Out In Leftfield  November 2011
BY BRUCE WARREN

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NIWOT YOUTH SPORTS

Basketball registration for the NYS recreational program is going on now for boys and girls K-8.  Registration is open through Nov. 27 online at www.niwotyouthsports.org. Mike Veeder is the recreational basketball director, while Tim Rudden is coordinating the competitive program for players in grades 5-8.  

CROSS COUNTRY

Megan Horsch (Niwot) finished 15th overall at the Rocky Mountain Shootout at the University of Colorado.  Horsch, a senior at the University of Northern Colorado, ran unattached in the meet, posting a time of 22:34 for the 5.8K course.
Sara Echsner (Niwot) finished eighth among Lewis & Clark runners at the 37th annual Charles Bowles Invitational at Willamette University.  Lewis & Clark finished fourth overall out of 16 teams, behind two Division I programs.  Echsner, a junior, ran the course in 19:56.05. Lewis & Clark is ranked 18th in the nation in Division III.  
David Perry (Niwot) finished sixth on the University of Portland team and 33rd overall at the NCAA Pre-National meet in Terre Haute, Ind. Perry posted a time of 24:50, one second behind the team’s fifth-place finisher.  Portland is ranked No. 8 nationally among Division I cross-country teams. Former Niwot High assistant coach Jesse Johnson is an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for Portland.  
Miranda Lahman (Niwot) finished 17th overall for Western Washington University at the Saint Martin’s Invitational Sept. 24.  Lahman ran a time of 25:31 for the 6K race.

BASEBALL

Tyler Hoog, first baseman for Skyline High School, and son of Niwot grad and Skyline coach Mike Hoog, suffered fractured vertebrae in a jeep accident in late August.  The younger Hoog has been undergoing rehabilitation at a rehab center in Atlanta for teens with spinal cord injuries.  Initially paralyzed from the shoulders down, he has recently been encouraged by signs of movement in his right bicep.  The Hoog family has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from the Longmont and Niwot communities.  A fundraiser is scheduled for Oct. 29 at 4 p.m. at the Plaza Hotel in Longmont.   

FOOTBALL

Kelton Manzanares (Niwot) played for Colorado School of Mines in a 48-33 win over Western State, and in a 28-20 victory over Colorado Mesa.  Manzanares, a defensive back, plays primarily on special teams. He has recorded two solo tackles and one assisted tackle on the season while playing in five of the team’s seven games. 
Tyler Strong (Niwot) started at left guard for Wyoming in a 41-14 win over UNLV.  Strong, who is also on the punting team, had one tackle in a 63-19 loss to Utah State, where he also started at left guard. He received the “Earn Your Spurs Award” for his outstanding performance against Nebraska. Two players are recognized in every game by the Wyoming coaches.

SWIMMING

James Rigg (Fairview) of Niwot lost his life in a swimming accident at Arizona State University Oct. 10.  Rigg was an exceptional swimmer who began his collegiate career at Wyoming before transferring to Arizona State in 2009.  His best events were sprint butterfly and backstroke where he used his skill at underwater swimming to great advantage. He was due to graduate in December. 
Christine Jennings (Niwot) finished third in the Pan American Games Open Water 10K Oct. 22 in Guadalajara, Mexico.  Jennings swam the event in 2:05:52.2, finishing less than a second behind Poliana Okimoto of Brazil, who finished second. In September, Jennings was one of 109 swimmers named to the 2011-2012 USA Swimming National Team.  

SOCCER

Lauren Braman (Niwot) has started 15 of 16 games for Nevada this season, and has played the most minutes of any player.  Braman, a junior defender, has taken only one shot on the season.  Nevada has a record of 3-13 through late October.
Peter Freeman (Niwot) has three assists on the season for Adams State.  Freeman has started 10 games and played in 13 of the team’s 14 games.  Adams State is 3-10-1 on the season.  Freeman, a senior, is featured in an action photo against Regis on the team’s website. 

Former Silver Creek high school teammates Erin Gunther of Creighton University and Danielle Figliola of Drake University battled each other Oct. 18, with Creighton coming out on top with a 1-0 victory.  Gunther had one shot on goal while Figliola had three shots on goal, but neither player was involved in the scoring. 

Gunther has four assists and one goal on the season. She picked up her last assist in a 2-1 loss to Kansas and had two more in a 4-2 win over Wright State. 
Figliola led Drake to a dramatic 2-1 double overtime win over Indiana State, heading the ball into the net for the game-winning goal. She also scored the game-tying goal in the 85th minute of regulation. Figliola was named Missouri Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week Oct. 4 for her efforts, which included a career-high nine shots, including four on goal. She leads the team in goals and assists. 

Santiago Velez (Niwot) saw action for Ohio State in a 3-2 loss to Northwestern Oct. 9. He was also one of only three players to come off the bench for the Buckeyes in a 1-0 win over Bowling Green.  He also played 11 minutes in a 3-1 loss to Akron earlier.  Velez is a freshman midfielder. 
Alyssa Beck (Alexander Dawson) of Niwot had one shot for Rollins in a 1-0 victory over Nova Southeastern Oct. 11, but did not score as the shot was blocked.  Beck missed last season due to injury. 
Kate Russell (Silver Creek) scored the only goal for the University of Colorado in a 3-1 loss to Oregon. CU picked up its first PAC12 victory, a  1-0 win over California.  Russell played the entire game, taking one shot, while teammate Lauren Shaner (Niwot) also started, playing 71 minutes. Russell and Shaner have played every game for the Buffs this season.  Russell has three goals and one assist for the year, while Shaner has one goal.

GOLF

Cole Nygren (Alexander Dawson) of Niwot finished second at state in Class 3A.  Nygren had a 3-shot lead after shooting a 67 on the first day.  He shot a 70 on the second day, but lost a 3-shot lead in the last three holes when his opponent posted three birdies while Nygren played par golf.  Nygren finished 21st last year at state. 
Silver Creek won the state Class 4A Golf Championship, beating defending champion Valor Christian by five strokes.  The Raptors finished with a two-day team score of 420 and were 12 under par for the tournament. Jack Adolfson was Silver Creek’s top golfer, finishing second overall with a total of 136, eight strokes under par. Dylan Wonnacott was close behind, finishing third at 137. Ryan Burke tied for 11th at 147 to complete the scoring.  Andrew Rademacher-Howe was right behind him at 152, finishing in a tie for 22nd.