All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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The Niwot boys basketball team didn't see much success during the abbreviated 2020-21 season, but the "hard lessons" they learned during the 1-13 campaign should pay off in a much improved 2021-22, third-year head coach Clayton Wittrock said. "The fact that we are bringing in a more experienced group is big for us," Wittrock said. "I think you coach a team differently when they've been in those tough situations and faced some pressure ... I'm excited to see us be able to go have a decent...
Since 1993, the Niwot Historical Society has been on a mission to collect, preserve, and share memories from the town's rich and storied past, which stretches back nearly 150 years. Starting Saturday, Nov. 27, you can help support that mission and check an item off of your holiday to-do list with the purchase of a limited edition Niwot greeting card, featuring original artwork and a short lesson in local history. "The original watercolor paintings of a Niwot location have been donated for our...
November has been a busy month for Niwot High athletics, but the playing field isn't the only place where the Cougars have been winning trophies. On Nov. 5, a team of six seniors and two juniors from Mr. Benson's AP Economics class took on 32 other Colorado high schools in the Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge, held at the University of Denver. For 60 minutes, the aspiring wolves of Wall Street bought and sold stock in simulated transactions, trying to grow an initial $500,000...
Going into its semifinal match at the 2021 Class 4A state championships on Nov. 13, the No. 6 seed Niwot volleyball team seemed well-nigh unbeatable. Behind seniors Zoe Gibbs and Morgan Daugherty, the Cougars efficiently dispatched three straight opponents in the early rounds at Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs, the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds among them. After that, a trip to the championship finals seemed inevitable. Until it didn't. Niwot finally hit the wall against Longs Peak League foe...
On Nov. 13 at the Class 4A state championships, senior Morgan Daugherty played her final match in a Niwot volleyball uniform, ending a short but highly impactful career. In two seasons for the Cougars, the left-handed six-footer provided a powerful threat as an opposite side hitter, ending with 337 kills and 47 blocks, second only to fellow senior Zoe Gibbs. Earlier that week, Daugherty signed a letter of intent to continue her playing days at the South Dakota School of Mines, becoming Niwot's...
November is turning out to be eventful for Niwot junior Lucas Haratsaris, a talented saxophonist in the school's advanced jazz band. On Nov. 13, he submitted an audition for the Colorado All-State Jazz Band, which band director Wade Hendricks described as "incredibly challenging to get into." He followed that up on Nov. 15 with a day of rehearsing and performing with the Combined League Honor Jazz Band, a group composed of the upper quadrant of Colorado band students. To top it off, after...
As part of the effort to update the town's five-year strategic plan, the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee invited leaders from more than a dozen local community organizations to a round table discussion at the Left Hand Grange on Nov. 2 to discuss how to prioritize tax revenues over the coming years and encourage cooperation among the groups on community projects. Among the groups represented were the Niwot Business Association, Niwot Community Association, the Rotary Club of...
Niwot volleyball is heading back to state for the first time since its runner-up finish in 2018. On Nov. 6, the No. 6 seed Cougars blew through two opponents at the Region 6 qualifying tournament to earn one of 12 berths at the upcoming Class 4A state championships, slated for Nov. 11-13 at the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs. "They did phenomenal," fifth-year head coach Daisha Agho said afterwards. "Going to state is huge, and this team deserves it. They've worked really hard, and...
The Class 4A state gymnastics meet on Nov. 5 was full of memorable moments for Marisa Purcell and the Niwot gymnastics team, and there's at least one they'd like to forget. When it was all over at Thornton High, the Cougars came away with their best finish in the team competition since 2018, and an important lesson about sticking the landing. "There isn't anything they could have done differently," Purcell said. "They rocked the beam to end it, and to come out and stick five out of six, I'm...
At 6-foot 3-inches and 225 pounds, Niwot senior guard/tackle Brad Bair is a force to be reckoned with on the football field, as opponents across the scrimmage line from him can no doubt attest. But underneath that intimidating exterior lies a quiet workhorse who leads by example as he consistently does his job well, Niwot head coach Nikolas Blume said. "We actually give him a hard time about how nice he is, because no matter how hard you coach him, he's just so polite all the time. It's almost...
