NHS Track takes 1st and 2nd at BOCO meet

With 140 students out for track, Niwot High School track coach Maurice Henriques has a hard time keeping track of all of them. But there are so many elite athletes among that group that the Cougars as a team routinely places first or second at large meets.

The BOCO Track & Field meet at Longmont April 15 was no exception as the Niwot girls took first and the boys finished second, behind only Class 5A Erie.

“On the girls' side, we scored 210 points, and Longmont was second with 78,” Henriques said. As for the boys, Henriques wasn’t disappointed with the outcome, noting, “There are five teams that could win state, and they could all finish within three points.” Niwot figures to be right there at state.

“The season’s going good,” Henriques said, but noted that the Cougars lost their top sprinter and long jumper before the season got started, who also happens to be his daughter, sophomore Eliana Henriques. “She hit a hurdle and came down wrong and tore her ACL,” the coach said. “She did it in time trials before the season. She was devastated. But she had the same surgeon that did my knee when I was at CU, so that eased her anxiety a bit. She has a great attitude about it and has started rehab.”

“The motto for this year’s track squad is ‘Sacrifice, Loyalty, Accountability and Yearning,’” Henriques said, or SLAY. “It’s on the back of our shirts.”

Henriques was pleased with the first truly home track meet, which the Cougars hosted April 1. “It went well,” he said. “We didn’t fall behind, even though we had 40 heats of the 100. It was kind of cool to be in the community.”

One of the hardest things about coaching such a successful program is deciding which athletes to enter in which events at state. “We’ve got a good core group,” Henriques said. But with 140 athletes, there are many choices to be made.

Henriques listed a number of athletes he expects to contribute at state and their events. On the girls side: Nemo Esquibel (“everything,” sprints, 800), Kimora Northrup (hurdles, sprints), Margaret Gillett (sprints), Julia Rudolph (“she does it all,” middle distance, distance), Audrey Robertson (hurdles, sprints), Ashlenn Baca (hurdles, sprints), Addison Ritzenhein (mile, 2-mile), Mia Prok (distance), Anna Prok (distance), Kendall Madine (middle distance), Cayden Justice (distance), Avalon Beltran (distance), Jade West (“leading the state in throwing, she has a chance to win both throws”), Chloe Mitchell (discus), Olivia Alessandrini (middle distance, distance), Lex Bullen (middle distance), and Madison Shults (middle distance, distance).

On the boys side: Westin Domich (jumps, hurdles, sprints), Ben Classen (sprints, 800), Eric Walker (hurdles, jumps), Rocco Culpepper (distance), Freddie Ambrose (distance), Carlos Kipkorir (distance), Jaden Johnson (hurdles), Kye Toothaker (distance), Kingston Staton (“he does it all,” jumps, sprints, hurdles), Henry Stauch (jumps), Stefan Haug (distance), Jeremy Gillett (distance), Gavin Engtrakul (distance), Ben Rauschkolb (throws), Kevin Chen (throws), Harrison Van Selus (throws), Veer Gandhakwala (sprints), Abraham Menjivar (sprints), and Ryder Keeton (distance).

Niwot Event Winners - BOCO Track & Field - April 15, 2023

GIRLS

Girls 200: Madison Shults, Niwot (26.23)

Girls 800: Madison Shults, Niwot (2:11.02)

Girls 1,600: Addison Ritzenhein, Niwot (5:00.76)

Girls 3,200: Olivia Alessandrini, Niwot (11:11.23)

Girls 100 hurdles: Kimora Northrup, Niwot (14.84)

Girls 300 hurdles: Kimora Northrup, Niwot (46.12)

Girls 4×100 relay: Niwot (49.67)

Girls 4×200 relay: Niwot (1:43.63)

Girls 4×400 relay: Niwot (4:02.13)

Girls 4×800 relay: Niwot (9:48.36)

Girls 800 SMR: Niwot (1:53.40)

Girls shot put: Jade West, Niwot (38–4)

BOYS

Boys 110 hurdles: Eric Walker, Niwot (15.01)

Boys 300 hurdles: Eric Walker, Niwot (39.28)

Boys 4×800 relay: Niwot (8:09.97)

Boys triple jump: Eric Walker, Niwot (43–4)