All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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The Niwot High School boys soccer team finally lost its undefeated record, tying Centaurus High School 0-0 before losing 3-1 to rival Silver Creek High School. The Cougars are now 3-1-2 on the season with their Thursday loss against Silver Creek being their first loss of the season. Both Centaurus (#1) and Silver Creek (#4) were top teams in the league and ranked in the CHSAA top 10, so Niwot playing close with them is a good sign for the season. Niwot's first game last week was on Tuesday where...
Twenty-five years ago, the Niwot High School baseball program won its first state title, winning the Class 4A championship game with a mercy-rule 5-inning 14-0 victory over Broomfield. A celebration of that first state title as well as the 50-year program is scheduled for Saturday Sept. 23 at 12 noon at the NHS baseball field as part of Homecoming Week. Senior Eric Larson led off the 1998 championship game with a homerun, and sophomore Mike Moat pitched a shutout. That marked the first of five s...
Once a year each spring is an affair every high school student looks forward to. The social event of the year, a time to unwind towards the end of school, the one time to get dressed up and party like there's no tomorrow. The event in question, of course, is prom. But Shine Prom isn't being held at a school, nor in the spring, as is traditional. Shine Prom is held every year at Rocky Mountain Christian Church (RMCC) locations in Frederick and Niwot to celebrate the special needs community and...
The Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee (LID) met Tuesday, Sept. 5, at the Niwot Inn, and approved six out of seven funding requests, all submitted by the Niwot Business Association. Kate Head of Pebble Art Jewelry presented a funding request for Out and About, a one-day event, now in its second year, designed to allow "all businesses to showcase their services and products in a fun way all around town," according to the application. The event is scheduled for Saturday, Sept....
According to Kalah Jackson, the Arts Student of the Week, when she got her first jewelry commission it opened a new world of possibilities for her future. Jackson saw creating jewelry as a potential way to earn money once she becomes an adult, and that will be helpful, she says, given that she is not interested in typically high paying careers. Jackson's art has been shown at the St. Vrain School District Art Show for the last two years, and last year she was also able to show her work from a...
Niwot Elementary School has hired a significant number of new teachers this fall due to retirements and student enrollment. In the past year, several teachers retired at Niwot Elementary School, including Julie Nelson-Breyer, Jessica Easley, and Lori Charbonneau, all of whom taught at Niwot for an average of two decades. As a result of the retirements and the school's commitment to maintain an appropriate student-to-teacher ratio, the school hired six new teachers. "Because we lost teachers, we...
Very few high school student-athletes take their work more seriously than Niwot volleyball senior Lizzy Kaus. Prior to the season, Cougars head coach Tony Engel described the work ethic of his middle blocker, saying she "comes to work with a hard hat on every day," and locks in on getting better. An improved Kaus finally got to reap the benefit of her efforts on Sept. 5 when she helped Niwot to a season-opening sweep of Silver Creek High School. The third-year varsity player contributed four...
Last week's Niwot High softball squad started with a hard-fought loss that served as a warmup for a successful tournament the following Friday and Saturday in Loveland. Ultimately, the team ended the week with a 5-3 record, a 20th-place ranking in Colorado Class 4A and a fifth-place spot solidly in the middle of rankings of the Longs Peak League. Tuesday's game against the Roosevelt High School Roughriders presented a challenge that the Cougars battled through from the first inning, when Cougar...
Golf balls were flying this past week for the Niwot High School Cougars as 16 players teed it up in four different events. The varsity team took to the links last Tuesday at Ute Creek Golf Course in the Longs Peak League’s Skyline tournament, coming up one stroke shy of nemesis Riverdale Ridge High School for the victory. The Cougars’ JV representatives at the Skyline JV event ran away with a 25-stroke victory over second-place Severance High School in that nine-hole tournament. And, across town at Twin Peaks Golf Course, two Niwot foursomes te...
After finishing eighth in the Class 4A state championship a year ago, Niwot's Maeve Flentie was looking at this season as a year to solidify her position as one of the state's best gymnasts. Last Wednesday at home, Flentie took a big step forward, winning the All-Around title at the Cougar-hosted, three-team meet. The junior led her team to a team-total of 173.5 points, two points better than the Cougars' meet total of 171 in their prior competition. Roosevelt High School finished in second...