Live theater returned to the Niwot High stage on Nov. 5 with "Peter and the Starcatcher," and at least one of the cast members was thrilled to be back in front of a live audience. Junior Hosannah Adams starred as Black Stache, the play's comedic foil, and hearing crowd reaction in real time again is definitely something she missed. "It was the best, best feeling of my year so far," she said. "I can't compare anything to that feeling.... The whole cast just took a deep breath and was in awe when...
As predicted, the nationally-ranked Niwot girls cross country team ran away with the title after a historically dominating performance at the 2021 Class 4A state championships, held Oct. 30 at the Norris Penrose Events Center in Colorado Springs. All seven of Niwot's competitors finished in the top 16, and five of them finished in the top 10. That added up to just 20 points in the final standings, a record low across all classifications. But almost no one predicted that unheralded Eva Klingbeil...
Niwot's Zane Bergen put an exclamation point on the end of his high school cross country career with another title-winning performance at the Class 4A state championships. All alone when he crossed the finish line at the Norris Penrose Events Center in Colorado Springs, the Stanford-bound Bergen posted a time of 15 minutes, 17.70 seconds, breaking the Class 4A meet record he set in 2020 (15:29). It was the second straight individual cross country championship for Bergen, and extends Niwot's...
If you weren't in your seat when the horn sounded to start Niwot's game against Regis-Groff (9-7) in the first round of the Class 4A soccer playoffs, then you probably missed all of the scoring. Just seconds into the Oct. 28th game, senior forward Azael Marrufo took a kick-off pass from Mason Wright and sent it past the Fusion's keeper, giving the 19th-seeded Cougars a 1-0 lead before many spectators realized what was happening. "It was amazing," Maruffo said of the game-winning goal, his...
Behind a much-improved performance on the uneven bars, the resurgent Niwot gymnastics team turned in its top score of the season to claim first place at the Class 4A Region 2 championships, held Oct. 29 at Mountain Range High School. Now the Cougars are heading into the state championships on Nov. 5 with a renewed sense of optimism, according to head coach Marisa Purcell. "We worked really hard on bars, and really tried to get the routines into place," she said afterwards. "You can see the...
During four seasons as a varsity winger for Niwot, Azael Marrufo has been the Cougars' most productive attacker, with 34 goals in 34 games, the most recent a game-winner against Regis Groff in the first round of the 2021 Class 4A soccer playoffs. But that isn't the most memorable moment of Niwot soccer for the talented senior. That moment came during the 2020 postseason, and it isn't a wholly pleasant one. "Making it to the semi-finals was wonderful, because my brother made it to the...
Live theater returns to the Niwot High stage starting on Nov. 5 with the premiere of "Peter and the Starcatcher," a semi-musical reimagining of the Peter Pan story that explores his life before Neverland. Bringing the title character to life is senior Ethan Rauschkolb, a veteran of the NHS stage who said he is thrilled to be back in front of a live audience. "Opening is November 5th, and we're super excited about it," he said of the upcoming production, the first non-virtual one in more than 18...
Growing up, Mina O'Dell loved to copy the colorful cartoon characters she watched on T.V., and, over the years, that turned into a passion for painting and drawing. Now as a sophomore at Niwot, she is exploring a new medium that is challenging her perspectives. "I really like sculpting because it's so much different from drawing and painting," she said. "Because with a drawing, you can only see one point of view of the art that you're making. Whereas with sculpting, you can really put detail...
The 2021 season won't be remembered as the best in Niwot football history, but on Oct. 22 the Cougars made it the most successful in more than a decade. Behind a balanced performance in all three phases of the game, Niwot put down Mountain View 28-20 to deliver its fourth win of the season, the most since 2008. For Cougar second-year head coach Nik Blume, finally breaking the three-win curse is both a relief and another sign that the program is finally turning around. "[Niwot athletic director]...
Not much is perfect in life, but at least two things at the 2021 Class 4A Region 3 cross country championships on Oct. 22 were: the mild autumn weather, and the Niwot girls' final score in the team standings. Paced by sophomore Mia Prok with a time of 17 minutes 29 seconds, the Cougars took the first seven spots on the leaderboard, earning just 15 points, the lowest total possible. "I think we were all just excited to run here and have as many in the top as we could," Prok said following the...
