Niwot's Elise Cranny shines at Olympics

Niwot's downtown was packed on Friday, July 30 – at 4:00 a.m. Over 200 fans of Niwot High grad Elise Cranny packed Niwot Wheel Works to witness Cranny's Olympic debut as part of the USA track team.

Cranny did not disappoint her fans, finishing fourth in the second heat of the 5,000-meter prelims to qualify for the finals. The first five runners in each heat qualified for the finals, plus the five next-best times. Cranny's heat began at 4:26 a.m. Mountain Time, but the downtown vibe was what you might expect for a night-time performance of a favorite band.

The watch party was quickly organized by Bob and Sandy Cranny, Elise's parents, at the invitation of Wheel Works owner Eric Bergeson, and the entire Cranny family was on hand to cheer on Elise, with plenty of support from Niwot Market owner Bert Steele and others in the community who provided coffee and snacks. Only in the COVID era, when the Olympic games are conducted without spectators, could a community have the opportunity to support one of their own in the company of the athlete's parents and sisters while watching from halfway across the globe.

Cranny finished fourth in her preliminary heat with a time of 14:56.14, only four-tenths of a second off of the winning time. But the first heat was the faster heat, and the top 10 runners qualified for the finals, including Cranny's USA teammate, Karissa Schweitzer, who finished seventh with a time of 14:51.34. Both Cranny and Schweitzer posted their best times of the season in the prelims, even though the track was still wet from an earlier rain.

The finals of the 5K were held on Monday, Aug. 2 at 6:40 a.m. Mountain Time. "You have a chance to sleep in a little," Bob Cranny told the crowd gathered at the first watch party as he invited them to return.

The second watch party, again held at the Wheel Works, produced an even larger crowd, which overflowed into the outdoor seating in front of the brew pub. The crowd cheered wildly every time Cranny was on the big screen TV, and she stayed with the leading pack throughout the race.

In the finals, Cranny finished 13th in the finals, posting a time of 14:55.98 on a hot and humid course. Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands pulled away during the last lap to win gold with a time of 14:36.79. Her final lap was clocked at 57.36. Schweitzer, Cranny's USA teammate, finished 11th with a time of 14:55.80.

Afterwards, Bob Cranny thanked those gathered for their support. "The fact that she's even here (the Olympics) is beyond belief," he said, noting that in eighth grade Elise had said, 'Someday, I'm going to be there,' after watching the Olympics.

He recounted the path it took to make her dream come true. "After all her struggles, and injuries, she just stuck with it. And what it's done for my other daughters. It warms my heart."

Bob Cranny said the Olympics offered an all-expense paid opportunity for him and his wife Sandy to fly to Orlando, FL, to watch Elise (25) compete, but he couldn't imagine leaving his other two daughters, Lauren (19) and Emily (23), behind. He was overwhelmed by the community support at the watch parties, which included Niwot residents, business owners, students, teammates, coaches, teachers and administrators. Among them were Lyle Tucker, who was Elise's track coach at Sunset Middle School, former NHS coach and teacher Jeremy Drake, NHS principal Eric Rauschkolb, former NHS girls basketball coach and teacher Terri Ward, Niwot's 2021 National High School 5K champion Simon Saia, NHS assistant track coach Tim Geldean, NHS assistant track coach Scott Thomas, and NHS track and cross-country runner Tessa Everett.

Sandy Cranny personally thanked nearly everyone who came to watch. "We're just so proud," she said after the race. "I recall a former assistant coach, Jason Hartmann, telling Elise, 'You can go somewhere with running.' The support we've received from everyone is just priceless."