Moving on up: 15 Niwot athletes headed to college ranks

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 director Joe Brown said during his introductory remarks. "With things that you read every day in the transfer portal, and the constant changing and extending of eligibility, this is probably one of the toughest things that you've been able to do. So congratulations for making it this far, and we're so proud of all of you."

The athletes represent six sports, and will be heading to campuses both close to home in Colorado and farther afield in states like Maine, North Carolina, and New York. (click here for a photo gallery.)

Ayden Bartko, New Mexico Highlands

After breaking numerous Niwot football records, senior quarterback Ayden Bartko has punched his ticket to the next level. Bartko will be attending New Mexico Highlands University in the fall to continue his football career. A three-year team captain and an honorable mention on the 2020 3A Colorado All-State team, he signed with the Cowboys in February.

Although Niwot Head Coach Nik Blume only tutored Bartko for one season, he had high praises for the senior leader. "I don't think there's anyone better prepared to go to the next level to play," Blume said.

Bartko said he hopes his success can be a stepping stone for future Niwot players.

"I'm excited," Bartko said. "I couldn't be happier for the (Niwot) program."

He has not yet declared an area of study.

Curtis Volf, St. Mary's College

Niwot cross country and track runner Curtis Volf has improved at an impressive rate during his high school career said head cross country coach Kelly Christensen. Volf's dedication to the sport has earned him an opportunity at Saint Mary's College of California.

Volf gave all the credit to his teammates and coaches for creating a community he couldn't let down. He said he originally joined the team to stay in shape but the passion soon followed.

"I remember even one year, two years ago, me, Grady [Rauba], Joaquin [Herrera] just going on 15, 20-minute runs and struggling to get up Niwot hill," Volf said. Once I started committing myself and just [through] some dedication and hard work, I started improving. I can't believe where I am today."

He said the recruiting process was stressful but St. Mary's showed a strong interest and helped him make college affordable.

Volf has his eyes on studying business at St. Mary's.

Emily Creek, Northern Michigan University

Senior Emily Creek burst onto the athletics scene during the second semester of her freshman year when she won not one but two state championships, the first in alpine slalom skiing and then in doubles tennis. She has continued to compete with both teams through all four years at Niwot, and picked up a state tennis runner-up title along the way.

After graduation, Creek will be taking at least some of those talents to Northern Michigan University's alpine ski team, which competes in the United States Collegiate ​Ski & Snowboard Association. She will be racing primarily in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, where the lower altitudes aren't an advantage for Colorado-trained athletes.

"I had a race [there] and I didn't do too well, and the coach said that it's because I'm used to gravity working with me and not against me," she said. "It was rough, and I had to work a lot harder."

Creek plans to study nursing at NMU, which is located in Marquette, in the state's upper peninsula area. As for tennis, it's not in her immediate plans, but she also hasn't ruled out joining NMU's club or intramural teams.

Eva Lennart, Vassar College

Vassar College was a late entrant on Eva Lennart's college wish list, but the Poughkeepsie, N.Y. school rose to the top quickly for the talented distance runner. After reading about the school's English program in October, she reached out to the cross country coach "on a whim," and soon found herself at a Zoom meeting with the rest of the team.

"We started talking about classes they took and music and all of these different things that I never had talked about with other people on other teams," she said. " I just knew that as soon as I met the people that it was the right place."

Lennart was a member of Niwot's 2019 state championship track and cross country teams, and will specialize in distance running at Vassar. For cross country coach Kelly Christensen, Lennart has been one of his program's most inspiring success stories.

"It's another example of, if you believe something and work consistently hard, eventually science gets on your side, and you get a little confidence, and then you turn it into a pretty amazing runner," he said. "I would say that she's the most improved athlete I've ever coached."

Lennart hasn't settled on a potential major, her interest in the school's English program notwithstanding.

"I'm lucky in the fact that you don't have to declare a major until the end of sophomore year, and they also have an open curriculum," she said. "So I can explore all sorts of interests...music, art, psychology, English, creative writing... I've just been really excited to have a chance to explore all those options and have a chance to really find what I want to study."

Grayden Rauba, University of Colorado Boulder

It was quite the 24 hours for Grayden Rauba on May 3. That morning, the Niwot track and cross country runner signed with the University of Colorado Boulder, just hours before Niwot's Signing Day ceremony. Rauba said that he had been talking with CU Assistant Coach Billy Nelson and they finally reached an agreement.

"It's been a roller coaster of a day," Rauba said. "I didn't plan to commit today but I found out from a few other schools I've talked to that things weren't going to work out and I just decided right then to contact Billy Nelson at CU."

Within minutes, Rauba said he was drowned in congratulatory texts from teammates, friends and family. "That really put it into perspective," he said.

Rauba didn't join the Niwot cross country and track team until his junior year and has now signed with one of the top programs in the country. Niwot head cross country coach Kelly Christensen dubbed Rauba a "hidden talent."