Niwot girls volleyball coach Tony Engel was pleased with how his team came out of the gate to start the season, winning a 3-set match against Silver Creek High School Sept. 5. The team's season opener was one of the latest in Colorado as Silver Creek and many other teams started the season as early as Aug. 17. "We came out a little nervous," Engel said. "We didn't play our game. We were a little over excited. We kind of settled down and we figured out what Niwot volleyball was," Coach Engel...
Niwot High School Boys Soccer wrapped up the fourth game of the year, tying against Denver North High School 1-1 as the Cougars remain undefeated at 3-0-1. Niwot struggled early on against the Denver North Vikings, as they went scoreless during the first half, but junior goalkeeper Malachi Gilmore was also able to shut out Denver North during that half. Niwot switched goalies at the half, putting in junior Lucas Willard. Willard let one goal get by him, but he played a good half. Niwot struggled...
Twenty-five years ago, the Niwot High School baseball program won its first state title, winning the Class 4A championship game with a mercy-rule 5-inning 14-0 victory over Broomfield. A celebration of that first state title as well as the 50-year program is scheduled for Saturday Sept. 23 at 12 noon at the NHS baseball field as part of Homecoming Week. Senior Eric Larson led off the 1998 championship game with a homerun, and sophomore Mike Moat pitched a shutout. That marked the first of five s...
While Niwot High School was on a rampage early this year, with a hot 2-0 start, the Cougars have finally cooled down as they lost their first game of the year against the Skyview High School Wolverines. Niwot lost in a heartbreaker, 16-14, with the outcome decided on the final play of the game. Niwot started the game on offense with Haden Shaw breaking off a long run on the second play of the game that gave Niwot great field position. Chad Volf connected with Sergio Pimentel through the air a...
Just off of Highway 119 on the north side of Niwot Road is a new carved rock sign, welcoming visitors who get off the Diagonal Highway to enter Niwot. Montana Heather, a Niwot High School senior, created the sign, located on the north side of Niwot Road just across from Peppertree Drive, as his Eagle Scout project. The planning and coordinating behind the construction of the sign took almost two years due to the spacing requirements of the sign itself, which required approval by Boulder County b...
Ash Kissinger, a sophomore at Niwot High School, got involved in theater almost by accident. "I never really intended on getting into it seriously, it just kind of happened," Kissinger said. Now, he admits that it is the thing that gets him out of bed in the morning and the thing he wants to pursue for the rest of his life. "It has introduced me to the best people in my life and I wouldn't trade it for the world," he said. Since the age of nine, Kissinger has been involved in theater with the...
Six years after his older brother Jason scored 13 goals for Niwot High School in 2017, Josh Rodriguez is currently enjoying his own stellar senior season for the Cougars boys soccer team. The younger Rodriguez owns six of Niwot's eight goals scored, plus a pair of assists through three games. He credited his early success to his teammates, who together have the Cougars off to an undefeated start. "I've known a lot of them for a while, so the chemistry is there," Rodriguez said. "It's obviously...
Niwot High School's softball team entered into the Labor Day weekend at fifth place in the 4A Longs Peak league. They finished out the last week of August with a 5-3 record, a persevering attitude and excitement for how the rest of the season will proceed. With a few weeks of experience, the team is getting to know how they'll work together on the field, maintaining focus and appearing to build on-field connections. On Aug. 24, the Cougars started the day with a 15-0 win over Thompson Valley,...
What a difference a week makes! After struggling two weeks ago at their own golf tournament, the Niwot Cougars roared back last week, finishing a close second at the Fort Morgan league event, three shots behind Riverdale Ridge High School, and then winning the Mountain View league event at the Olde Course at Loveland by three strokes over those same Ravens. The tournaments were highlighted by individual titles at both events for senior Emmett Shell. The Cougars' low average leader throughout...
Hundreds of runners and their fans were out in force Saturday, Sept. 2, for the 2023 Wyoming Cross Country Invitational at the Little America Resort Golf Course in Cheyenne. Collegiate men’s and women’s teams as well as high school varsity and junior varsity boys’ and girls’ teams from across Wyoming and Colorado were represented at the spectacle. The collegiate host, the University of Wyoming Cowboys, edged out rival Colorado State to win the men’s event. The CSU women, ranked 26th in the nation, returned the favor by winning their race over...
