Nike in Niwot to present Cross Nationals champion XC trophy

Students at Niwot High School were suddenly summoned to the main gym at 9:13 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 8, but no one, save for school administrators and a few invited guests, knew what the occasion was.

Pep band members received a cryptic message from Band Director Wade Hendricks the day before – "Emergency Pep Band during Cougar CORE!...[G]et your instrument quickly and head [to] the gym as soon as humanly possible." Drumline Instructor Scott Barto followed with a message the next morning at 9:08 a.m., "We need to set up FAST!"

As some 1300 students and staff filed into the gym, the band and cheerleaders took positions on the gym floor. It was soon apparent that Nike was in Niwot to honor the Cougar boys cross country team and present the Nike Cross Nationals Championship trophy at a surprise pep rally.

Nike Global Running Coach Chris Bennett, a former high school teacher and coach, served as Master of Ceremonies, introducing Head Coach Kelly Christensen, Assistant Coach Daniel Bloom, and the seven runners, Hunter Robbie, Keegan Geldean, Quinn Sullivan, Gabriel Marshall, Gavin Engtrakul, Rocco Culpepper and Ryder Keeton, who went to Portland, Oregon, to run a rain-soaked course, and came home with the national title. He led the students in cheers, reminding them that they might be able to extend the break from classes. "The more you cheer, it could bleed over into the next period," he said.

Bennett noted that the Cougars had won the Colorado state 5A cross country title, and said, "Niwot is known, in distance running and cross country, from New Jersey to Oregon." He continued, "This is one of the greatest programs in the United States. There are just over 27,000 high schools in the United States. There are over 500,000 athletes that do cross country." He said the boys field in Portland included 32 state championship teams, and 70 individual state championship runners, making it the deepest field ever assembled.

Bennett described the race, saying, "There is a section of the course in the back. Fans don't make it out there. I consider it the hardest part of the course because no one's watching. Niwot was not in the lead heading into the back portion of the course, but when they came out, they were in the lead. They never gave it up. It was a complete total win by the Niwot boys. They are, emphatically, the best team in the United States."

Coach Christensen's parents, Don and Laura Christensen, were on hand, along with Stefanie Kamm, Kelly Christensen's girlfriend, who works in the outdoor sports marketing field.

St. Vrain Valley School District Superintendent Don Haddad, a former NHS principal, was also on hand, as well as district Athletic Director Chase McBride, also a former NHS athletic director.

Principal Eric Rauschkolb served as the chief cheerleader, telling the crowd, "This has never happened before, this is the first time in the state of Colorado" when describing the national championship. Nike set up a large video screen, with images that gave the crowd a sense of what the rainy weather was like in Oregon when Niwot won the title.

And the icing on the cake was an appearance by NHS alum Elise Cranny, a two-time Olympic runner and current U.S. record holder in the indoor 5K. Cranny, who has moved back to Colorado ater an impressive running career at Stanford, is now sponsored by Nike and was able to see Coach Christensen shortly after the boys finished the race in Oregon. She renewed acquaintances with NHS fans and staff members, including counselor Leah Messinger, who recalled babysitting Cranny in her younger days.

Cranny said, "It's so special to be back. The same cheers are going on." When asked what teachers made an impact on her, she cited teacher Nicole Endres, who she said "taught me how to cook." She also gave a shout out to social studies teacher Clark Burton, who is still on staff.

Rauschkolb pointed to the banners lining the walls of the gym, pointing out that Niwot High has had 23 team state champions since 2014, and 136 individual state champions. He noted that NHS cross country runner Addy Ritzenhein had won an individual national cross country title in 2023, and that Niwot could now boast a team national champion as well as an individual national champion.