All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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As predicted, the nationally-ranked Niwot girls cross country team ran away with the title after a historically dominating performance at the 2021 Class 4A state championships, held Oct. 30 at the Norris Penrose Events Center in Colorado Springs. All seven of Niwot's competitors finished in the top 16, and five of them finished in the top 10. That added up to just 20 points in the final standings, a record low across all classifications. But almost no one predicted that unheralded Eva Klingbeil...
Niwot's Zane Bergen put an exclamation point on the end of his high school cross country career with another title-winning performance at the Class 4A state championships. All alone when he crossed the finish line at the Norris Penrose Events Center in Colorado Springs, the Stanford-bound Bergen posted a time of 15 minutes, 17.70 seconds, breaking the Class 4A meet record he set in 2020 (15:29). It was the second straight individual cross country championship for Bergen, and extends Niwot's...
If you weren't in your seat when the horn sounded to start Niwot's game against Regis-Groff (9-7) in the first round of the Class 4A soccer playoffs, then you probably missed all of the scoring. Just seconds into the Oct. 28th game, senior forward Azael Marrufo took a kick-off pass from Mason Wright and sent it past the Fusion's keeper, giving the 19th-seeded Cougars a 1-0 lead before many spectators realized what was happening. "It was amazing," Maruffo said of the game-winning goal, his...
Behind a much-improved performance on the uneven bars, the resurgent Niwot gymnastics team turned in its top score of the season to claim first place at the Class 4A Region 2 championships, held Oct. 29 at Mountain Range High School. Now the Cougars are heading into the state championships on Nov. 5 with a renewed sense of optimism, according to head coach Marisa Purcell. "We worked really hard on bars, and really tried to get the routines into place," she said afterwards. "You can see the...
During four seasons as a varsity winger for Niwot, Azael Marrufo has been the Cougars' most productive attacker, with 34 goals in 34 games, the most recent a game-winner against Regis Groff in the first round of the 2021 Class 4A soccer playoffs. But that isn't the most memorable moment of Niwot soccer for the talented senior. That moment came during the 2020 postseason, and it isn't a wholly pleasant one. "Making it to the semi-finals was wonderful, because my brother made it to the...
The 2021 season won't be remembered as the best in Niwot football history, but on Oct. 22 the Cougars made it the most successful in more than a decade. Behind a balanced performance in all three phases of the game, Niwot put down Mountain View 28-20 to deliver its fourth win of the season, the most since 2008. For Cougar second-year head coach Nik Blume, finally breaking the three-win curse is both a relief and another sign that the program is finally turning around. "[Niwot athletic director]...
When Niwot and Skyline get together in boys soccer, a close game typically follows. That proved true once again on Oct. 22 when the two teams settled on a 1-1 draw. Niwot will now enter the 4A state playoffs as the No. 19 seed and will face No. 14 Regis Groff in Denver on Thursday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. It will mark the third consecutive season these schools have met in the playoffs-the Cougars beat the Fusion 2-1 in last season's quarterfinals matchup in April. Regis Groff finished 9-6 this year an...
Not much is perfect in life, but at least two things at the 2021 Class 4A Region 3 cross country championships on Oct. 22 were: the mild autumn weather, and the Niwot girls' final score in the team standings. Paced by sophomore Mia Prok with a time of 17 minutes 29 seconds, the Cougars took the first seven spots on the leaderboard, earning just 15 points, the lowest total possible. "I think we were all just excited to run here and have as many in the top as we could," Prok said following the...
The results weren't quite as perfect for Niwot in the boys' race, but with six runners in the top 10, it was a title-winning performance nonetheless. Behind defending Class 4A champion Zane Bergen in first place, the Cougars scored just 22 points, more than 30 ahead of second place Centaurus (56), and 64 ahead of third-place Denver South (84). With the win, Niwot captured the Class 4A Region 3 crown for the third year ini a row, and will now move on to try for a third consecutive state title....