The results weren't quite as perfect for Niwot in the boys' race, but with six runners in the top 10, it was a title-winning performance nonetheless. Behind defending Class 4A champion Zane Bergen in first place, the Cougars scored just 22 points, more than 30 ahead of second place Centaurus (56), and 64 ahead of third-place Denver South (84). With the win, Niwot captured the Class 4A Region 3 crown for the third year ini a row, and will now move on to try for a third consecutive state title....
In September 2020, Niwot distance runner Eva Klingbeil was on the cusp of a breakout season when she suffered an injury that ended her racing year prematurely. For the first time since joining the varsity as a freshman, she would be on the sidelines for the Class 4A regional and state championships, instead of helping Niwot win the titles. That was "really hard," Klingbeil acknowledged, so she was determined not to let history repeat itself during her senior season. "I definitely have gotten a...
What has thousands of legs and puts on a disguise to invade downtown Niwot each October? The annual Great Pumpkin Party and Parade, a family-friendly celebration of all things fall and Halloween. "The people make it good," longtime Niwot realtor and event sponsor Pat Murphy said. "Seeing all of the costumes that everyone comes up with and working with all of the volunteers is my favorite part." The free festivities, sponsored by the Niwot Business Association with support from the Niwot Local...
Niwot Cougars head coach Nikolas Blume didn't mince his words after the team's 34-0 loss on the road at Thompson Valley (2-4) on Oct. 14. "I'm not sure if we ever got off the bus," he said. "We were bad, 100 percent. We were just bad." It's an assessment that's hard to refute, though there were mitigating factors, notably the absence of junior quarterback Ben Classen, a difference maker on both sides of the ball. In five games for Niwot this season, he has amassed 582 yards, which is good for 10...
Behind a title-winning performance from LiChen Liao at No. 2 singles, the Niwot boys tennis team finished third overall at the 2021 Class 4A state tennis championships, held at Pueblo's City Park on Oct. 14-16. Liao efficiently dispatched his three early round opponents in straight sets, before facing Owen Duffy of George Washington in the Saturday morning final. There, the sophomore said, he let Duffy do most of the work. "The way my opponent played today fit my game more, because he was...
With his varsity tennis season now behind him, Niwot senior Raaghav Agarwal is turning his attention to another type of head-to-head match. This year, he is taking on a key technical role for the Up-A-Creek Robotics' Team 1619, one of the top high school robotics teams in Colorado. Though competition season is still a few months away, Agarwal is excited about the youthful squad, and looking forward to getting back into the arena. "This year, we're going back to in-person challenges, which is...
In its first face-to-face meeting since March 2020, the Niwot Local Improvement District advisory committee heard a request to fund Niwot Holiday Magic, discussed the recent strategic planning meeting, and got an update on the public parking lot. It was also the first meeting for new business representative Keith Waters, who was appointed to a five-year term by the Boulder County Board of Commissioners last month. Waters is a professor at the CU College of Music and co-owner of Inkberry Books...
Dung Nam Pham is a gifted violinist in Niwot High's orchestra who pours his emotions into his performances. But for the school's orchestra director, Yin-Feng Keynes Chen, the senior's natural talent is just one of the attributes that make him a great musician. "He has been a very dedicated musician in our orchestra program ever since his freshman year," Chen wrote in an email. "Not only is he one of the hardest workers among his peers, his strong passion for high-level music making is quite...
The Niwot boys tennis team punched its ticket to the Class 4A state championships with a rousing team win at the 2021 Region 5 tournament, held at the home courts on Oct. 6-7. Led by junior Luke Weber at No. 1 singles, five of the Cougars' seven lines claimed individual titles, which was good for 87 points and first place in the team standings, as well as five top seeds at the upcoming state tournament at Pueblo's City Park, Oct. 14-16. Afterwards, Weber said that he is excited to battle for a...
It's cliche to say that a team played better than the final score indicated, but for second-year head coach Nik Blume, it's also a pretty fair characterization of Niwot's 52-27 loss to fourth-ranked Fort Morgan on Oct. 7. "You have to take your little victories, and that's a win for us, despite what the scoreboard looks like," he said afterwards. "I hate losing so much, but tonight I found a way to look at the boys and realized we never went away. That was a big positive for us-never folding and...
