Cougar gymnastics lands second in varsity, first in JV and Coach of the Year

Niwot gymnasts competed with seven teams at their annual league competition on Oct. 23, and walked away with top-two finishes from both their varsity and JV teams. The event was the JV athletes' final meet of the season, and marked a meaningful milestone for the entire group.

A week earlier, the Cougars took part in a triangular home meet against Loveland High School and Mountain Range High School, and secured their highest team score of the season with 181.9 points.

The team shined at the Oct. 23 competition as well, where varsity earned 181.6 points and JV secured a 163.750 score. "We are actually waiting for confirmation that we may have hit the school record for points," Coach Marisa Purcell said, noting an exciting achievement by varsity athletes.

While every Cougar brought energy and effort to the meet, it had particular significance for JV gymnasts as it was their final competition for 2024. Junior Alexis Walker won first place in the JV category with a 1.35 point lead. She stated, "I think that it is really fun at the end of the season, because leagues for JV is kind of like our state."

Reflecting on her personal victory, she explained, "You have been working all season to get where you are, and it was just kind of a surreal moment."

Niwot gymnasts across the board accomplished impressive scores on Oct. 23, proving their ability as a 4A team while up against multiple 5A schools.

Vivian Holloran landed in third place in the JV all-around competition with 31.25 points, and Lilly O'Neil, a junior, tied for fifth place in the varsity all-around at 36.375 points.

Sophomore Evie Saunders secured 37 points on Oct. 23, helping her claim second place in the all-around. First was held by Mountain Range High School senior Frankie MacAskill, an accomplished 5A athlete.

Reflecting on O'Neil's and Saunders' high varsity finishes, Purcell said, "There is so much athleticity, and all of the elite gymnasts. So, having Niwot girls in that mix is an accomplishment."

The varsity team led the balance beam event in first, but also saw high-scoring exercises from Saunders and Junior Kylee Schlepp in vault, both of whom have excelled at the event all season. JV took the top scores for both the uneven bars and vault events.

Rounding out the excitement on Oct. 23, Purcell was honored as the league's Coach of the Year. She has passionately led Cougar gymnastics for nine years, in collaboration with assistant coach Maddi York for seven years.

Niwot's Oct.16 triangular was exciting for athletes as well, where the Cougars earned a team high score of 181.9 points. O'Neil explained that gymnasts were extremely enthusiastic about the accomplishment, remarking, "Our goal was to get a 178, and then it was really crazy when we hit a 180, which is a huge thing, so that was definitely the most exciting part, and we were all just having so much fun with it."

Varsity gymnasts have two challenging weeks ahead of them, and are looking to perform and enjoy themselves in their final meets. "You are tired at this point-school is hard, everyone's bodies hurt," Purcell said. She explained that the team strives to "have the vibes and the energy moving into postseason."

The Cougars will head to their regional meet on Nov. 1, where they hope to score high enough to qualify for the following weekend's state championship.

Even during intense competitions, connection is most valuable to the Niwot team. "We do better when we are having fun, and when we are happy for each other," O'Neil said.