Niwot High School football is now two weeks into the current season and with a 29-14 win against the Thornton High School Trojans, Niwot is off to a 2-0 start. Niwot was dominant on the offensive side of the ball scoring points during each quarter, with the defense keeping Thornton off the scoreboard until the fourth quarter. Niwot started the game on defense, quickly shutting Thornton down with an interception by senior defensive back Sergio Pimentel on a deep pass. Niwot then started its...
High school coaches know that the first event of any new season comes brimming with high expectations, high anxiety, and heightened nerves. How all that manifests for young athletes in the spotlight is part of the unknown thrill of opening night. “The first meet usually goes one of two ways,” Niwot High School gymnastics Coach Marisa Purcell explained. “When they come out, they have super high energy and they’re even more excited when you’re at home. So, either all that adrenaline is good and you go out and get a really high score or it’s like...
Niwot High School boys soccer started strong as the Cougars continue to pile up wins on the season, with their most recent coming against the George Washington High School Patriots this past Wednesday with a 2-1 victory. Niwot is now 3-0 on the season, with all three games varying with ease. This was Niwot's closest game to date this season, with Niwot holding on at the end of the game to squeak by. Senior Josh Rodriguez was able to get an early goal that was assisted by senior Bo Gardner. The...
Pete Dawson, age 72, of Estes Park, formerly of Niwot, Colorado, passed away peacefully at his home, surrounded by his family, on August 20, 2023. Pete was born on December 31, 1950 in Neenah, Wisconsin where he lived with his parents Paul and Lillian, his older sisters Gail and Kathy, and his younger brother Joe. The family moved to Boulder in 1960. Pete graduated from Fairview High School in 1969 and his high school years were filled with many achievements. He was a state medalist in golf, lea... Full story
Talk about an interesting life. Michael Brennan has done it all – from being a "ski bum" and working in a sawmill in Telluride, to living in London during the Beatles era, to having assisted as a Yale-educated physician's assistant at 7,500 open heart surgeries at the biggest medical facility in Maine for 25 years. He is now a Niwot Familiar Face as a bartender for the past two years at The Wheel House. This is a story you couldn't make up. "Pure luck," he said of his fascinating life. "It w...
A beautiful evening greeted concert-goers at the penultimate Rock & Rails concert of the season on Aug. 24. Although gray skies threatened, nothing more than a brief dash of rain fell, making for a perfect summer evening. Rock & Rails veteran Wendy Woo opened the evening. A Boulder native, Woo's parents were founding faculty members at Naropa University in Boulder. Influential beat writers such as Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, and Ken Kesey would be regulars in the living room – a fact s...
The Niwot High School football season started strong with a narrow 14-7 victory against the Greeley Central High School Wildcats. Niwot found a lot of success on offense with a wide variety of passing and rushing plays. Quarterback Chad Volf dominated success on the ground which helped open up the Cougar air attack. On the defensive side of the ball, Niwot shut Greeley down, only allowing one score, while also holding them off at the end of the game. To start the game, Niwot was on defense,...
Switching high schools often comes with its challenges but for Jenna Hobson, her transition from Boulder to Niwot High School was made easier thanks to a "welcoming" softball program. Now in the midst of her third and final varsity softball season at Niwot, the senior looks back fondly on her time with the Cougars. "We've been talking about senior night the whole season," Hobson said. "I'm so sad to leave everyone. They're my best friends. You don't know them and then they're the people that...
The Niwot High School boys soccer season has started off hot, as the Cougars are 2-0 now after the second week of the season. Niwot beat the Wheat Ridge Farmers 1-0 last Thursday. Niwot was much stronger than the score would indicate as they maintained possession throughout most of the game, getting solid shots on net all during the game. Josh Rodriguez was able to kick Niwot off to an early lead with a goal assisted by Bo Gardner halfway through the first period. Niwot got good shots off all...
While it hasn't come simply by chance, Tony Engel enjoys a luxury that not every high school head coach possesses. For the third consecutive year, over 75 students tried out for Engel's Niwot High School girls volleyball program, giving him more than enough talent to replace the six seniors he lost following last season. The only downside is that Engel was forced to make cuts with roughly 50 total roster spots available within Niwot's varsity, junior varsity, C and D teams. "This year was by...
