NHS cross country dominates Patten Invite

The Niwot High School cross country teams put in a strong performance at the Pat Patten Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 5, across both the varsity and open divisions.

The varsity boys team claimed fourth overall, scoring 109 points. Boulder High School took home the title with 55 points, followed by Rock Canyon High School (66 points) and Mountain Vista High School (76 points).

Senior Christopher Wood led the Cougars, finishing 15th with a time of 16:31.30. Fellow senior Brayan Herrera was close behind in 18th (16:37.80), and sophomore Garrett Sherrard took 20th with a 16:41.30. Niwot packed its runners well, with three more athletes finishing in the top 30: William Lennert (27th, 16:54.30), James Anthony (29th, 16:54.80), and Sammy Jackson (39th, 17:12.60).

The varsity girls team also saw solid performances from its runners. Leading the way was sophomore Eloise Boyd, who finished 20th overall with a time of 20:06.30. Senior Magnolia Valentine placed 83rd in 23:47.70, and sophomore Alaan Foster rounded out the Niwot finishers in 91st with a time of 26:22.30.

The open boys team claimed a commanding first-place finish, with 38 points to edge out Rock Canyon High School (49 points) and Castle View High School (67 points). Sophomore Praveen Bopearachchigedon led the way for the Cougars, finishing third in 17:35.80. He was followed by junior Duncan Atherton (5th, 18:00.30), freshman Zachary King (7th, 18:06.90), and sophomore Tai Morris (8th, 18:10.00). Senior Kai Toothaker capped off the scoring for Niwot, placing 15th with a time of 18:26.80. Niwot's depth in the boys' open division proved to be a strength, as the team packed its top five runners within the top 15 finishers, securing an impressive victory.

The open girls team secured sixth place with 162 points, behind Mountain Vista High School (15) in first and Boulder High School (58 points) in second. Freshman Natalie Cooper had a breakout race, placing sixth overall in 21:33.80. Sophomore Reese Osborn finished 20th (22:29.40), followed by freshman Kendall Toothaker, who placed 31st in 23:37.80. Several other runners, including Caroline Leslie (64th, 25:21.90) and Katie Scott (73rd, 26:17.10), contributed to the team's top-six finish.

The Cougar cross country program continues to show promise as the season progresses, with strong individual performances and team cohesion evident at the Pat Patten Invitational. The Cougars will look to build on this success as they prepare for the upcoming Granite Peaks League Championship on Oct. 11, followed by 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.