Track & Field: Niwot girls win BoCo Invitational for 8th consecutive year

The Boulder County Championship meet has been a mid-April fixture on the calendar of local track and field teams for more than four decades, but no team has made its presence felt there more than the Niwot girls. At this year’s event, held April 15 at Everly-Montgomery Field, the Cougars stormed to their eighth straight BoCo title, winning nine individual events and scoring 172 team points, nearly double that of second-place Broomfield (94).

In a season already filled with personal bests and meet records, Niwot junior Mary Gillett just keeps getting better and better. In her most impressive performance to date, Gillett won four individual events at BoCo, including the 400 meters with a time of 56.29 seconds, a new event record. She also placed first in the 100 meters (12.46) and 200 meters (25.58), as well as the long jump (17’-7.5”). She netted 40 team points for the Cougars, and was awarded both the girls Most Valuable Athlete and the Most Outstanding Performance for her record-breaking run in the 400.

Junior Mackenzie Fidelak also turned in an impressive performance on the day, taking first in the 300-hurdles (45.65) and second in the 100 meter hurdles (16.01) and 200 meters (26.05). She was also a member of the first-place 800-relay team (1:47.21), along with sophomores Erika Timbang, Kayla Nowlin, and freshman Elise Gillett. Rounding out the Niwot fearsome three was Alexis Carroll, whose 15.21 in the 100 meter hurdles was good for first place, as was her 36’-11.25” triple jump.

In the distance runs, senior Jenna McCaffrey finished second in the 3,200 meters (11:44.57) and eighth in the 1,600 meters (5:25.86). Her senior teammate Claire Gillett took fifth in the 800 meters (2:26.20) and 10th in the 400 meters (1:02.73). Both were members of the first-place 3,200m relay (9:50.90), which also included freshman Samrawit Dishon and sophomore Maggie Smith.

Elsewhere for the girls, freshman Elise Gillett posted a season-best 17.39 in the 300-hurdles, which was good for fifth place overall. She was also 10th in the 300 meter hurdles (50.83), behind teammates Ashley Herring (49.30, 4th) and Carroll (49.72, 5th.) Senior Rachel Oliver’s 97’ discus throw was the third farthest on the day, and she finished sixth in shot put (30’-9.5”). Finally, the 800m sprint medley team, consisting of Haley Noterman, Julea Trank, Kelia Portis, and Nowlin was second overall, with a time of 1:58.25.

It’s been awhile since the Niwot boys track team had much to cheer about at the BoCo meet, but things may be turning around for the Cougars. Niwot scored 60 points at this year’s event, tying for fifth place with the Boulder Panthers, the boys’ highest finish since 2011. Sophomore Jeremy Hollingsworth ran a season-best 11.63 in the 100 meters, which was good for fourth overall. He was also seventh in the 200 meters (23.82). Freshman Emrick Wells took sixth in the 400 meters, with a 51.87, while his older brother Oskar was ninth in the 800 meters (2:05.10), and eighth in the 1,600 meters (4:38.89). Junior Kenny Lang took third in the 3,200 meters with his first sub-10 minute finish of the year (9:59.67).

The Niwot boys claimed four of the top 10 slots in the 300-hurdles, with sophomore Nolan Johan taking second (43.25, a season-best), just ahead of senior Carter Osteen (42.63) in fifth place, senior Jason Fetters (43.25) in eighth, and sophomore Jensen Douillard (43.72) in tenth. Nolan was also seventh in the 110-hurdles (17.10, another season-best), just behind senior Fetters (16.90), who finished fourth.

Up next for the Cougars is a meet at Holy Family High School on April 18, followed by the Stutler Twilight Meet at Cherry Creek High School on April 21.

Boulder County Invitational, Everly-Montgomery Field, April 15

Boys (Niwot Results)

Team scores — 1. Monarch 132; 2. Longmont 83; 3. Skyline 78; 4. Silver Creek 76; 5. Boulder 60; 5. Niwot 60; 7. Broomfield 53; 7. Fairview 53; 9. Mead 31; 10. Centaurus 26; 11. Erie 24; 12. Lyons 19; 13. Frederick; 14. Peak to Peak 3.

