NHS girls swim team sweeps Roughriders

Even when not at full strength, the Niwot High School girls swim team is a formidable opponent.

On Dec. 13, the NHS girls swimming team hosted the Roosevelt High School Roughriders at the St. Vrain Aquatic Center next to Silver Creek High School, and came away with a 197-88 victory.

Coach Ella Thramann said, “This meet, we had very few of our girls there, but the ones that stood out the most were Charlotte Heuer, who made state [qualifying times] in 50 free (26.44) [and] 500 free (5:46.29), our A relay for 200 free relay, [which] was 2 seconds away from state, [and] Izzy Fay, our diver, [who] completed a new dive that is quite difficult.”

Heuer, a senior, anchored the 200 freestyle relay (1:54.40), with freshman Camilla Wier-Bigelow leading off, followed by sophomore Ava Altenborg and junior Shefali Joshi. “I’m hoping those girls can shave off those few seconds and qualify [for state],” Thramann said.

Fay, a junior, posted a score of 249.5 in diving, more than 60 points higher than any other diver, with a combined degree of difficulty of 12.0. Sophomore Thalia Milan came in third for the Cougars with a score of 182.10 and a degree of difficulty of 8.9.

Individual event winners for Niwot included Milan in the 200 freestyle (2:18.42), Wier-Bigelow in the 200 individual medley (2:31.21) and 100 breaststroke (120.71), Reese Lavigne in the 100 backstroke (1:13.80), Hannah Hooven in the 100 butterfly (1:20.35) and Altenborg in the 100 freestyle (101.23).

Other individuals picking up points for Niwot included Joshi (2nd) and Robin Loupee (4th) in the 200 freestyle; Hostelley (3rd) and Addison DeGeldere (4th) in the 200 IM; Altenborg (3rd), Donovan (4th) and Hooven (5th) in the 50 freestyle; Mira Stroker (2nd) and Meredith Streeter (3rd) in the 100 butterfly; Lavigne (2nd) Hostelley (3rd) and Daisy Bui (5th) in the 100 freestyle; Joshi (3rd) and Loupee (4th) in the 500 freestyle; Kennedie Campbell (3rd) in the 100 backstroke; and Donovan (2nd), Bui (3rd) and Mikaela Lohman (4th) in the 100 breaststroke.

The Cougars also swept the relays, with Lavigne, Phoebe Donovan, Emmy Hostelley and Hooven winning the 200 medley relay, and Altenborg, Hostelley, Milan and Heuer taking the honors in the 400 freestyle relay.

Lohman, Streeter, Campbell and Jessica Stadler added points in the 200 freestyle relay with a third-place finish; Bui, Brooklynne Pierce, Stroker and Sadler took third in the 200 medley relay; and Joshi, Hooven, Bui and Wier-Bigelow placed third in the 400 freestyle relay.

“The season is going pretty well so far,” Thramann said. “We had a great turn out with the number of girls on the team, a lot of them are learning fast, wanting to become better and put in the work, which is great. I’m excited to see what the rest of the season brings.”