In September 2020, Niwot distance runner Eva Klingbeil was on the cusp of a breakout season when she suffered an injury that ended her racing year prematurely. For the first time since joining the varsity as a freshman, she would be on the sidelines for the Class 4A regional and state championships, instead of helping Niwot win the titles. That was "really hard," Klingbeil acknowledged, so she was determined not to let history repeat itself during her senior season. "I definitely have gotten a...
Though it was the perfect fall day for outdoor sports, the outcome of a pair of games for Niwot High School's Varsity softball team was less enjoyable. The team, which had played increasingly well in the second half of their season, dropped a pair of games in regional play at Diamond Valley Community Park in Windsor. Despite the common outcome, each game couldn't have been played more differently. "I think it was a tale of two games," said Head Coach Bobby Matthews after play had finished. "In...
Niwot Cougars head coach Nikolas Blume didn't mince his words after the team's 34-0 loss on the road at Thompson Valley (2-4) on Oct. 14. "I'm not sure if we ever got off the bus," he said. "We were bad, 100 percent. We were just bad." It's an assessment that's hard to refute, though there were mitigating factors, notably the absence of junior quarterback Ben Classen, a difference maker on both sides of the ball. In five games for Niwot this season, he has amassed 582 yards, which is good for 10...
Former Lyons head coach Kenneth Rosales is the new leader atop Niwot baseball. Rosales brings his unique coaching journey to Niwot in hopes of restoring the program's previous glory. NHS athletic director Joe Brown announced the hiring in late September after four-year head coach Adam Strah resigned in June. During his eight seasons leading Lyons, Rosales brought the Lions to four state tournament appearances. He was also an assistant coach there for four seasons prior to taking over the...
Behind a title-winning performance from LiChen Liao at No. 2 singles, the Niwot boys tennis team finished third overall at the 2021 Class 4A state tennis championships, held at Pueblo's City Park on Oct. 14-16. Liao efficiently dispatched his three early round opponents in straight sets, before facing Owen Duffy of George Washington in the Saturday morning final. There, the sophomore said, he let Duffy do most of the work. "The way my opponent played today fit my game more, because he was...
With his varsity tennis season now behind him, Niwot senior Raaghav Agarwal is turning his attention to another type of head-to-head match. This year, he is taking on a key technical role for the Up-A-Creek Robotics' Team 1619, one of the top high school robotics teams in Colorado. Though competition season is still a few months away, Agarwal is excited about the youthful squad, and looking forward to getting back into the arena. "This year, we're going back to in-person challenges, which is...
The Niwot boys tennis team punched its ticket to the Class 4A state championships with a rousing team win at the 2021 Region 5 tournament, held at the home courts on Oct. 6-7. Led by junior Luke Weber at No. 1 singles, five of the Cougars' seven lines claimed individual titles, which was good for 87 points and first place in the team standings, as well as five top seeds at the upcoming state tournament at Pueblo's City Park, Oct. 14-16. Afterwards, Weber said that he is excited to battle for a...
It's cliche to say that a team played better than the final score indicated, but for second-year head coach Nik Blume, it's also a pretty fair characterization of Niwot's 52-27 loss to fourth-ranked Fort Morgan on Oct. 7. "You have to take your little victories, and that's a win for us, despite what the scoreboard looks like," he said afterwards. "I hate losing so much, but tonight I found a way to look at the boys and realized we never went away. That was a big positive for us-never folding and...
Niwot varsity and junior varsity softball players honored seniors Hannah Bassett, Ava McComas and Jasmine Aldama for senior night on Oct. 5. Earlier, head coach Bobby Matthews and his players learned that Niwot has qualified for the Class 4A postseason, and will travel to Windsor to play in a regional tournament against Conifer and George Washington on Oct. 16. The top two teams will advance to the Class 4A championships. The team is pictured here with head coach Bobby Matthews (right) and...
