All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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Despite being Colorado's most successful Class 4A girls track and field program over the past decade, Niwot High School had remarkably never produced a state title winner in shot put until May 19, 2023, when Jade West staked her claim to history. West's heave of 40 feet, 8.25 inches traveled a full 29 inches further than what the second-place thrower produced at the 4A state championships in Lakewood. In fact, observers reported that West had another throw that reached 42 feet at state, but it...
Stephen Codevilla, the younger brother of Niwot High School girls swimming great Mary Codevilla, is putting his own stamp on the Colorado swim scene with Silver Creek's boys team. At the Class 4A boys swim and dive state championships on May 13, Codevilla impressed in multiple individual and relay events, ultimately guiding his Raptors to their second straight team runner-up trophy. The Niwot High junior's best individual result came in the 100-yard backstroke, which took place immediately...
The Cougars likely aren't fighting for a state regionals berth without Jed Kilpatrick having arguably the best season of his Niwot High School baseball career. Through May 12, the senior shortstop owns career-highs in batting average (.472), on-base percentage (.548) and fielding percentage (.932) while leading Niwot to 12 wins, the program's most since 2014. Kilpatrick believes that Niwot's emergence is due in large part to an improved culture built by a still fairly young group of Cougars....
As one of eight seniors on the Niwot High School girls soccer team, Tiffany Yie said it was an exciting yet difficult experience playing her final two games for the Cougars, although winning both made things at least a little easier. "A lot of the games were really special for me because this year I really cherished each game rather than like, 'Oh, I still have another year, it doesn't really matter what happens,'" said Yie, who tallied a goal and two assists in Niwot's senior day win over...
Recent University of Northern Colorado football signee Kaiden Box is doing something a little different during his final high school semester. The Skyline High School quarterback was looking for a sport to play this spring and with neither baseball nor track enticing him, he was convinced by fellow Skyline senior Erik West to join the inaugural Niwot High School varsity boys volleyball team. It didn't take Box long to learn the sport and he soon developed an immense respect for his new...
Although he thinks of himself as a defense-first catcher, Niwot High School baseball senior Diego Castro has made an equally large impact this season with his bat. The Cougar backstop sports a .429 batting average through April 23 with a team-leading 18 RBIs. Last year, he hit just .162 in a similar number of plate appearances. Castro credited an offseason of facing pitching machines that allowed him to see higher velocities and breaking balls. "Honestly, I think I'm just more comfortable, more...
Although he has his own personal goals, Jeremy Gillett is typically thinking about his team before anything else. On April 1, for example, the Niwot High School track and field senior shared that he took immense pride in representing his school as he competed on his home track at the NoCo Series #1 meet. Gillett ran in the 1,600-meter and as the race remained crowded up front entering the final stretch, his final push was motivated by a force greater than himself. "In that last 100 (meters), I...
Short-distance standout Kimora Northrup is still hunting for some more hardware in the final stage of her accomplished Niwot High School track and field career. Already an individual Class 4A state champion in both the 100 and 300-meter hurdles, the senior has her eyes set on winning gold again in both events to further cement an already strong Niwot legacy. Northrup, however, has been dealt some adversity early this season with knee problems limiting her to competing only in sprint relays in...
While it's not at the absolute forefront of his mind, Niwot High School track and field senior Freddie Ambrose is doing his best to cherish the final days of his prep career. "When I'm running with the other guys that I've been running with for four years, it's kind of like, 'Dang, this is one of the last times I'll ever be able to run with these guys when we're all racing for the same team,'" Ambrose said. Putting on a show at the state championships in May remains his highest priority,...
The fourth and final season of Evan Welding's prep swim career is shaping up nicely. Already an accomplished swimmer for Silver Creek High School's boys team, Welding has qualified for the Class 4A state championships in the 50-yard freestyle, 100 backstroke, 100 free, 100 fly and 100 individual medley. He is also a member of two relay teams that have made the cut for state. In a dual meet against Broomfield High on March 16, he took first in the 50 free thanks to a season-best 23.61-second...
