All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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NHS cross country head coach Kelly Christensen opted to roll with mostly freshmen and sophomore runners during Niwot’s first two meets of the season, giving them some valuable experience before the veterans take control. Not only have the Cougars’ underclassmen gotten their feet wet, but they also littered the leaderboard during their first meet of the year on Aug. 27, at the Vista Nation XC 2-Mile Invitational in Highlands Ranch. On both the girls and boys sides of the freshmen/sophomores-only race, the Cougars took first place overall and...
The past, future and present are all looking pretty good right now for the Niwot cross country program. One year after the girls' squad won state and the boys finished runner-up, the Cougars' juggernaut remains dangerous. On the boys' side, coming so close to winning Class 4A last season has Niwot motivated to finish the job in 2022. "I know the boys were pretty disappointed being runner-up and not doing as well as a team as they wanted to," said head coach Kelly Christensen. "They're on a reall...
Reaching the 4A state championships for the first time since 2017 wasn't a fluke for last year's Niwot boys golf team - it was simply a product of a consistently competitive program. The Cougars brought one golfer from each grade level to the state tournament and finished seventh in class 4A. Although they'll now be without 2022 graduate Christopher Gunlikson, who placed sixth individually at state, the foundation remains sturdy for a successful fall season. "We've got a pretty good program," sa...
Two local breweries recently medaled in the coveted U.S. Beer Cup. Niwot-born Bootstrap Brewing took home gold for its often awarded Wreak Havoc Imperial Red and a silver for its Chillax Pineapple fruited beer. Gunbarrel's Beyond the Mountain Brewery took home two medals, a silver for its Klaus' Kolsch, and bronze for its Headspin, a New England IPA. Eleven other Colorado breweries also medaled, including three from Liquid Mechanics in Lafayette. The championship is one of the largest...
Life is like running. Every step counts. For Ian and Gabi Anderson, a couple living in Gunbarrel, running the mile—about 1,500 steps—at the second annual Downhill Mile race on the Fourth of July was a celebration of life, being in the moment, and showing their tremendous gratitude. “We loved it!” said Ian, who along with his wife lost their Louisville home Dec. 30 in the Marshall Fire in Boulder County. “I placed 12th, and Gabi placed 49th. It was really fun. The pancake breakfast afterward...
Gracing the podium's peak is nothing new for 2014 Niwot alum Elise Cranny. Nearly one year removed from her first Olympics, she made national headlines once again on June 26 by taking first place in the 2022 USATF Outdoor Championships' 5000-meter with a time of 15 minutes, 49.15 seconds Cranny's win came courtesy of an impressive surge in the final 2000 meters. After crossing the 3000-meter mark well behind the leaders, and in ninth place - albeit still within one second of first - she made a m...
Becoming a state championship-caliber track and field athlete is a calculated process. Even as the so-called "offseason" commences during the summer, Niwot's top talent remains focused on maximizing their abilities. Cougar head coach Maurice Henriques, fresh off leading Niwot's girls team to another state title, stays working with his athletes through his club program, REAL Training. The club includes athletes from across the state and in June alone, REAL has competed in two prominent meets:...
Niwot track and field athletes don't get much of an offseason. Only a few weeks removed from the state championships, the Cougars, competing for head coach Maurice Henriques' REAL Training club team, are staying sharp in June. Henriques' group of tracksters began the month by visiting Albuquerque, New Mexico, from June 2-4 to participate in the Great Southwest Track and Field Classic. Niwot juniors Kimora Northrup (girls) and Eric Walker (boys) each won their respective 400m hurdles events, and...
The Niwot High boys track team entered the state Class 4A meet as the defending state champion, and came close to a repeat, finishing in a tie for second with Cheyenne Mountain at 60 points each, just behind Longmont with 76. The Cougars were led by senior Zane Bergen, who won the 800m (1:52.07) by more than two seconds, and took second in the 1600m and fourth in the 3200m (9:08.60). Bergen, who will run for Stanford next year, was also a part of the winning 4 x 400 relay team. “He’s a great kid,” Head Coach Maurice Henriques said. “He definit...
Niwot track and field coach Maurice Henriques celebrated a third straight Class 4A state championship with his girls, which for the first time included his daughter, freshman Eliana Henriques, who ran the first leg (100m) of the winning sprint medley relay(1:48.80). The Cougars scored a dominating 170 points. Mullen, which finished second, scored 61. Senior Eva Klingbeil led the way with victories in the 1600m (4:49.66) and 3200m (10:29.62), and also ran the anchor leg on the winning 4 X 800 relay. “She had great times,” Henriques said. “He...