Losing a star player never helps a team, but the absence of standout middle hitter Zoe Gibbs didn't seem to hurt the Niwot volleyball team in its home match against Mountain View (4-13, 1-10) on Oct. 8. With both veterans and newcomers taking up the slack, the Cougars swept the Lions in three easy sets (25-14, 25-11, 25-11) for their eighth straight victory and sole possession of first place in the Longs Peak League. "The rest of this team is talented enough and willing to take on the...
The third time was a charm for senior Niwot golfer Christopher Gunlikson at the 2021 class 4A golf championships, held Oct. 4-5 at City Park golf course in Denver. Behind a sharp short game and smart shot-selection, the senior carded a two-round score of 143 to capture sixth place overall, his first top-10 finish after two disappointing state appearances as a sophomore and junior. "I'm happy I had a big comeback, because last round was not the finish I wanted at all," Gunlikson said after...
Junior quarterback Ben Classen was definitely the star of Niwot's 42-13 win over Skyview, but it was senior Bryce Nemec who had the most memorable moment of the game. With Niwot leading 35-6 in the 4th quarter, the hard hitting lineman heard a play call he was not expecting. "We practice once or twice a week that if we get close [to the goal line], then I would run it in," he said of his 2-yard rush for a touchdown, the first of his career. "I almost bobbled it, actually. I got a little nervous,...
Through Oct. 3, Jasmine Aldama has put on the Niwot softball uniform a whopping 83 times in her career. The versatile senior cleanup hitter has been a valuable asset for head coach Bobby Matthews. Aldama has primarily started at third base, but has also been an option in the circle during her career. Additionally, Aldama has recently played innings in center field, a position she was familiar with on her club team. It's with a bat in her hands, however, that Aldama truly shines. Matthews said...
The Niwot boys golf team is heading back to the Class 4A championships, after a rock steady round at the Region 3 qualifying tournament on Sept. 21. Behind clutch putting from Christopher Gunlikson and some well-timed consistency from his teammates, the Cougars finished second overall out of a 16-team field, and secured an elusive team bid to the state tournament for the first time since 2017. For seventh-year head coach Ed Weaver, the Cougars' proficient performance was gratifying on several...
During his first three seasons as a Niwot varsity golfer, talented left-hander Christopher Gunlikson was one of the league's strongest performers during the regular season, but struggled with consistency when it came to high pressure and postseason tournaments. He wanted his fourth and final season as a Cougar to be different, so he spent last off-season getting "tournament tough" at local and statewide junior golf events, while making a few adjustments to his game here and there. The ultimate...
Senior Jacob Elston scored twice, while three of his teammates also found the back of the net as the Niwot boys soccer team posted a 5-0 victory over Mountain View at home on Sept. 23. It was the fourth straight win for the Cougars, who improved to 6-2 on the year, and remain undefeated in Longs Peak League play. "It's really good to start to see a variety of guys show up," sixth-year head coach Stephen Dimit said. "We're still a team working on things, and we're working the patterns...
On Sept. 24, Niwot cross country added another data point to the growing body of evidence that its teams are among the best in the country. With a colorful Arizona sunset as a backdrop, both the Niwot boys and girls took first overall in the Sweepstakes races at the Desert Twilight XC Festival, a prestigious regional competition featuring nationally ranked teams from five western states. As he has for the past two years, Zane Bergen led the way for the Niwot boys, finishing first in the 232-runn...
The Niwot offense got off to another slow start in its Sept. 17 matchup against league foe Riverdale Ridge, scoring just six points in three quarters, despite success moving the ball on the ground. But for the fourth quarter, junior quarterback Ben Classen had some late-game heroics up his sleeve, and four touchdowns later, the raucous homecoming crowd was rewarded with a 34-20 victory. "If you sit in the stands, you can see why Ben Classen has such a huge impact when he's playing both sides,"...
