Making history: Niwot's record-setting weekend at the Class 4A state track & field championships

To say that Niwot's track and field teams turned in a historically dominating performance at the 2021 Colorado Class 4A championships is technically true, yet also understates the magnitude of the accomplishment. From Lucca Fulkerson's unbeatable kick in the 3200 meter race on opening morning, to the boys' stirring second-place finish in the 4x400m relay to close out the three-day meet, the Cougars won state titles in 14 events, the runner-up title in six events, and set two new Class 4A state records. The girls ended with an astounding 183 points in the team standings, among the highest total ever in Colorado state track meet history, across all classifications, while the boys finished with 90 points, beating second place Longmont by 31.

Along the way, there were also inspiring stories of sportsmanship, overcoming adversity, and going out on top. For longtime head track and field coach Maurice Henriques, seeing his team's dedication and hard work pay off after a long and challenging off-season has been especially gratifying.

"It's just been fun with these kids, both boys and girls," he said as the meet wrapped up on June 26. "Everything's just smooth, and it's just a good team atmosphere. They don't take anything for granted because we weren't here last year, and they just keep showing up and working. I told the kids, you could either get better or stay the same. And man, they showed up, and now they get to celebrate like this."

Niwot at the Olympics

Even before competition started on June 24, the Niwot track and field program got a huge boost from the news that former Cougar track and cross country star Elise Cranny had qualified for the upcoming 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, after winning the 5000m at the U.S. Track and Field trials in Eugene, Ore. Cranny, a 2014 graduate, won two Class 4A individual cross country titles for Niwot, as well as repeat titles in the 800, 1600, and 3200m races at state track, with record-setting times. In 2014, she was named the Colorado Gatorade cross country runner of the year, and then went on to have a successful career at Stanford. Henriques called the news "exciting," and remembered a shy freshman who nonetheless revealed her Olympic ambitions early on.

"It's awesome to have an Olympian in the program," he said. "I pulled out her "Get to know you" form from her first year that everyone fills out, and it talked about the Olympics, so that was cool to see. Elise worked hard. If you really think about it, she didn't really have a lot of success at first. So just keep showing up. Sometimes it might take 11 years."

For Fulkerson, another Niwot standout, Cranny has long set the standard for distance runners in the Cougar program.

"I always like looking at her times, and thinking, 'wow, that's crazy', and then trying to chase them down," the Princeton-bound senior said after she led the Cougars to the state title in the 4x800m relay. "She's definitely very inspirational, and it was going through my head out there to just keep pushing."

Earlier in the day, Fulkerson cruised to a win in the 3200m with a time of 10:34.65, about 17 seconds off of Cranny's high school record (10:17.48), but still enough to capture her first individual state title. Though anxious going into the race, the first event of the meet, she quickly found her pace thanks to freshman teammate and training partner Mia Prok (10:51.80), who was runner-up and also ran with Fulkerson on the 4x800m relay.

"It was amazing," she said. "It's been a lot of work, but I'm so glad with how it went. Mia pushed me. She's been pushing me throughout the whole season."

Fulkerson and Prok were joined on the podium for the 3200m by three of her Niwot teammates: junior Tessa Everett (11:03.96) in sixth, and senior Eva Klingbeil (11:07.06) in eighth. Also competing for Niwot in the 3200m were junior Sierra Parks, and freshmen Sarah Perkins and Olivia Alessandrini. Niwot earned a total of 23 points in the race, and the Cougars vaulted to a lead in the team standings they would never relinquish.

Fulkerson and Prok would go on to take 3nd and 4th respectively in the 800m, behind teammate Madison Shults, who took the title. The pair then finished 2nd and 4th in the 1600m, foiled once again by cross country rival Bethany Michalak of Air Academy.

Niwot boys go the distance

It didn't take long for the Niwot boys to prove that they are still the team to beat in Colorado when it comes to distance. Shortly after 9 a.m. on opening day of the state meet, junior Zane Bergen pulled away from the pack of the Class 4A boys 3200m, and sprinted the final 100-yards to capture first place with a time of 9:18.78. Not far behind were seniors Simon Saia in second (9:22.09), and Grayden Rauba (9:25.32) in fourth. Afterwards, Bergen called it a great win for the team, and was quick to share the credit with Saia.

"I've never been prouder of somebody," the reigning Class 4A cross country champion said of the senior, making his first appearance at state. "When he went on lap four or five, he told me, 'Listen, I'm going to go,' and that made me so happy. He's one of those guys that's been under a shadow his entire high school career. And now he's second. I mean, it's just so powerful and shows how amazing our training is. And it shows that if you're willing to put in the work, and stick through it, you're going to get results."

About an hour later, Bergen and his teammates claimed the title in the 4x800m relay, adding another crucial 10 points for Niwot in the team standings. The junior would go on to take first in the 800m with a season-best time of 1:51.26 and, if that weren't enough, he also took first in a drama-filled 1600m race, with a Class 4A record time of 4:09.51.

