Niwot cross country looks to maintain national standard

The Niwot High School cross country team enters the 2024-2025 season with high expectations, as both the boys and girls teams make the leap from the 4A classification to Class 5A, where they will face some of the toughest competition in the nation. After dominating the 4A State Championships last season and achieving impressive results at the Nike Cross National Meet-where the boys' team placed fifth and the girls' team secured second-the Cougars are ready to take on bigger schools and more challenging opponents.

Head coach Kelly Christensen reflected on last season with pride, saying, "We accomplished some things that no school had ever accomplished, and we celebrated every minute of the way. It was a blast." Now, with the team moving up to Class 5A, he maintains his philosophy of letting the kids lead the way. "The goals are athlete-driven," Christensen explained, saying that the team's season aspirations are set by the runners themselves during their annual summer barbecue.

The boys team enters the season ranked as a favorite in the 5A Preseason Coaches Poll, and with good reason. They return three key runners who finished in the top 11 at last year's state meet: junior Rocco Culpepper, junior Ryder Keeton, and senior Cole Mazurana. Additionally, the team boasts impressive depth with Hunter Robbie, Gabe Marshall, Quinn Sullivan, Evan Kear, Keegan Geldean, and Gavin Engtrakul all pushing each other to faster times. "The depth on the guy's side is pretty special and rare," Christensen noted.

On the girls side, Niwot also has lofty goals, despite facing stellar competition. With three of the top teams in the nation (Air Academy High School, Mountain Vista High School, and Niwot) competing in the same classification, the path to the top will be a challenge. But the girls remain confident, led by junior Addison Ritzenhein. Ritzenhein was dominant last year, winning both the state and national titles in the 5K, and earning the Gatorade Colorado and National Girls Cross Country Player of the Year award. She returns this year with the likelihood of more accolades and titles.

Alongside Ritzenhein, the girls team features several other standouts. Junior Anna Krok, who finished ninth at state last year, has had a strong summer and is poised for another great season. Alena Kasanicky and Avalon Beltran, who is coming back from injury, will also play key roles as the team aims to maintain its status as one of the top programs in the country.

The season kicks off on Saturday, Aug. 24, with a meet that will give the Cougars an early test against their rivals. "We start next Saturday and we're excited," Christensen said. "Air Academy, Mountain Vista for the girls, and Thompson Valley for the boys-it's gloves off and running next weekend."

As the Cougars prepare for the start of the season, Christensen is focused on more than just winning races. He takes a holistic approach to coaching, ensuring that his athletes develop as individuals as well as runners. "We really try to lean into what they want to accomplish and how they want to do it," he said. "We're really just trying to mix it up and do more non-running things and have fun and bond as a team, and really just not let running be our only identity."

Despite the move up, the Niwot High School cross country team is poised to make a significant impact within their new 5A classification. Supporting the top talent is the camaraderie of over 100 runners who will set out on the trails of Niwot this fall. The Cougars are ready to go after the challenges they have set for themselves as a team, and carry on a dynasty.