The beauty of golf is that it rewards a balance among strength, finesse, and mental acumen. When all aspects are clicking, the game can seem easy. But when the scales are out of balance, golf can be one of the most frustrating sports. Niwot High School golf coach Ed Weaver has spent this season coaxing his players to find that equilibrium. And he knows he hasn't finished delivering the message. "Length is our strength and length is our nemesis," Weaver explained while discussing the host...
“Go out steady . . . gradually pick up the pace . . . and sprint to a strong finish.” Sounds like a great strategy for an individual cross-country runner. It’s also the approach Niwot Coach Kelly Christensen uses to sketch out the blueprint for his team’s entire season. “We kind of travel to the beat of our own drum,” Christensen said. “We take a slower approach to our season than you might normally see. We’re a team that goes very late into June with our track athletes and a lot of the other teams don’t. While we’re still racing track in lat...
Robert "Bert" Merrill Steele Oct. 16, 1950 - Aug. 7, 2023 Robert "Bert" Merrill Steele passed away peacefully on August 7, 2023, in Niwot, Colorado, at the age of 72. Born on October 16, 1950, in Fort Collins, Colorado, he leaves behind a legacy that will forever be cherished by his family, friends, and community. A true grocer at heart, Bert found comfort and joy in his work and his community. He held a deep affection for his family, his roots, and a hard day's work that came along with... Full story
Niwot recently lost two men who left incredibly large shoes to fill. Both men died unexpectedly in their early 70s, while still very much active in their businesses. Art Stapp was Stapp Interstate Toyota, once located in south Longmont, and now located east of town off I-25. Bert Steele was The Niwot Market, in Niwot’s Cottonwood Square Shopping Center. Though their businesses were very different, each, in his own way, left an indelible mark on our community. There were many similarities, though you might not think so at first glance. Both ran...
Niwot resident Michelle Law, who was born in Illinois, raised in Ohio and moved to Colorado in 1997, is this week's Left Hand Laurel for her work as the Scout Leader and Advancement Chair of Troop 161-G, a scout troop established in 2021 when the organization simply became known as "Scouts." "The biggest thing I see," said Law, who has been involved with scouts from the time she was a little girl, "is you start as an 11-year-old fifth-grader and mature into a competent young adult." Law...
This week's Rock & Rails headliner is possibly the first performer in the series to have ever set foot on Whistle Stop Park's gazebo stage. Nalani is a Niwot High School graduate with deep area roots and fond memories of the concert series. "Rock & Rails is my home," Nalani said. "I remember when they built the gazebo and feeling that it was an anchor point for a community space. I just stood up on it, with my arms wide open, and wondered what the space would be like with the crowd, vendors,...
Coach Christina Ayers took her Niwot High School cheer squad to Colorado State University July 6-9 for a cheer camp, and they came home with first-place and second-place awards. "We attended the UCA Varsity Summer Camp at CSU this summer," Ayers said. "During the camp, the team won the Spirit Bananas on the first night, and during the showcase, came in first in the Camp Dance and second in the Game Day Routine." "Our objective this camp was to unite our team and continue forward with our...
According to Lily Sykes, Arts Student of the Week, "Music is a beautiful mix between emotion and mathematics." Sykes believes that is what draws her to it. "Music theory is fundamentally based in mathematics, and playing an instrument is a very mathematical process: press the right buttons, use the right muscles," Sykes said, "and the right sound will come out. However, this is not the magic of music. While making the right sounds is very methodical and important, true music goes beyond playing...
Skyler Messinger, a corner infielder for the Fresno Grizzlies of the Class A California League, was named the Colorado Rockies' Minor League Player of the Month for July. In 22 games during July, Messinger hit .326, with a .414 on base percentage and a .744 slugging percentage. His production included 10 doubles, a triple, eight home runs, 28 RBIs and two stolen bases. "At the end of May I made a pretty big swing change," Messinger said. "My last year at Texas I hit with a really wide stance and...
When Niwot opens its football season on the road at Greeley Central High School on Friday, Aug. 25, the Cougars should have at least 16 seniors suiting up, the most in Coach Nik Blume's four-year stint as head coach. Collectively, they should weigh far more than a ton, with some players checking in at 275 pounds. For perspective, the Cougars had only three seniors last season, when they finished 3-7. "We averaged 30 kids in the weight room and 30 kids at summer practices this year," Blume said. "When I started four years ago, we were lucky to...