Niwot cross country coach Kelly Christensen wasn't surprised when nationally-ranked runner Zane Bergen crossed the finish line first at the St. Vrain Invitational on Sept. 18, but he was surprised to see so many Cougars on the senior's heels. "We had some congestion and sniffles early in the week with two or three of them," Christensen said, quickly adding that everyone had tested negative for COVID. "So they didn't really get a chance to do much this week, other than a few horrible runs, so I...
Niwot senior Isaac Robinson describes himself as "a little bit of a perfectionist" when it comes to academics, a tendency that has paid off with a top GPA and a selection as a 2021 National Merit semi-finalist. Now the senior is taking those perfectionist tendencies to the cross country course for Niwot, where they have been paying off with top finishes in challenging varsity races. He said that's a result of increased training and focusing on "the little things," that actually have a big...
Niwot High graduate ('14) and 2020 Olympian Elise Cranny is returning to her alma mater. On Friday, Sept. 17, the decorated distance runner will be riding in Niwot High's motorized homecoming parade, which departs the school parking lot at 3:15 p.m. Later that night, Cranny is also scheduled to make an appearance during halftime of Niwot's football game at Everly-Montgomery Field. Cranny is a two-time state cross country champion, and won multiple state titles in track & field for Niwot. In...
Whether she's gliding down the snowy slopes of Winter Park or mastering the balance beams, Olivia Sroka does so with ease. The multi-talented athlete has reached impressive heights in both skiing and gymnastics throughout her life. Sroka, who plans on graduating from Silver Creek High School in December, began skiing at just four years old. While skiing for Winter Park, she soon specialized in the freestyle mogul where she placed 24th in nationals last year for the junior North American (NorAm)...
Behind sophomore Anne Booth and her 10 RBIs, Niwot won three out of four games at the Berthoud Invitational softball tournament, held Sept. 10-11 in Loveland. With the wins, Niwot improved to 7-7 on the year, with nine games left in the 2021 season. The tournament got off to an inauspicious start for the Cougars on Friday, as they struggled to score runs against Windsor, despite amassing 10 hits, resulting in an 11-4 loss. Booth was responsible for two of those, and senior Ayva McComas also had...
Niwot gymnast Mia Curry admitted that winning a third straight Class 4A all-around title is in the "back of her mind," but there's another piece of hardware that she'd rather have at the end of her senior season: the 2021 team championship trophy. "Right now, my only goal is to help my team get the state win, because I think that would be the best way that I could finish my high school career," she said after Niwot's triangular meet against Fort Morgan and Lone Star on Sept. 8. "I just want to...
It was a night of big kills, big digs, and even bigger comebacks as #5 ranked Niwot took on #3 Thompson Valley in an edge-of-your-seat thriller that spanned five back-and-forth sets. Behind UNC-bound senior Zoey Gibbs, the Cougars overcame 5+-point deficits at least three times, including in the decisive fifth set to take the match. Afterwards, fifth-year head coach Daisha Agho was quick to credit an unsung part of the team for its role in the hard-fought win. "I can't even tell you how proud I...
Niwot's Sept. 11 matchup against Eagle Valley (2-0) got off to a thrilling start for the home fans, with a foiled onside kick attempt, a long run by quarterback Ben Classen, and finally, a 1-yard touchdown run by Thomas Carnagie, all within the first minute of play. But neither the thrill nor the lead would last, as Eagle Valley scored just three plays into their first possession to tie the game. The Demons then scored a touchdown on the possession after that, and the one after that, and then...
After coming into the week ranked fifth in Class 4A, the Niwot volleyball team proved itself worthy on Sept. 1 by cruising past Silver Creek in four sets (25-14, 25-22, 22-25, 25-13). Cougar head coach Daisha Agho said her team didn't care much for the ranking, it's the postseason that matters to them. With the likes of seniors Zoe Gibbs and Morgan Daugherty on the roster, those aspirations appear more than likely. Gibbs and Daugherty combined for 26 kills while junior Varshini Panuganti's...