Losing a star player never helps a team, but the absence of standout middle hitter Zoe Gibbs didn't seem to hurt the Niwot volleyball team in its home match against Mountain View (4-13, 1-10) on Oct. 8. With both veterans and newcomers taking up the slack, the Cougars swept the Lions in three easy sets (25-14, 25-11, 25-11) for their eighth straight victory and sole possession of first place in the Longs Peak League. "The rest of this team is talented enough and willing to take on the...
"Take Us To The Stars," an original oil painting by Niwot artist Mary McClure, was named co-winner of the JFK Portrait Contest, a creative art competition inviting artists aged 14-26 to celebrate the legacy of John F. Kennedy using one of his core ideals of service, justice, freedom, courage, and gratitude as inspiration. "I've always associated him with the courage to go to space," McClure, 26, said of the contest's namesake. "I think space travel is incredible, and he was the first one to do...
Plans to preserve and repair the deteriorating tree carvings along Niwot Road have been under consideration for years, but after the untimely death of artist Eddie Running Wolf in the summer of 2020, the project took on new urgency. Now, 14 months later, those efforts are officially underway. On Oct. 2, a group of volunteers from the Niwot Business Association moved the oldest and most damaged of the three, "Biitoheinen (Spear Lodge Man)", from its roadside location to a nearby workshop where it...
The third time was a charm for senior Niwot golfer Christopher Gunlikson at the 2021 class 4A golf championships, held Oct. 4-5 at City Park golf course in Denver. Behind a sharp short game and smart shot-selection, the senior carded a two-round score of 143 to capture sixth place overall, his first top-10 finish after two disappointing state appearances as a sophomore and junior. "I'm happy I had a big comeback, because last round was not the finish I wanted at all," Gunlikson said after...
Junior quarterback Ben Classen was definitely the star of Niwot's 42-13 win over Skyview, but it was senior Bryce Nemec who had the most memorable moment of the game. With Niwot leading 35-6 in the 4th quarter, the hard hitting lineman heard a play call he was not expecting. "We practice once or twice a week that if we get close [to the goal line], then I would run it in," he said of his 2-yard rush for a touchdown, the first of his career. "I almost bobbled it, actually. I got a little nervous,...
Vocalist Rianna Rickford loves to perform, whether it's in Niwot's prestigious Evenstar choir, or in a theater department musical, such as Cinderella or Little Shop of Horrors. For choir director Laura Roberts, Rickford's dedication to her craft is nothing short of inspiring. "She is probably one of the most improved singers in the choir program," Walters wrote of the senior, who is currently a member of the school's Evenstar choir, and is deeply involved in the fall musical. "She has the...
Now that the summer harvest is in, what's next for your backyard garden? With cold weather coming, what goes in the compost pile? For answers to these questions and more, join master gardeners from Boulder County for a free virtual workshop on garden clean up and backyard composting in the fall. "The workshop is ideal for anyone, and definitely accessible to the beginner level," Boulder County's Michal Duffy of the Resource Conservation Division said. "Folks who are having their first garden or...
The Niwot boys golf team is heading back to the Class 4A championships, after a rock steady round at the Region 3 qualifying tournament on Sept. 21. Behind clutch putting from Christopher Gunlikson and some well-timed consistency from his teammates, the Cougars finished second overall out of a 16-team field, and secured an elusive team bid to the state tournament for the first time since 2017. For seventh-year head coach Ed Weaver, the Cougars' proficient performance was gratifying on several...
During his first three seasons as a Niwot varsity golfer, talented left-hander Christopher Gunlikson was one of the league's strongest performers during the regular season, but struggled with consistency when it came to high pressure and postseason tournaments. He wanted his fourth and final season as a Cougar to be different, so he spent last off-season getting "tournament tough" at local and statewide junior golf events, while making a few adjustments to his game here and there. The ultimate...
Senior Jacob Elston scored twice, while three of his teammates also found the back of the net as the Niwot boys soccer team posted a 5-0 victory over Mountain View at home on Sept. 23. It was the fourth straight win for the Cougars, who improved to 6-2 on the year, and remain undefeated in Longs Peak League play. "It's really good to start to see a variety of guys show up," sixth-year head coach Stephen Dimit said. "We're still a team working on things, and we're working the patterns...