100 meter dash — 4. Jeremy Hollingsworth, 11.63; 18. Byron Holmes, 12.06; 20. Alex Herman, 12.07.

200 dash — 7. Jeremy Hollingsworth, 23.83; 18. Nolan Johan, 24.44.

400 dash — 6. Emrick Wells, 51.87.

800 run — 9. Oskar Wells, 2:05.10; 10. Kamran Elahi, 2:05.92; 15. Benjamin Bi, 2:09.27.

1,600 run — 8. Oskar Wells, 4:38.89; 10. Cruz Culpepper, 4:41.98.

3,200 run — 3. Kenny Lang, 9:59.67; 12. Ethan Steiner, 10:20.03; 18. Jack Volf, 10:39.64.

110 hurdles — 4. Jason Fetters, 16.90; 7. Nolan Johan, 17.10; 18. Nicholas Grant, 18.64.

300 hurdles — 2. Nolan Johan, 42.35; 5. Carter Osteen, 42.63; 8. Jason Fetters, 43.25; 10. Jensen Douillard, 43.72.

400 relay — 6. Niwot, 44.86.

800 relay — 4. Niwot, 1:33.33.

1,600 relay — 5. Niwot, 3:32.30.

3,200 relay — 3. Niwot (Osteen, Elahi, Wells, Culpepper), 8:18.83.

Triple jump — 17. Cory Rathburn, 35-10.5.

High jump — 15. Austin Rathburn, 5-2; 15. Max Towlen, 5-2.

Discus — 9. Max Towlen, 120-7.

Shot put — 4. Alex Oelsner, 45-10.

GIRLS (Niwot Results)

Team scores — 1. Niwot 172, Broomfield 94, Monarch 91, Longmont 63, Fairview 57, Mead 44, Boulder 38.5, Lyons 34, Peak to Peak 28, Frederick 27.5, Erie 26.5, Silver Creek 26, Skyline 20.5, Centaurus 19.

100 meter dash — 1. Mary Gillett, 12.46.

200 dash — 1. Mary Gillett, 25.58; 2. Mackenzie Fidelak, 26.05.

400 dash — 1. Mary Gillett, 56.29; 8. Erika Timbang, 1:01.84; 10. Claire Gillett, 1:02.73.

800 run — 5. Claire Gillett, 2:26.20; 7. Maggie Smith, 2:27.03; 13. Samrawit Dishon, 2:33.40; 19. Jeri Wilcox, 2:38.03.

1,600 run — 8. Jenna McCaffrey, 5:25.86.

3,200 run — 2. Jenna McCaffrey, 11:44.57; 19. Jeri Wilcox, 13:04.60.

100 hurdles — 1. Alexis Carroll, 15.21; 2. Mackenzie Fidelak, 16.01; 5. Elise Gillett, 17.39.

300 hurdles — 1. Mackenzie Fidelak, 45.65; 4. Ashley Herring, 49.30; 5. Alexis Carroll, 49.72; 10. Elise Gillett, 50.83.

400 relay — 3. Niwot (Grant, E. Gillett, Nowlin, Timbang), 52.34.

800 relay — 1. Niwot (Timbang, E. Gilllett, Nowlin, Fidelak), 1:47.21.

1,600 relay — 5. Niwot, 4:12.71.

3,200 relay — 1. Niwot (C. Gillett, McCaffrey, Dishon, Smith), 9:50.90.

Sprint medley — 2. Niwot (Noterman, Trank, Portis, Nowlin), 1:58.25.

Long jump — 1. Mary Gillett, 17-7.5; 2. Alexis Carroll, 17-0.

Triple jump — 1. Alexis Carroll, 36-11.25; 10. Sophie Grant, 31-2; 18. Haley Noterman, 28-10.

High jump — 11. Zoe Gonzales, 4-7; 15. Marlow Baines, 4-5; 16. Erin Carroll, 4-2.

Discus — 3. Rachel Oliver, 97-0; 18. Sophie Storz, 73-4.

Shot put — 6. Rachel Oliver, 30-9.5; 19. Sophie Storz, 23-6.

Pole vault — 13. Erin Carroll, 7-9; 15. Amber Nusser, 6-3