Niwot Track & Field gets ready for state

Getting ready for the state track & field championships which begin May 19 is nothing new for the Niwot Cougars, as both the boys and girls squads are defending Class 4A champions.

“We probably have 30 to 40 athletes who have qualified for state,” Coach Maurice Henriques said. The Cougars are just coming off a Longs Peak Conference meet held at Longmont High School last weekend.

The St. Vrain Invitational on Friday, May 13, will be the last tuneup for Niwot as the Cougars prepare to defend their titles.

“We’re not quite sure of some of the relays,” Henriques said. He has plenty of state qualifiers to choose from on the girls side. “We have nine [qualifiers] in the 400, six in the mile, five in the 3200, ten in the 800. We’ll put some of them in the 4X800.”

Henriques enjoys the strategic aspect of putting his athletes in the best positions to win state as a team. “That’s the fun part,” he said. “Last year we swept the relays. This year we might take four out of five.”

Going into the final meet before state, Niwot boasts the top times in Class 4A in every relay except the 4X100m. The Cougars lead in the 4X200m (1:42.48), 4X400m (3:51.97), 4X800m (9:12.96) and Sprint Medley Relay (1:50.00).

The Cougar girls have several athletes who are among the top times in the state. Kimora Northrup, a junior, has the best 4A time in the 300m hurdles at 43.70. Senior Stella Veith boasts the top times in both the 400m (56.50) and 800m (2:11.10). Fellow senior Eva Klingbeil has the top time in the 1600m (4:54.18) and 3200m (10:15.59). “She’s on fire,” Henriques said. “She should win the [metric] mile and two-mile.”

The boys team may have a tougher time defending their state title, according to Henriques. “There are five teams that could win,” he said. “It’s going to be close.”

The Cougars have the top time in Class 4A in the 4X400m relay at 3.21.00. “We’re number two in the 4X800 and we’re trying to move up in the 4X200 and 4X100,” Henriques said.

Niwot’s Zane Bergen, a senior, has the best time in Class 4A in the state in the 800m at 1:50.01. And junior Eric Walker has the top time in Class 4A in the 110m hurdles at 14.62. “He just set the school record at the Longs Peak Conference meet,” Henriques said. Others to watch are senior Nicholas Stade, who took second in the 300m hurdles and third in the 110m hurdles at the conference meet, and junior Ben Classen, who won the 400m at conference, and will help the Cougars at state in the relays, according to Henriques.

The Cougar girls won the Longs Peak Conference title with ease, scoring 215 points to Thompson Valley’s 111. The boys finished second with 156 points, just behind Roosevelt with 170 points.