Cimmini's was packed last Tuesday for the monthly Niwot Business Association meeting. It might have had something to do with the refreshments provided by the popular Italian restaurant, and it might have had something to do with the speaker for the evening. NBA president Eric Bergeson began by welcoming new NBA members, including Lisa Nesper with Cross Country Mortgage in Niwot Square and Kristin Dura with Una Vida in Cottonwood Square. Bergeson then shifted to announcements and a number of...
BASEBALL David Bote, son of longtime Niwot High baseball coach Bob Bote, was placed on the 60-day injured list by the Chicago Cubs on March 19 as he continues to recover from off-season shoulder surgery. Bote, an infielder, dislocated his left shoulder while reaching back to touch second base after a slide sent him past the base on May 30, 2021. He missed almost two months of the season, but returned on July 25, only to go back on the injured list with a sprained ankle August 28. He is expected...
The 2022 track and field season officially got underway for Niwot on March 12 at the annual RE-1J meet between St. Vrain Valley district schools. This year the action was out at Mead High, and, as has been the case for many years, the Cougars turned in another dominating performance. While that's come to be expected by 12th-year head coach Maurice Henriques, the season opener still held a few pleasant surprises, he said. "I'm just really impressed with the young kids. We have a lot of new faces,...
If being a well-rounded student means engaging with a wide range of opportunities for learning and success at school, then the term applies to Niwot senior Mercer Stauch, whose list of high school accomplishments isn't just long, but also varied. Whether in the classroom, on the track, or, most recently, on the stage for Niwot, Stauch almost never says no to a challenge, or fails to reach a goal. Being well-rounded doesn't mean you can't have passions, and for Stauch, music and performing have...
Halftime of the Niwot-Thompson Valley boys basketball game provided an opportunity for Niwot athletic director Joe Brown to recognize the Niwot High School girls cross-country team and Coach Kelly Christensen for their outstanding season, which included not only a state Class 4A state title, but also a national cross-country championship. After the state high school championship, the squad traveled to Huntsville, Ala. for the national cross-country championship, and came back with a victory....
Inkberry Books is hosting its first photo competition for the Après-Ski celebration (which is taking place on Jan. 29 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.). Gene Hayworth and Keith Waters, the co-owners of the store, are looking for photos that tie into the theme of winter and skiing. Some examples include nature scenes, such as wildlife, forests, trails, frozen lakes, the Rocky Mountains, stargazing, or microscopic close-ups of snowflakes. Or you might submit a photo of the excitement happening in your...
We are proud to introduce The Green and Black, Niwot High School's own student produced newspaper. This newspaper began as an IB CAS project in 2020, and has grown into so much more. Now with over 50 student staff members, The Green and Black is a reflection of what students at Niwot are passionate about - our voices reflect our ideas about our school, our communities, and the world that we live in. You can view all of our content, including full monthly issues, on our website thegreenandblack.c...
CROSS COUNTRY Taylor James (Niwot) is on the Cross Country roster for Stanford University this fall, but has not officially competed for the Cardinal yet. James, a freshman, will have an opportunity to run her trademark events (200M, 400M, 800M, Mile) during the indoor and outdoor track seasons. Her Stanford biography notes that her grandmother, Jana Veverkova (200M, 4x100M), and grandfather, Zdenek Veverka (triple jump), are both Czech Republic track and field national record-holders. Eva...
CROSS COUNTRY Lucca Fulkerson (Niwot), a freshman at Princeton University, helped her squad to a second-place finish at the Lehigh Invitational Sept. 3, when all five runners crossed the 6K finish line together, good for an eighth-place tie at 22:14.8. She followed with a fourth-place finish at the Harvard-Yale-Princeton meet Sept. 11, with a time of 16:28.3 for the 4800-meter race. At the Princeton Invitational she finished seventh with a time of 21:44.2 for the 6K. At the NCAA Mid-Atlantic...
On Nov. 10, Niwot High seniors (from left) Morgan Daugherty (volleyball), Zane Bergen (track and cross country), Zoe Gibbs (volleyball), and Mary Codevilla (swim and dive), signed letters of intent to compete in their sports at the next level. Bergen will be the fourth Niwot runner moving west to Stanford, while Codevilla, defending state champion in two swimming events, is headed east to Notre Dame. Teammates Daugherty and Gibbs are both heading north of Niwot-Gibbs to UNC in Greeley, and...
