Niwot track and field set to host meet April 1

With several team state championships already in hand, there is still one thing left on longtime Niwot High School track and field head coach Maurice Henriques' to-do list that he has yet to accomplish: host a meet.

On Saturday April 1, the 14-year coach's aspiration will finally happen with 25 schools (including Niwot) across the state scheduled to compete in the NoCo Series #1 meet at Niwot High School's on-campus track. Henriques pulled out all the stops in ensuring that his program's first home meet will bring the "fireworks."

"I think by doing this we'll be able to generate some excitement," Henriques said. "I'm kind of flattered that so many teams want to come. We had to cut teams off because our AD (Athletic Director Joe Brown) was like, 'I thought this was supposed to be a small meet?' I was like, 'Yeah, this is small. It's not Texas big, so we're good.'"

Although the meet is scheduled for April Fool's Day, the teams expected to attend are no joke. Among those coming are Cheyenne Mountain High School (last season's Class 4A boys co-runner-up alongside Niwot), defending Class 3A boys champion Lutheran High School and Class 5A powerhouses Valor Christian High School and Eaglecrest High School.

"It'll be cool," said Niwot track and field senior Freddie Ambrose. "I'm not sure what to expect, this is the first time we're doing it. It'd be cool if some of my classmates showed up. I don't know what it's going to look like, but I'm excited. Racing on the home track is always fun."

Entering the season, Henriques said that getting the Niwot community more involved with the program was a priority, and hosting a meet figures to be a step in that direction.

"This is going to be a good step in hosting a meet," Henriques said. "I've always wanted to get to the point to be able to host a meet and we'll see how it goes."

The meet is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. with the final event slated for 6:40 p.m.

On March 23, a handful of mostly underclassmen Cougars competed at the Denver South Ravens Invitational, including top-50 individual finishers Robin Loupee (girls 400 meter dash), Eloise VanSelus (girls shot put), Duncan Atherton (boys 800), Lincoln Brewer (boys 1,600), Will Becker (boys 1,600), Joshua Archuleta (boys 1,600), Logan Pellicer (110 and 300 hurdles) and Ari Weinberger (boys shot put).

Niwot was then at the Runners Roost of Fort Collins Invitational on March 24, where the girls placed third and the boys placed 12th. Cougar boys distance runners Jeremy Gillett, Gavin Engtrakul and Ambrose were also in Arizona over the same weekend competing at the Chandler Rotary Invitational. Gillet led the Cougar contingent in Arizona with a sixth-place finish in the 3,200.

On March 25, Niwot was scheduled to compete in the Broomfield Shootout but opted to withdraw due to poor weather/track conditions.