and deep standing water on Portland's Glendoveer Golf Course to outpace in-state...
The 2023-24 winter sports seasons are officially underway, and the Niwot girls basketball team came out of the gate with a winning record. In their opening matchup, the Niwot girls demonstrated exceptional teamwork and skill, securing a victory over Regis Groff High School, 37-35, that set a positive tone for the opening weekend round-robin tournament, hosted by Niwot Nov. 30 through Dec. 2. A strong junior class showcased their talents, but it was the cohesive unit of the Niwot squad that shined throughout the showing. Junior Rose Pacheco led...
With a largely inexperienced roster, Niwot girls swim head coach Ella Thramann is taking things slowly early this season. Originally set to compete in an invite on Dec. 2, Thramann instead scheduled a dual meet against Skyline for Dec. 2, hoping to give her Cougars a lower-stress learning opportunity. "A lot of our girls don't understand a meet, and we have a lot of girls this year who don't know really anything about swimming," Thramann said. "We decided to do a low-key dual where the girls cou...
The Niwot High School boys basketball team under first-year head coach Walker Bounds is off to a fast start, posting wins in the season-opening round robin tournament hosted by the Cougars Nov. 30-Dec. 2. Niwot lost seven varsity players to graduation last year, when the team finished with a 5-17 record under Coach Clay Wittrock, who stepped down after four years as head coach. Niwot is also without Jack Jarvis and Drew Stapp, both among the statistical leaders for the Cougars last season as...
After losing several of last year's standouts to graduation, the Niwot High School girls swim team is leaning on a new, younger core early this season. At the heart of Niwot's youth movement is Emmy Hostelley, a sophomore who quickly caught the attention of head coach Ella Thramann last winter. Thramann shared that the versatile Hostelley swims year-round and continues to make strides. "She definitely came back this season and has impressed me the most so far," Niwot's second-year head coach...
The Niwot High School wrestling lineup enjoyed early-season success on Nov. 29 during matches with Wheat Ridge High School. The Cougars ended up walking away with a 60-18 victory. With seven forfeits on the board in Niwot’s favor, the six remaining matches left room for the Cougars to show strategy and control. The team collected pins at the 132, 165, and 190 weight classes, contributing 18 points to the overall sum. Wheat Ridge found their own success with pins in the 120, 126, and 138-pound weight classes. Over the weekend, the Cougars p...
At the November team banquet for the Niwot High School girls softball team, head coach Bobby Matthews reiterated what he had said earlier in the year: softball can be a rough sport, and the best players don't always come out on top. He was clearly proud of this year's team that went as far as any Niwot team has gone since 2014, posting an overall record of 18 wins, 8 losses and one tie. The softball team placed third in the Longs Peak League and was ranked 32nd in the state. However, their play...
With the help of her teammates, Sami Sessa quickly developed confidence in her first season as a starting libero for the Niwot High School girls volleyball team. "I definitely was nervous coming into the season because I was like, 'Now I'm a starter for the first time. I don't want to let the team down and let the program down since we've had such an amazing program the last couple of years,'" the senior said. "But I started to believe in myself. I really think that pushed me forward and I...
The top two high school cross country teams from each of the nine Nike regional qualifying meets in November secured automatic berths into this weekend's Nike Cross Nationals (NXN). That left just four at-large invitations available for high school boys teams from across the United States to compete in the national championships on Saturday, Dec. 2, in Portland, Oregon. When the Niwot boys cross country team finished fourth in its Southwest Regional meet on Nov. 18 in Arizona, it looked like a...
NIWOT GIRLS WIN REGIONALS, GOING TO NATIONALS When the top teams in the country gather in Portland, Oregon on Saturday, Dec. 2, for the Nike Cross Country National Championships, all eyes will be on the two girls teams representing the Southwest Region – Niwot High School and Air Academy High School. Colorado's 4A State Champion Cougars and 5A champion Kadets squared off Saturday, Nov. 18, for the first time this season at the four-state Nike regional qualifying meet at the Coyote Run Golf C...
Every day was "leg day" this fall for Niwot High School senior Paris Lee. After balancing both soccer and kicking/punting duties on the varsity football team over the past few months, Lee said he could barely walk when it was all over. "I was very sore," Lee said. "After my first three days of not having both (sports), I wasn't able to walk up the stairs." Although NHS certainly doesn't lack multi-sport athletes, very few manage to play two sports during the same season. Lee's weekday afternoons...