You're likely to have noticed this month's Familiar Face, Dr. Jess Johnson, DVM, eating at a local restaurant, browsing in local stores, riding her bike, and on the job at Left Hand Animal Hospital on Franklin Street. She's a quintessential Niwotian because she and her husband are raising their daughter in Niwot and she works in town too. The Courier asked Johnson a few questions to find out about her background and to get to know her better. Left Hand Valley Courier (LHVC) - Where are you from...
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...
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...
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...
Back when she was a budding high school track star, Elise Cranny never thought she would be honored as she was during this year's Niwot Homecoming celebration. The 2014 Niwot graduate and 2021 U.S. Olympian was given a hero's tribute during the annual parade and football game on Sept. 17. Before finishing 13th in the Olympic 5,000 meter race, Cranny helped Niwot win two 4A girls track titles and competed collegiately at Stanford University. She said that with no fans allowed in Tokyo, the...
Niwot community pride was on display during last weekend's homecoming events. Friday afternoon's bright sun and cool temperatures set the stage for the parade, which returned following a pandemic-induced break. Junior Olivia Lacert was watching with friends from just outside 1914 House. "I'm excited to go to a homecoming game and to have the dance this year," she said. "I love dances. Last year we didn't have a lot of school events, so this is pretty cool. The football game is later and I'm...
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...
Niwot High graduate ('14) and 2020 Olympian Elise Cranny is returning to her alma mater. On Friday, Sept. 17, the decorated distance runner will be riding in Niwot High's motorized homecoming parade, which departs the school parking lot at 3:15 p.m. Later that night, Cranny is also scheduled to make an appearance during halftime of Niwot's football game at Everly-Montgomery Field. Cranny is a two-time state cross country champion, and won multiple state titles in track & field for Niwot. In...
Another championship sweep for Niwot at the 2021 Class 4A cross country meet isn't a foregone conclusion, but it's hard to dismiss the strong evidence in favor of it. Returning to the varsity are two of Colorado's fastest high school distance runners in Zane Bergen and Mia Prok, plus a battle-hardened pack of veterans that is still in shape from the Cougars' recent title run at the state track and field championships. Add to that a coach looking to list another two state titles on his resume,...
Mere weeks after coaching the Niwot girls golf team to a top-10 finish at the Class 4A state championships, seventh-year head coach Ed Weaver was back on the course with the Cougar boys, energized and looking forward to another successful season. "We're a young team, but we have potential going forward," he said during Niwot's season opener in Greeley on Aug. 9. "I think some of the younger guys are coachable. They're doing the right things to stay competitive, or get more competitive next...
Niwot's downtown was packed on Friday, July 30 – at 4:00 a.m. Over 200 fans of Niwot High grad Elise Cranny packed Niwot Wheel Works to witness Cranny's Olympic debut as part of the USA track team. Cranny did not disappoint her fans, finishing fourth in the second heat of the 5,000-meter prelims to qualify for the finals. The first five runners in each heat qualified for the finals, plus the five next-best times. Cranny's heat began at 4:26 a.m. Mountain Time, but the downtown vibe was what y...
Niwot High School alum Elise Cranny will take the world's center stage on July 30 at 4 a.m. MST when she competes for Olympic gold in the women's track and field 5,000 meter event. Cranny, who graduated from Niwot in 2014 with multiple Colorado state titles in cross country and track before running at Stanford University, won the Team USA 5,000m qualifying race in June with a time of 15:27.81. Her family watched from the sidelines at Hayward Field in Oregon as Cranny punched her ticket to...
The Niwot track and field program has produced its fair share of talented athletes, most notably Elise Cranny, who will be representing the U.S. in the 5000-meter Olympic race on Friday, July 30. But Taylor James stands out even in that elite group. During a storied track and cross country career at Niwot, the versatile performer earned seven individual state track titles, a handful of relay titles, a runner-up title in cross-country, and set at least two Class 4A records. For longtime Niwot tra...
With both the Niwot girls and boys track and field teams taking first place in the 4A state meet, it was no surprise that the All-State teams were drenched in Niwot green. Eleven girls and four boys received the recognition, which was based upon state meet results. Leading the list for the girls was senior Lucca Fulkerson, and for the boys junior Zane Bergen, who each won Athlete of the Year honors. Head Coach Maurice Henriques led the historic season and was named Coach of the Year. In girls...
Niwot's walkability is one of its best features, and for those who regularly stroll, over time they're likely to repeatedly cross paths with folks doing their own version of movement in the great outdoors. Since her relocation here in January 2018, Sharon Blatchley has been one of those out and about regulars. Blatchley, in the company of her brown and white spaniel, always offers a friendly wave and smile. Instead of being passing ships, we asked Blatchley some questions to learn about her...