Niwot's 26-20 win over Thornton in the final football game of the 2020 season wasn't just the team's sole victory of the year, it was also a breakout game for running back Thomas Carnagie, who ended the night with an impressive 227 yards rushing and his first career touchdown. In 2021, as a senior, Carnegie has picked up where he left off, and is now one of the Cougars' most potent offensive weapons. In two games for Niwot, he has 201 yards on 35 carries, and was a key factor in the season-openi...
Games are often won or lost in the red zone and that proved true in Niwot football's season opener at Greeley Central on Aug. 27. The Cougar defense didn't budge much all night to secure the team's first win, 21-14. With less than two minutes remaining in the game and Greeley Central down a touchdown, senior Craig Wright intercepted a Wildcat pass to put the game on ice. Wright's statement play was a fitting end to a defensive masterpiece. "Defense comes down to guts -- no guts no glory on the...
Before the 2021 volleyball season began, fifth-year head coach Daisha Agho wasn't sure if she was more excited about the veterans returning to the varsity lineup, or the impressive newcomers, who do more than just fill holes left after graduation. As it turned out, players from both groups came up big for the Cougars in a stirring season-opening victory over Class 4A runner-up Mead, and Agho is now even more excited for what's to come for the rest of 2021. "We were excited to get to see some...
Playing NCAA Division I college volleyball has long been a dream for Niwot senior Zoe Gibbs and, after three impressive seasons as a varsity middle for the Cougars, one clearly within her reach. Unfortunately for the versatile Gibbs, her optimum recruiting period coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic, making an already fraught process even more of a headache. But Gibbs didn't let the hassle derail her plans, and after months of patiently making highlight videos and sending out emails to coaches,...
The fall sports season has officially arrived with Niwot softball kicking off its slate of non-league games. After dropping its home opener to George Washington 8-6 on Aug. 18, Niwot split a two-game round-robin tournament at Lyons High on Aug. 21. The round-robin tournament began with Niwot facing the Lyons Lions in game one. Despite a three-run homer by sophomore Anne Booth and a two-run bomb by junior Zoie Chociej, the Cougars couldn't maintain a four-run lead and lost another close battle,...
Year two of the Coach Nik Blume era will commence at 7 p.m. on Aug. 27 when the Niwot football team opens its season at Greeley Central. The Cougars struggled with a 1-6 record in 2020 but anticipate their returning core taking the next step. Niwot's two biggest losses of the offseason came with the graduation of former quarterback Ayden Bartko and two-way talent Cooper Ackerman. Their replacements? Junior Ben Classen is set to take the reins at quarterback while Ackerman's younger brother, Jack...
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...
Another championship sweep for Niwot at the 2021 Class 4A cross country meet isn't a foregone conclusion, but it's hard to dismiss the strong evidence in favor of it. Returning to the varsity are two of Colorado's fastest high school distance runners in Zane Bergen and Mia Prok, plus a battle-hardened pack of veterans that is still in shape from the Cougars' recent title run at the state track and field championships. Add to that a coach looking to list another two state titles on his resume,...
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...
Mere weeks after coaching the Niwot girls golf team to a top-10 finish at the Class 4A state championships, seventh-year head coach Ed Weaver was back on the course with the Cougar boys, energized and looking forward to another successful season. "We're a young team, but we have potential going forward," he said during Niwot's season opener in Greeley on Aug. 9. "I think some of the younger guys are coachable. They're doing the right things to stay competitive, or get more competitive next...
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...
The Niwot track and field program has produced its fair share of talented athletes, most notably Elise Cranny, who will be representing the U.S. in the 5000-meter Olympic race on Friday, July 30. But Taylor James stands out even in that elite group. During a storied track and cross country career at Niwot, the versatile performer earned seven individual state track titles, a handful of relay titles, a runner-up title in cross-country, and set at least two Class 4A records. For longtime Niwot tra...
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...