Jack Klein squeezed about as much as he could out of his four years at Niwot High School. Now about two months away from graduation, the senior in Niwot's International Baccalaureate Program is also the school's National Honor Society Treasurer and the youth board executive director of the Community Food Share, a local food bank focused on fighting hunger in Boulder and Broomfield counties. To complement his community work, Klein owns an accomplished athletics resume as well. In his primary spor...
Undefeated after two matches, Niwot, the St.Vrain School District's first-ever boys volleyball team, is looking like the kind of powerhouse possible when the talents of all seven of the district's high schools are combined. Indeed, the "Niwot" portion of the varsity team has just one player who attends Niwot High School: senior, middle blocker, and Student Athlete of the Week Jack Klein, (14). "We start practice an hour later than other sports in order to give the boys time to travel here from...
Although the Rocky Mountain slopes are within reach, there are surprisingly few young athletes in the Front Range who ski competitively. Why? Skiing can't exactly be learned in a backyard or driveway; effort and time are required to fully appreciate the thrill of gliding down Colorado's infamous powder. But for those who've gone the extra mile, the payoff can be fruitful. Since joining the Boulder Nordic Junior Racing Team in seventh grade, Sophie Spalding has been glued to the slopes and has be...
The bigger picture doesn't go unseen by Niwot High School senior Veer Gandhakwala. In an age where demands on students only seem to be increasing, Gandhakwala has dedicated countless hours of his time toward helping Niwot students with disabilities through the school's unified sports teams. Over the past two years, he has volunteered as a "partner" for unified basketball and bowling, two programs that offer athletic opportunities for special needs students. As a student-athlete himself in both...
After falling just short the past two years, Jamieson Legh finally got over the hump of winning an individual state championship in her final run. The fourth-year Niwot High School swimmer finished runner-up in the 100-meter butterfly as both a sophomore and junior, plus she took second in the 100 backstroke last year and placed third the season prior. But given one last opportunity as a senior, Legh took advantage and won both events by a combined 6.73 seconds at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic...
Everything is coming together at the best time possible for Izzy Fay, the lone diver on the Niwot girls swim and dive team. In Niwot's final meet before the state championships, Fay ran away with a first-place finish at the Longs Peak League Championships on Feb. 4. Her score of 450.85 was about 85 points higher than the next-closest diver. "This is probably my best meet so far, to be honest," Fay said soon after her final dive at the Mountain View Aquatics Center in Loveland. "But my season is...
Looking back at her nearly-complete Niwot High School girls swim career, the relationships Rowan Lavigne has built come to the senior's mind almost immediately. "Since freshman year, I've made my best friends on the team," Lavigne said. "I'm (grateful to) have my last season with them and everybody." Lavigne has grown particularly close with a pair of fellow seniors who've joined her at the state championships the past three seasons, Julianna Strope and Stephanie Mow. Four years ago as freshmen...
The first two years of Eric Falcon's Niwot High School wrestling career didn't go according to plan. Beset by the COVID-19 pandemic and a leg injury, he was unable to dedicate his complete focus to the sport until his junior season. Success began to follow and now as a senior, the 165-pound Falcon has cemented himself as one of Niwot's top wrestlers. Two of his best meets this season resulted in second-place finishes at the Wheat Ridge Invitational on Dec. 10, and at the Alameda Wrestling...
While Niwot High School girls basketball's first win of 2022-23 was inarguably a team effort, few Cougars were as critical to the victory as Molly Slupik. A junior starting forward, Slupik had dominant runs in multiple aspects of her game, all contributing to a 42-39 win at Skyline High School on Jan. 14. Her physicality on the boards, particularly on the offensive side, stood out the most for head coach Jon Hill. "I told her she's got to get on the offense glass," Hill said. "She worked her...
Although only a sophomore, Ryder Evans has proven early on that he can compete against Colorado's top wrestlers. The 126-pound Niwot High underclassman owns an 18-5 record so far this season and his focus remains locked on qualifying for the state tournament. With several of the area's best wrestlers coming to Evans' home gym at Niwot High School for the Gary Daum Classic on Jan. 7, he was given an opportunity to test his skills against other state hopefuls. Evans made quick work of his first...
