Niwot cross country sweeps titles at Desert Twilight XC Festival

The Niwot High School cross country teams delivered an impressive performance at the Desert Twilight XC Festival on Friday, Sept 28, overcoming scorching 90-degree temperatures to capture both the girls and boys Sweepstakes titles. As the only school in the nation with both teams ranked in the top five nationally, the Cougars solidified their status as a powerhouse program with commanding victories on a hot night at the Toka Sticks Golf Club in Mesa, Arizona.

In the Girls Sweepstakes race, Niwot's Addison Ritzenhein, ranked No. 2 in the country and the reigning Nike Cross Nationals individual champion, dominated the field with a blistering time of 16:41.30. Ritzenhein, a junior, finished with a nearly 40-second margin over the second place runner.

Behind Ritzenhein's impressive performance, the Cougars placed four runners in the top 20. Juniors Anna Prok (6th, 17:41.60), Elise Hagen (12th, 18:09.80), and sophomore Scarlett Parks (20th, 18:28.30) contributed to the team's score of 80 points for a first-place team finish.

Highland High School of Arizona finished second with 123 points, followed by Mountain View High School from Utah in third (141). Fairview High School and Cherry Creek High School, both from Colorado, took fourth and fifth, respectively, with 143 points each.

Notably, six of the top ten runners in the Girls Sweepstakes race represented Colorado schools, including Niwot, Riverdale Ridge, Cherry Creek, and Fairview.

The No. 3 ranked Niwot boys team withstood a strong challenge from Rio Rancho High School in New Mexico and clinched the Boys Sweepstakes title with 69 points. A Rio Rancho runner narrowly outdueled Niwot's Rocco Culpepper, a junior, for the individual title, crossing the finish line just 2.1 seconds ahead of Culpepper's 14:22.30. A total of six runners broke the 15-minute mark on the 5,000-meter course, showcasing the event's high level of competition.

Niwot put five runners in the top 23 to secure the team victory, with Culpepper joined by sophomore Quinn Sullivan (11th, 15:17.20), juniors Ryder Keeton (15th, 15:12.90) and Hunter Robbie (20th, 15:17.20), and senior Keegan Geldean (23rd, 15:23.30). Rio Rancho took second place in the team standings with 117 points, followed by Coronado High School from Colorado Springs (138) and Valor Christian High School from Highlands Ranch (206).

Culpepper reflected the team's mindset following their Arizona success, saying, "We're feeling pretty excited about the rest of the season."

The Cougars continued to demonstrate their depth in the Boys Championship race. Niwot senior Evan Kear led the way with a second-place finish in 15:44.70, and he was followed closely by seniors Christopher Wood (3rd, 15:47.00) and William Lennert (4th, 15:49.50). The Cougars' remaining scorers, seniors Sammy Jackson and Brayan Herrera, crossed the finish line in eighth (15:56.00) and tenth (15:59.10), respectively.

Niwot's success extended into the Open races, where they captured several top spots. In the Boys Open race, the Cougars swept the top three positions. Senior Zachary Hlavacek led the field with a first-place win in 16:53.80, followed by senior Will Becker (17:07.40) and junior Nate Thompson (17:20.20). The Cougars packed seven runners into the top twenty, showcasing the talent of their entire team. Hlavacek noted, "We've worked day in and day out for this result, and it showed in Arizona on the national level."

On the girls' side, sophomore Elsza Bergen took the title in the Girls Open race with a time of 20:28.00, while fellow sophomore Alaan Foster finished second in 20:56.00. Senior Hayden Flynn rounded out Niwot's top-three sweep, crossing the finish line in 21:32.50. The Cougars placed four runners in the top ten, and six in the top twenty, adding to their impressive overall showing at the meet. Runners from Colorado schools, including Niwot, Cherry Creek, and Pueblo West, represented nine of the top ten spots in this race.

With their commanding victories in the Sweepstakes races and a deep roster, Niwot is poised to make waves during the latter half of the season. Looking at the rest of the schedule, the Cougars will be competing in the Pat Patten Invitational on Oct. 5, the Granite Peaks League Championship on Oct. 11, the Class 5A Region 3 Championships on Oct. 24, the Class 5A State Championships on Nov. 2, and the Nike Cross Nationals at the end of November.

Wood captured the team's sentiment, saying, "Our result in Arizona is super exciting and it shows just how deep of a team we are." He added, "The team is excited, but feels that our work isn't done yet and we've still got a lot to do before Nationals."