Walker Bounds was met with a "dream opportunity" when Niwot High School Athletic Director Joe Brown reached out to him regarding the school's vacant boys basketball head coaching position. The 2016 Niwot graduate played three varsity seasons for the Cougars and has long seen the program's potential for success. "Being a Niwot kid, growing up in Niwot and being around the program my whole life, it just meant a little more in the sense that it felt like I was coming home," Bounds said. "It was...
Although challenging, Sawyer Bennett learned a lot about his golf game while navigating the monstrous RainDance National Resort & Golf in Windsor on Aug. 15. The Niwot High School sophomore admitted that he was plagued by "careless mistakes" but he nonetheless held his head high after shooting a seven-over-par-72 on the longest course in North America. His 79 strokes placed him in a five-way tie for 10th individually at the Second Annual Resurrection Christian Invitational. "It's a test of your...
Walking away from last Tuesday’s Second Annual Resurrection Christian Invitational at RainDance National Resort & Golf Course in Windsor, the Niwot High School boys golf team had every right to feel good about its third-place finish -- highest among the Class 4A schools participating. But the Cougars also couldn’t be blamed for lamenting the one that got away. The Cougars’ three-player total of 238, which was 20 strokes ahead of the nearest 4A competitor, Mead High School, was just four strokes behind the first-place total of 234 posted by th...
Five girls 4A state championships in the past five years. Two boys state championships and two runner-up finishes in the last four. To say that the Niwot cross country program is a championship machine may be an understatement. In his eighth year as head coach, Kelly Christensen has found a formula that other coaches around the state would love to steal. Christensen says it’s not that complicated. “The right kids are coming to Niwot and the families are super supportive. They drink the Kool-Aid,” Christensen says with a smile in his voice. “It...
The Niwot High School boys' soccer season officially started with a blowout 5-1 win at their home opener against the Pueblo West High School Cyclones last Thursday, Aug. 17. Niwot soccer has set itself a high bar as they are coming off a 14-4 season with some playoff success. This first win seems to have set the pace with hopefully a lot more success to follow. Senior Bo Gardner led the team in goals with two against Pueblo West. Senior Josh Rodriguez, senior Jett Fiener, and junior Naveen...
Niwot High School's softball field was mowed in stripes and the seats on the hill above the Cougars' dugout were packed for the first varsity game of the season last Tuesday, Aug. 15. Although NHS classes hadn't started yet, Principal Eric Rauschkolb and Athletic Director Joe Brown were on hand to talk with students and wish the girls well. "We're looking forward to a fun season and to learn expectations of the players as we go through," said Brown during the earlier part of the team's first...
Robert "Bert" Merrill Steele Oct. 16, 1950 - Aug. 7, 2023 Robert "Bert" Merrill Steele passed away peacefully on August 7, 2023, in Niwot, Colorado, at the age of 72. Born on October 16, 1950, in Fort Collins, Colorado, he leaves behind a legacy that will forever be cherished by his family, friends, and community. A true grocer at heart, Bert found comfort and joy in his work and his community. He held a deep affection for his family, his roots, and a hard day's work that came along with... Full story
When Robin Abb ("Rockin' Robin") and the Niwot Business Association came up with the idea for Niwot's Rhythm on the Rails summer concert series in 2005 when the bandstand was built in Whistle Stop Park, she had already decided who should manage the sound. Craig Cutcliff, the sound engineer, remembers that moment clearly. "I started the first year that they had it. Rockin' Robin called me up," he said. "I had mixed her band. So that's when I started. And I've been doing it ever since." Cutcliff...
The Niwot High School Marching Band has been working hard to prepare for the upcoming school year. Members perform at a multitude of events throughout their tenure with the band including the Boulder County Fair Parade, Niwot High School football games, St. Vrain Band Night, and several local parades. These performances would not be possible without the substantial practice time and effort each band member puts into their instrument. The first practices each year that bring the group together...
After appearing in only a handful of Niwot High School boys tennis varsity matches last season, Pavi Soni enters his senior year as an improved player and one who should contribute frequently for the Cougars. Soni, along with Lauritz Strazenbach, started at No. 3 doubles in Niwot's season opener at Frederick High School on Aug. 10. The duo made quick work of their Golden Eagle opponents with a 6-0, 6-0 victory. While Soni admitted that his challengers were far less experienced, the clean sweep w...