As the whistle blows and the 2023 season comes to a close, the Niwot High School volleyball team reflected on a successful and memorable season. The Cougars finished their season with an impressive 8-1 record in the Longs Peak League, and an overall record of 17-10, with 11 of those victories coming as sweeps. With a remarkable record, hardships the team faced were well hidden and attested to the quick adjustment the team was able to make to ensure a successful performance from the beginning of...
The Niwot High School cheerleading squad is headed to the state competition, tentatively set to begin Friday, Dec. 8, at the Denver Coliseum. Coach Christina Ayers's squad just finished the high school football season, and has already begun appearing in local and regional competitions. Squad members include Ashley Lavato, Audrey Perez, Ayushi Bhandari, Azariah Lucero, Cassidy Skole, Clara Rhea, Elizabeth Sullivan, Fernanda Laguna-Perez, Isaac Lopez, Juliette Cook, Juliette Sales, Kyla Helme, Lib...
Mia Prok has enjoyed quite an impressive past few weeks. First, the senior helped Niwot High School win its sixth straight Class 4A girls cross country state title on Oct. 28. Then, only 11 days later, she signed her national letter of intent to continue her running career at Wake Forest University. After committing to the Division I Demon Deacons in March of last year, Prok was thrilled to finally make things official. "It was cool to actually sign the papers and see it in writing," she said. R...
The Niwot High School volleyball team season finally came to an end, but not until the Cougars were eliminated at the state Class 4A tournament Nov. 10. The Cougars got to state by knocking off cross-town rival Longmont High School, a higher seed, on the Trojans’ home floor Nov. 4. At state, Niwot was seeded 11th out of the 12 teams that qualified, and found themselves paired up with No. 6 seed Palisade High School in the first round on Thursday, Nov. 9. Niwot started strong, winning a hard-fought first set 25-23. Palisade regrouped to win t...
Wednesday, Nov. 8, was a busy day at Niwot High School as ten student-athletes signed National Letters of Intent to continue their athletic careers at the next level. The athletes represent a cross-section of fall sports at Niwot, including soccer (2), volleyball (2), cross country & track (2), softball (1) and golf (1). In addition, two athletes signed to play lacrosse in college, a sport not offered at Niwot High. Ashton Karch, who played football at Niwot, will play lacrosse at Westminster...
BASEBALL Niwot was represented at the World Series by Patrick Perry, a 2001 NHS grad, who is an area scout for the Texas Rangers. Perry was able to meet up with Matt Mercurio, a former teammate from Perry's days in the Boston Red Sox organization at the World Series. Mercurio, who played first and third base for the Lowell Spinners in 2005, is now a scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Perry, was a catcher for Lowell in 2005 after being drafted out of the University of Northern Colorado. Skyler...
In the gymnastics world, just a fraction of a point can make the difference between ultimate success and shattered dreams. After the 4A state championships last weekend, the Niwot Cougars felt the disappointment of their sport's reality. As Niwot Coach Marisa Purcell predicted prior to Friday night's team competition at Thornton High School, the girls from Palmer Ridge High School would spring to their first state championship while just tenths of a point would separate the runners-up. After...
With its season on the line, the Niwot High School girls volleyball team won twice in a rival's gym to earn a spot in the upcoming Class 4A state tournament. The Cougars first cruised past Denver North High School (25-17, 25-13, 25-17) before beating host Longmont High School in four sets (25-21, 21-25, 25-20, 25-18) at the 4A Region 11 championships on Saturday, Nov. 4. Obviously, the stakes were higher than a typical match, but because Longmont was seeded three spots higher than 14th-ranked...
Head coach Tony Engel was overcome with emotion when asked about the importance of Anne Haley to his Niwot High School girls volleyball team. "Anne's a flat-out winner and she's been a winner since her freshman year when she walked into the gym," Engel said. "There's not many kids that do that, so she's special. I really appreciate everything that she brings." After missing about one month of the season with an ankle injury, Haley recently returned to Niwot's lineup, and the junior setter's...
The Niwot High School football season is officially over. Niwot played its final game Thursday, Nov. 2, against Denver North High School, which was also Niwot's Senior Night. The Cougars lost the game, 24-14, dropping to 3-7 on the year. Niwot struggled early against the Vikings as they went scoreless in the first three quarters before mounting a near comeback. The Cougar defense played a strong game throughout, giving Niwot a chance to wi Niwot started the game with the ball, but an errant...
The Niwot High School boys soccer team started their week with a Wednesday matchup against the Skyline High School Falcons to advance to the quarter finals. Niwot went into the game as the 11th seed against the sixth-seeded Falcons. Niwot was able to pull off a 4-2 upset victory over Skyline to advance to the Class 4A quarterfinals against third-ranked Battle Mountain High School, but the Cougars came up short in the Saturday, Nov. 4 game, which ended the Cougar's year in a 3-1 loss. The...