"We basically thought it would happen like that," Niwot distance coach Kelly Christensen said after Bergen's record-setting performance. "We thought it would go out hard, and Jackson [Shorten] or someone would try to go through laps as fast as they can, so Zane wouldn't have a kick, but Zane did everything we asked him to do."

Christensen also credited Saia for taking a risk on Bergen's behalf in the mile, much like he did in the 3200, another race that went "exactly as planned."

"We told Simon to go at 600 yards if he wanted to win, and he did, so that's awesome," the coach said of the Portland-bound senior, who didn't see much varsity success until this season. "He works harder than anyone on the team. He's always the first one there and the last one to leave. It took him a while, and there was a lot of heartbreak in races and heartbreak in workouts, but he just kept coming and showing up."

Saia ultimately finished fifth in the 1600m, followed by Rauba in sixth, and junior Joey Hendershot in 18th. Rauba, who signed a letter of intent to run for CU, was also third overall in the 800m, with a season-best time of 1:53.40, and was on the 4x800m relay.

Elsewhere for the Niwot boys, sophomore Ben Classen took fourth in the 400m, while junior Nicholas Stade finished eighth in 300m hurdles. In relay action, Niwot took first in the 4x800m, second in the 4x400m, but failed to qualify for the finals in the 4x100m or 4x200m events.

Taylor James does it again

There were plenty of highlights and season-best performances during the weekend, but, once again, Taylor James was the star of the show for Niwot. The versatile senior added two more individual state titles to her collection, then led relays teams to two more, one in Class 4A record time. But even with the individual success, the team-oriented senior was even happier about winning another trophy with the team.

"Holistically, it's just the team performances, and the fact that we took away the state title on both sides that's really amazing," she said after her final Colorado event came to a close. "I was happy to help the team in any way that I could have, and it was really fun to run a four by one. I don't do that super often."

James' titles came in the 200 (24.61) and 400m (54.69) dashes, both with season-best times. She also ran the anchor in the 4x200m relay, a race she said afterwards, "always surprises me." Of note was her absence from the 800m, a distance she is very comfortable with.

"It was interesting to try to watch it from an out-of-body point of view," she said. James is a two-time state champion in the 800m, and currently holds the Class 4A state record. "But at the same time, I knew that I had my teammate Maddie [Shults] and three or four others who were going to step up to the challenge. And, it's okay, because I am running three 800s at nationals next weekend."

For Henriques, James' versatility on the field is matched by her team-first mentality off of it.

"I've never had an athlete so humble," he said of James, who will follow Cranny and Mary Gillett to Stanford in the fall. "It's all about the team. She's never in four years said, 'Coach, can I run in this,' and her parents have never jumped in. She's been an ambassador for the sport and the face of the program, and exactly the kind of kid you want to go out and have success. So now she's going to be the example for kids coming through our doors."

Field event notes

After battling an injury much of the season, junior Kathryn Carroll finished second overall in the Class 4A triple-jump, with a mark of 36'-5.5". In 2017, her oldest sister Alexis Carroll won the triple-jump title (37-0.25), setting a Niwot school record in the process.

"I've been trying all year to get it," Katy Carroll said. "And having her come here and give me words of wisdom from when she competed, so when she got those records, it really did help."

Carroll also finished eighth in the long jump, and was a member of the title-winning 4x100m and 4x200m relays.

Senior Connor Grant made it onto the podium in eighth place with a mark of 41'-6.5" in the boys triple jump, while junior Craig Wright was 10th.

Senior Brandon Hult took 17th overall in discus, with a throw of 125-feet, 4-inches. He is the first Niwot athlete to qualify in a throwing event since 2017.

Notable newcomers

One of the most memorable moments for the Niwot girls came in the 100-meter dash, where sophomore Margaret Gillett took fourth overall, just one day after losing her mother to cancer.

"Through all of this season, I've just really had a hard time finding what this meant to me and finding my stride," she said afterwards. "And finally getting up here and doing it and doing it for my mom, it's the best feeling in the world."

Margaret is the younger cousin of former Niwot track standouts Claire, Elise, and Mary Gillett, which earned her the nickname "Baby G" from coaches, and also comes with expectations.

"It is definitely an increase in pressure, but one of my coaches always says that pressure is a privilege. And that amount of pressure is just going to push me harder. To be able to succeed and to do well under pressure is something that I will always be working on."

Sophomore Kimora Northrup captured her first individual Class 4A track title by winning the 300m hurdles, with a time of 43.78. She also took second in the 100m hurdles by less than one-tenth of a second, and ran with the 100- and 200m relay teams.

Sophomore Madison Shults took first in the 800m (2:12.27), sixth in the mile (5:03.37), and anchored Niwot's winning 4x400 relay.

See our complete collection of nearly 3,000 photos from the 2021 Class 4A state track and field championships by visiting our photo gallery.