Rauba is interested in studying mechanical engineering.

Joaquin Herrera, Adams State College

Joaquin Herrera didn't find a spot on Niwot's varsity cross country roster until his junior season, but he's been making up for lost time ever since. Now the standout senior will be extending his athletic career at Adams State College in Alamosa, one of the most successful men's distance running programs in the nation.

"I think Adams was the best team wise," Herrera said of his decision. "And then coach [Kelly Christensen] recommended their academics. He said Adams would fit really well, and I wouldn't have to kill myself over stress about money."

Herrera is thrilled to be joining Adams' elite cross country program, which has won 25 NCAA Division II national championships since 1971, the last one in 2017. Herrera, who finished 14th overall at the 2020 Class 4A state championships, is eager to help the Grizzlies claim their 26th.

"Them not winning last year makes me motivated to go in and obviously try to make the team as soon as I can," he said, referring to Adams State's runner-up finish in the most recent Div. II title race. "I like the top team because they are really competitive."

Herrera will be the first student in his family to attend college, and he plans to study education and psychology, with hopes of becoming a teacher. He is grateful to both his parents and teammates for their "incredible" support, and credits them with pushing him to succeed.

"I just wanted to thank my teammates," he said. "I would never have been able to do it alone."

Kayla Osegueda, Black Hills State University

Senior Kayla Osegueda kept running into roadblocks during her college recruiting process, until she reached out to friend and former Niwot soccer teammate Lexi Crow, now a freshman midfielder for Black Hills State University, in Spearfish, South Dakota.

"She actually helped me get there," Osegueda said of signing with the Yellow Jackets. "And it just came down to what I was really looking for as far as a major, playing time, and overall, just being happy with my decision."

The senior is in her third year with the Niwot varsity, though didn't get a junior season thanks to the pandemic. During her ceremony remarks, Cougars head soccer coach Jenna Machado called Osegueda "mature," and predicted that she will do "amazing things" at BHS.

"She's a natural-born leader," Machado said. "She's an extremely important member of the Niwot program."

Osegueda is slated to be a new center back for Black Hills State, an NCAA Div. II team in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, but said she will go wherever the coaches put her.

"With college ball, you've got to be prepared to play anywhere, which I am. So I'm just excited to see where I get to be."

She is planning to major in biology with a minor in Spanish, and then plans to go into nursing.

Keegan Stobbe, Regis University

Fresh off leading the Niwot boys soccer team to an appearance in the 4A state semifinals, senior Keegan Stobbe will stay close to home after signing with Regis University in Denver.

"Keegan has been the heart and soul of our team for four years," said Niwot Head Coach Stephen Dimit. "From the minute he stepped on our field, he started setting the pace, a tremendous talent."

Stobbe recorded 66 points in 39 career games at Niwot. He said that playing in college and possibly beyond has always been a goal of his. For now, Stobbe is unsure of his major.

Kiera Flanagan, University of Denver

Speedy forward Kiera Flanagan didn't lack for options when it came to college prospects, but the University of Denver was always at the top of her list.

"I've been actually looking at the school since I was a kid and I went to a bunch of summer camps," she said. "And something that drew me to the school was the family environment that they have there. Every single time I stepped on that soccer field there, I really felt like part of a family, and something that I saw myself being at for the next four years of my life.... And something that was super important to me was being close to home."

Flanagan is a four-year starter for Niwot, and led the team in scoring during her sophomore season, with 12 goals and five assists in 10 games. A second-year captain, she is back on that pace in 2021, with an assist in the Cougars' season opener on May 4. The senior also plays club soccer, and recently helped lead that team to a state championship.

"If you're asking what type of person can play D-1, this is that person," Niwot coach Jenna Machado said of Flanagan's signing with the NCAA Div. I Pioneers. "She's committed. She's driven. It's going to be hard to replace that level of tenacity, spirit, and just loving the game."

Flanagan will be a forward for the Pioneers, who went 17-3-1 in the 2020-21 season, before falling in the second round of the NCAA championship tournament. She hasn't picked a major yet, but is planning on a career as an orthodontist.

Lucca Fulkerson, Princeton University

Senior Lucca Fulkerson had to sit out her junior year of running competition after transferring from Dawson School, so to attract the attention of college coaches heading into her senior year, she had to make the most of her club racing opportunities. She did just that last July at the Music City Distance Carnival, where she took fourth overall against a stacked national field in the 3200 meter race. Among the spectators was the Princeton track and field coach Brad Hunt, who liked what he saw in the resilient runner.

"Lucca showed up that day," Christensen recalled of the fateful race in Nashville. "She showed not just him but other coaches what she's capable of. She had a hard decision between Princeton and some other schools, who were all of the sudden recruiting her pretty hard."