Outstanding depth and tremendous individual performances were the key all season for the Colorado Class 4A State Cross Country Champions from Niwot High School. Those efforts were recognized by this year's 4A Girls and Boys All-State Team selections. The Cougars' two sophomore standouts, Addison Ritzenhein and Rocco Culpepper, led the celebration with first team All-State honors. Ritzenhein, who also earned Runner of the Year honors, was joined by senior teammates, Olivia Alessandrini, Sarah...
For the sixth time in six years, the Niwot High School girls cross country team reigns supreme in Colorado. And, not to be outdone, after a disappointing two-year hiatus, the Cougar boys team reclaimed its state title at this past weekend's 4A Colorado State Cross Country Championships. Taking advantage of their outstanding individual leaders and incredible team depth, the Cougars wrapped up their near perfect season with two runaway victories on the Norris Penrose Event Center course in...
Mission accomplished. In a complete team effort, the Niwot High School girls gymnastics squad met this past week’s goal of winning their regional meet, which propels the Cougars into the 4A state championship meet Friday and Saturday, Nov. 3 and 4, at Thornton High School. The Cougars scored 176.15 points to edge out Roosevelt’s 173.30 points behind all-around champion Maeve Flentie and individual apparatus winners Heidi Herbert (bars), Kylee Schlepp (vault) and Lilly O’Neill (beam). Juniors Flentie and Claire Vardas combined with O’Nei...
The Niwot High School Cougars split four games at the Cheyenne Mountain tournament in Colorado Springs over the weekend. The tournament invites only go to the top 10 teams in Class 3A, the top 12 teams in 4A and the top six teams in 5A, based on criteria that extend over the last three seasons. After the tournament, Niwot accepted an invitation to return for the next two seasons. Each match was best-of-five-games, with team standings based on cumulative scores. The Cougars began Friday with a...
The Niwot High School football team has fallen for the fifth straight time in a competitive game, this time against the 8-1 Riverdale Ridge High School Ravens. Niwot lost 35-17 but played close until the fourth quarter. The Cougars are now 3-6 on the year with their final game of the season this Thursday, Nov. 2. Niwot started the game with the ball, pounding Riverdale Ridge with a run game that brought the Cougars to the 30-yard line where their drive eventually fizzled out after a failed...
The Niwot High School's soccer team is moving on in this year's 2023 playoffs, making it out of the first round with a win against the Pueblo Centennial High School Bulldogs. Niwot won the game 2-1, with a back-and-forth second half falling in Niwot's favor. Niwot is now in the top 16 teams for Class 4A, where they will take on a strong Skyline High School team. Niwot's game against Pueblo Centennial started slowly as neither team could find a way to put the ball into the goal. The Cougars held...
Another memorable season for the Niwot High unified bowling team is nearing its end. Comprised of NHS students with disabilities, the program's final regular season competition was held on Monday, Oct. 30, with regionals coming up next on Friday, Nov. 10. The program is led by coaches Amy Holle and Dawn Zwisler. Holle and Zwisler are also aided by "partners" - students without disabilities who volunteer their time helping the team. The relationships formed between the partners and the athletes...
Bo Gardner's first career postseason goal came at an opportune time for the Niwot High School boys soccer team. Stuck in a 1-1 deadlock with Pueblo Centennial late in the second half, Gardner received an assist from fellow senior Josh Ary and netted the game-winner in Niwot's Class 4A first-round state playoff game on Oct. 26. "It was definitely one of the top goals in my career," Gardner said. Gardner, who scored five goals in the regular season, gave all the credit to Ary for setting him up...
After battling COVID-19 earlier in the month, Niwot High School cross country senior Olivia Alessandrini was unsure how well she’d run at regionals on Oct. 19. Her stamina was still in recovery mode, and because the North Area Athletic Complex in Arvada is no easy course, she wasn’t exactly confident heading into the meet. Regardless, Alessandrini embraced the challenge and completed the 5,000-meter race with a personal best time (at altitude) of 17 minutes, 49 seconds. Alessandrini’s confi...
Niwot High School girls softball team ended a spectacular season with a heartbreaking first-round playoff loss to the D'Evelyn Jr./Sr. High Jaguars, who were seeded No. 3 in the state. Niwot entered the weekend seeded No. 14. "I am so proud of the work that the players put in this season," said head coach Bobby Matthews. "They left it all on the field and they should not hang their heads at all. This game is tough, and sometimes the best team doesn't always win." The Cougars scored first on a ho...