On Sept. 24, Niwot cross country added another data point to the growing body of evidence that its teams are among the best in the country. With a colorful Arizona sunset as a backdrop, both the Niwot boys and girls took first overall in the Sweepstakes races at the Desert Twilight XC Festival, a prestigious regional competition featuring nationally ranked teams from five western states. As he has for the past two years, Zane Bergen led the way for the Niwot boys, finishing first in the 232-runn...
Niwot Oktoberfest, a local tribute to the 211-year-old Bavarian volksfest, is coming to Cottonwood Square and 2nd Avenue on Saturday, Oct. 9. With activities ranging from inflatable horse races, to food tasting, to German dancing, there will be something there for everyone in the mood to celebrate the changing of the seasons, according to organizer Deborah Read Fowler of the Niwot Business Association. "It should be a really fun day," she said. "It's more interactive, and it's outside. A lot of...
The Niwot Community Association is now accepting applications for the 2021 Veterans Banner Project, a public tribute to locals who have served or are serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Starting in October, full-color banners featuring a photo and service details of the honoree will be hung from lighting fixtures along 2nd Avenue and in Cottonwood Square, where they will remain through Veterans Day. The NCA launched the banner project in 2019 as a way to recognize former or current service...
Thanks to the pandemic and restrictions on school activities, Sreya Karumanchi's year as a junior drum major for the Niwot Marching Band was a bit of a let-down. But dealing with the challenges from the 2020 season also taught her some valuable lessons in leadership that have helped her senior year get off to a great start. "It made me understand the importance of flexibility and long-term growth," the longtime clarinet player said. "I knew that this year would be difficult, just because of the...
The Niwot offense got off to another slow start in its Sept. 17 matchup against league foe Riverdale Ridge, scoring just six points in three quarters, despite success moving the ball on the ground. But for the fourth quarter, junior quarterback Ben Classen had some late-game heroics up his sleeve, and four touchdowns later, the raucous homecoming crowd was rewarded with a 34-20 victory. "If you sit in the stands, you can see why Ben Classen has such a huge impact when he's playing both sides,"...
Niwot cross country coach Kelly Christensen wasn't surprised when nationally-ranked runner Zane Bergen crossed the finish line first at the St. Vrain Invitational on Sept. 18, but he was surprised to see so many Cougars on the senior's heels. "We had some congestion and sniffles early in the week with two or three of them," Christensen said, quickly adding that everyone had tested negative for COVID. "So they didn't really get a chance to do much this week, other than a few horrible runs, so I...
Niwot senior Isaac Robinson describes himself as "a little bit of a perfectionist" when it comes to academics, a tendency that has paid off with a top GPA and a selection as a 2021 National Merit semi-finalist. Now the senior is taking those perfectionist tendencies to the cross country course for Niwot, where they have been paying off with top finishes in challenging varsity races. He said that's a result of increased training and focusing on "the little things," that actually have a big...
As a senior in Niwot High's IB program last year, Mackenzie Demmel created St. Vrain for the Brain, a virtual 5K run/walk that raised nearly $4,000 for brain tumor research. Now the fun run is back for a second year, but this time you can get in on the action with family, friends and fellow runners on a course that starts at the high school. While that meant more work for Demmel in 2021, it's all worth it to raise more money for a cause that is near and dear to her heart, she said. "I'm just...
Behind sophomore Anne Booth and her 10 RBIs, Niwot won three out of four games at the Berthoud Invitational softball tournament, held Sept. 10-11 in Loveland. With the wins, Niwot improved to 7-7 on the year, with nine games left in the 2021 season. The tournament got off to an inauspicious start for the Cougars on Friday, as they struggled to score runs against Windsor, despite amassing 10 hits, resulting in an 11-4 loss. Booth was responsible for two of those, and senior Ayva McComas also had...
Niwot gymnast Mia Curry admitted that winning a third straight Class 4A all-around title is in the "back of her mind," but there's another piece of hardware that she'd rather have at the end of her senior season: the 2021 team championship trophy. "Right now, my only goal is to help my team get the state win, because I think that would be the best way that I could finish my high school career," she said after Niwot's triangular meet against Fort Morgan and Lone Star on Sept. 8. "I just want to...