The Princeton coach ultimately proved the most persuasive, and extended Fulkerson an offer after a successful 2020 season, which saw her help Niwot to a third-straight state championship with a gritty performance at the title race in October.

"She was one of those athletes that you see in commercials, who runs to the point beyond what we're capable of, and she collapsed," Christensen said. "But she had the mental toughness to get up and push on and still get an incredible time... I think those are the things that college coaches are looking for. It's not the races she wins, but how you respond when you start to fail."

Fulkerson said that she was sold on Princeton after an in-person visit to the campus, where she had the opportunity to chat with professors and explore the academic side of college life. She hasn't yet decided on a major, but talking with current students and faculty helped ease her concerns about the competitive atmosphere of the Ivy League.

"It's a little intimidating, but I've heard a lot about all the different people that help you and the resources," she said. "If you reach out to teachers and those peer-edit sessions and things like that, it'll definitely be manageable. I know it's going to be hard, but I'm up for the challenge."

Mason Nieberger, Pacific University

Niwot senior Mason Nieberger will be taking his baseball talents to Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. Despite missing out on his junior season last year due to COVID-19, Nieberger, a middle infielder, was able to sign with the Division III program.

It hasn't been an easy road for Nieberger, who began his freshman year fighting for playing time on Niwot's C team. He eventually worked his way up and made his varsity debut during his sophomore year.

"It's just kind of wild to think about my journey and everything that has brought us to this moment," Nieberger said. "Nothing's really sunk in yet even though [I] go to college in three months."

Nieberger plans on studying kinesiology while playing ball for the Boxers.

"As long as I can remember, watching pros play and everything like that, that's always been my dream," Nieberger said. "It's definitely been a huge goal of mine and a huge step towards that."

Micah Sheats, Bates College

Since making his varsity debut as a freshman in 2018, senior outfielder/pitcher Micah Sheats has accomplished a lot on the Niwot baseball diamond. Through his first game in 2021, Sheats owns a career batting average over .300 and has hit his way into the next level. He will be heading to Lewiston, Maine to play Division III baseball at Bates College.

Niwot Head Coach Adam Strah remarked on Sheats' "consistent" and "mature" personality that he believes will serve him well in college.

"I'm just super stoked to be playing at the next level," Sheats said, "It's a great opportunity and I'm super thankful for it."

Sheats is interested in studying economics at Bates College.

Nora Hayden, Guilford College

With the decision deadline looming, senior Nora Hayden couldn't decide between offers from Guilford College in North Carolina and Briar Cliff University in Iowa. But a fateful FaceTime call from her future Quaker teammates helped seal her decision.

"I legitimately made my decision three hours before, so it was really difficult," she said. "But I just really liked the area, and the academics, and the girls were so welcoming."

Hayden is expecting to play center back at Guilford, the same position she occupies for Niwot this season. Coach Machado, who has known Hayden since middle school, called the senior's evolution from an "awkward child" to starting center back "astonishing."

"Nora is one of those people whose passion, skill, and commitment have driven her to this point," Machado said. "I've always been a big fan of Nora's. She has a wonderful personality and will do whatever a coach needs her to."

Simon Saia, University of Portland

After playing football, basketball and baseball his freshman year, Simon Saia joined the Niwot cross country team his sophomore year. The multi-talented Saia will now continue his running career at the University of Portland in Oregon.

"I just showed up sophomore year like 'oh, what's this cross country thing?'" Saia said. "It changed my life. I never knew that running, something so simple, would open up so many doors for me."

Niwot head cross country coach Kelly Christensen said there aren't many runners with the confidence and competitive drive of Saia that he'll now bring to Portland.

Saia, who has been active in the Environmental Club at Niwot High, plans to study either biology or environmental science at Portland.

Taylor James, Stanford University

The Niwot girls track program has been enormously successful over the past eight seasons, and one of the main beneficiaries has been Stanford University, which has claimed three Cougars standouts since 2013: Elise Cranny, Mary Gillette, and now, Taylor James, who is on track to add multiple state titles to her trove before her high school career is officially over in June.

James was not hurting for other scholarship offers, and considered the likes of Michigan, Duke, and Oregon before finally settling on Stanford, as much for its academic offerings as its athletic program. She also felt a connection to Cardinal head track and field coach J.J. Clark, who reminds her of Niwot track coach Maurice "Mo" Henriques, her mentor for the past six years.

"Coach Mo showed me what it is like to feel part of a team," she said in remarks during the signing ceremony. "I have essentially seen him every day for the past six years of my life. And I am so grateful to have had his support and guidance both in running, as well as teaching you what it is to be a team leader. He has always pushed me to be the best version of myself just like every other athlete who has been lucky enough to cross paths with him."

James is looking forward to the "perfect" running weather in California, and exploring the San Francisco area. She hasn't decided on a major as yet, but is considering international relations.

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