The Niwot High School girls gymnastics team has been looking for a lift to propel it into the 4A regional and state championship meets. The boost came this past week as the Cougars notched their highest team score of the season, a 178.1 tally, in the final Front Range League meet of the season at Mountain Range High School. "I think we're sitting really well. We obviously had a great League meet," Coach Marisa Purcell said. "But we started off a little rough on the beam. So, it definitely took...
The Niwot High School boy's soccer regular season has ended with Niwot winning their final game of the year, 9-0 against the Riverdale Ridge High School Ravens (2-13). Niwot is finishing the regular season with a 10-3-2 (7-2 league) record that ranks them as the third-best team in the Longs Peak League, securing a playoff spot for the upcoming state playoff tournament. Niwot dominated against Riverdale Ridge, putting up nine goals while getting a shutout. Noah Beltran led the team in points,...
Niwot High School football has fallen into a bit of a slump as they fell to the Mead High School Mavericks this past Thursday, Oct. 19, in another close game. Niwot stayed competitive with Mead but struggled to convert in the red zone, leading to the loss. Niwot is now 3-5 on the year, with two more games left on their schedule. The Cougars started the game on offense, but quickly fizzled out, punting after three plays. Mead returned the punt into Niwot's red zone where Niwot quickly forced a...
For six seniors, Tuesday's volleyball game was about something beyond the court. After spending hours in the high school gym for practices and games, the seniors celebrated all they have accomplished while being a part of Niwot volleyball. Though the season isn't yet completed and the Cougars are now starting postseason, the underclassmen carried forward the tradition of decorating the gym for the veteran players. The Niwot High gym was decked out in pink for the victory against Riverdale Ridge...
All the hard work . . . all the long hours . . . all the miles of traveling . . . all of it is behind the Niwot Cougars’ cross country teams. Now, there’s nothing left for the runners to do but lace up their shoes and run for their ultimate goal . . . a 4A state championship trophy. Seven boys and seven girls from Niwot will don the green and silver and represent one of the country’s (not county’s) elite programs Saturday as they attempt to cap a nearly perfect 2023 racing season at the 4A State Championship Meet at Norris Penrose Event Center...
The Niwot High volleyball team likely doesn't come back to beat Frederick without senior Julia Dadey. After dropping the match's first two sets, Niwot's back row, which included Dadey, was the spark that got the Cougars going en route to reverse-sweeping (20-25, 17-25, 25-15, 25-16, 15-8) the Golden Eagles on Oct. 10. "There were four or five (plays) that Julia Dadey got on her horse and ran from sideline to sideline picking up balls," Niiwot head coach Tony Engel said following the match....
The Niwot Cougars girls softball team is moving on to CHSAA state tournament play in Aurora as part of the Sweet 16. The Cougars prevailed in two of the three games at regionals this past weekend. Both winning games were against the Golden Demons, a team ranked second in the 4A Jeffco League and 23rd in Class 4A standings. That compares to Niwot's third-place Longs Peak League standings and 18th overall ranking statewide. It is the first time the team reached the CHSAA second week of play since...
While the Niwot High boys tennis team didn't bring home any hardware, two of its lines did come close at the Class 4A boys tennis individual tournament. No. 3 singles player Charlie Kirtland, a sophomore, and the Cougars' No. 1 doubles team of senior Kyle Davidson and junior Sebastian Moy both reached the semifinals on Oct. 13. before bowing out. Following their losses, each line won in the playback tournament semifinals but fell in the third-place match. Three of Niwot's other five lines also...
The Niwot High School soccer season is ending dominantly as the Cougars have just one game left on their schedule. Niwot won both games last week, beating the Frederick Golden Eagles Tuesday, Oct. 10, 1-0, and the Fort Morgan Mustangs 3-0 on Thursday, Oct. 12. Niwot's goaltenders combined for a shutout week allowing zero goals while the offense put up numbers. Niwot's game against Frederick High School was close until Niwot closed the game out in the second half, with Miles Verbeck scoring the...
With the varsity teams making their final preparations for the state cross country championship season, the spotlight shone on Niwot High School's junior varsity runners on Wednesday, Oct. 11, at the Hawk JV Championships. Once again, the girls' and boys' teams showed there are plenty of reasons to expect other runners from Colorado to be chasing the Cougars for years to come. Led by three freshmen, the Class 4A Niwot girls took the first three places over the Adams County Regional Park course...