To say that Niwot's track and field teams turned in a historically dominating performance at the 2021 Colorado Class 4A championships is technically true, yet also understates the magnitude of the accomplishment. From Lucca Fulkerson's unbeatable kick in the 3200 meter race on opening morning, to the boys' stirring second-place finish in the 4x400m relay to close out the three-day meet, the Cougars won state titles in 14 events, the runner-up title in six events, and set two new Class 4A state...
Niwot High School Boosters, Inc., is a non-profit parent organization that supports all activities at Niwot High School, from cross-country to chess club, from marching band to musicals. Although booster clubs were historically organized to support high school athletic teams, Niwot High School Boosters, Inc., has been active in supporting all student extracurricular activities. You will often see parents and students from an unrelated activity selling concessions at a football or basketball...
The following is text of Niwot High Student Council President Benjamin Goff's commencement address: In the years of 2002 or 2003, what would eventually be the Class of 2021 came into the world. We came into radically different circumstances from one another. It led us all here. The last 18 or so years have led to the end of the beginning of the journey which we will spend the rest of our lives on. I'm sure many questions will be asked, some without answers, but perhaps the most crucial will be,...
It was another record-setting weekend for the Niwot girls track team, as they competed in back-to-back meets at Roosevelt and Longmont on May 21 and 22. Along the way, the Cougars posted a slew of personal bests, three top Class 4A marks, and one of the fastest 800-meter times in state history. Now heading into the second half of the 2021 season, longtime Niwot track coach Maurice Henriques has just one goal for his team. "It's just to keep working hard and stay healthy," he said following the...
When Joaquin Herrera enrolls at Adams State University in August, he will become the first student in his family to attend college, a goal that seemed out of reach when he entered high school. But late in his freshman year, the affable Herrera made a decision that seemed straightforward at the time, but would end up having life-changing ramifications. "I played soccer in the fall, and then during the spring, I went out for track just to get faster, and just to sprint," he said. As it turned...
The past year has been challenging for prospective college athletes, particularly those who missed their junior seasons of competition in the spring of 2020. But for 15 Niwot High athletes, the arduous journey through the virtual recruiting process came to a satisfying end at the school's Letter of Intent signing ceremony on May 3. "This is probably the hardest year in the history of college athletics to have an opportunity to play at the collegiate level," Niwot High athletics and activities...
BASEBALL Ford Ladd (Niwot) finished his collegiate career as a pitcher at New York University and has joined the coaching staff at Georgia Gwinnett College as Coordinator of Research & Development. In his final game at NYU, Ladd played first base and went 1-4 at the plate, scoring a run and driving in two runs in an 11-0 victory over John Jay College March 9, 2020. A day earlier, he went 1-3 as a DH in both games of a doubleheader sweep of Stockton University with a run and an RBI in the second...
Niwot's long-delayed 2021 volleyball season is off to an undefeated start, and senior Natasha Terekhova is one of the main reasons why. Now in her fourth year with the varsity, the athletic outside hitter is a major contributor on both offense and defense as well as a natural team leader. Though her final season isn't going quite the way she once envisioned, Terekhova is thrilled to be back on the court with her Cougar teammates playing the game she has loved since fourth grade. "There's so...
It has been an adversity-filled but ultimately fruitful journey at Niwot for girls basketball senior Adeline Spencer. Through undergoing knee surgery during her sophomore year and now navigating a pandemic season, Spencer has learned the value of perseverance sooner than most. Even more, her lone season on varsity this winter has been derailed with hip and leg issues. Spencer said she will be having hip arthroscopy surgery followed by a derotational femoral osteotomy procedure once the season en...
For seven years the Bowhaus in Gunbarrel has provided furry family members with daycare and boarding. While the pooches are playing with friends and relaxing in a safe environment, they're likely to spend time with two long-time employees, Klare Black and Suzi Hendrix. We wanted to learn more about these two familiar faces in the community. Left hand Valley Courier (LHVC) - Where did you grow up, and how did Colorado become your home? Klare Black (KB) - I'm the middle child of seven siblings,...
It's been nearly a year since the Niwot girls swim and dive hit the pool, but you wouldn't have known it from their performance against Mountain View in the 2021 season opener on Jan. 28. With impressive times from longtime veterans and some speedy newcomers, the Cougar swimmers dominated the Lions, winning 11 of the 12 events. "I couldn't be more excited," first year coach Kyle Bachrodt said afterwards. "The energy was as high as it could be and we had great swims across the board... But it...