For the first time since breaking his ankle as a sophomore, Alexander Long finally feels like a "complete basketball player" midway through his senior season at Niwot High School. "I didn't really rebound until this year - just strength and stuff in my ankle," Long said. "It's good to finally be able to run and have it not hurt or bother me, it's not in my mind." On the court, Long takes the most pride in his defensive abilities. He may not light up the scoreboard offensively, but the Cougar...
The term downhill guard doesn't suit many better than it does Rose Pacheco. Her ability to drive towards the hoop may appear reckless at times, but it frequently results in two points for the Niwot High School girls basketball team. Through the first seven games of her sophomore season, Pacheco is averaging a team-best 11.3 points per game. Pacheco's success remains one of the few bright spots of what has been an otherwise difficult 0-7 start for the Cougars. Still, she remains optimistic that N...
One might think the Bank of Estes Park is only located in the resort community 35 miles up Highway 7 from Niwot. But the bank also serves the Niwot community, with one of its three branches located at 7980 Niwot Road, attached to the Niwot Market in Cottonwood Square Shopping Center. "Bank of Estes Park is a local community bank that started up in 1965 in Estes Park, and they opened up a second branch in Estes Park," said Vice-President and Branch Manager Terry Gushiken. "Over time, they...
After moving to the United States during his sixth-grade year, Vithal Arya was tasked with learning a culture far different from the one he had experienced growing up in India. "It's a culture shock because there's not really middle school, high school, it's just K-12, and that's practically every school (in India)," Arya said. "Extracurriculars don't really matter as much as they matter here. In India, schools are basically all for academics. We're not really big on sports. The only big sports...
It was only game No. 1, but when Jerek Funkhouser scored 27 points in Niwot High School's season opener on Dec. 1, it was a great omen for the Cougar boys basketball team. The senior's career-best output, part of a 73-13 home blowout of Regis Groff, was aided by an all-in team effort on offense. "It was just awesome to see that our offense is playing for each other this year," Funkhouser said. "Most of our buckets were off just easy cuts to the basket and within the offense. It's awesome to see...
Zoie Chociej's dominant senior season has her feeling optimistic that she can continue her softball career in college. The Niwot High School second baseman had highs in batting average (.645), RBIs (33) and home runs (six) while striking out only six times in 73 plate appearances for the fall 2022 season. She was also named the MaxPreps/NFCA National Player of the Week in August thanks to her 10-for-10 start to the season, including three home runs. Chociej said that her success helped put her...
The admiration gymnast Nia Terrell's teammates have for their senior leader is abundant. As Niwot High School entered its final event at the Class 4A team state gymnastics championships on Nov. 4, all anyone in green and white wanted to do was ensure that Terrell's prep career would end on a high note. Niwot was in the mix for a top-three finish and the Cougars just needed a strong performance on floor, Terrell's only event of the day, at host Thornton High School. Niwot delivered. Freshman...
Raiden Stahly, Niwot High School football's only four-year varsity member this season, played his final high school snap on Nov. 4 in the Cougars' finale against Denver North. It was a mix of emotions, but all of them were real for the tight end/outside linebacker. "Going into it I was excited and sad," said Stahly, who also lent his voice to the National Anthem prior to the game. "I saw the end of the season and (my) high school career ending. (There are) a lot of good people on my team and...
Digesting his No. 2 singles state individuals tournament semifinals loss hasn't been easy, but Niwot boys tennis junior LiChen Liao is surrounded by a support system which should help him return next season with a vengeance. Liao, who won the No. 2 singles title last year, said that his No. 1 singles teammate, senior Luke Weber, was there for him following his 6-1, 6-2 loss to Kent Denver's Will Moldenhauer at City Park in Pueblo on Oct. 14. Weber had a similar experience last season when he...
Thanks in part to a position change, Eric Walker has been a valuable producer for the 12-3 Niwot High School boys soccer team, which begins Class 4A state playoff action on Oct. 27. Cougars head coach Stephen Dimit moved Walker from center back to striker and the senior responded by becoming one of Niwot's leading scorers. His six regular season goals were third-most on the team, behind juniors Javier Alvira (9) and Josh Ary (10). "After a few games, just getting the experience up there (at...
The Colorado Press Association announced the winners of the 2021 journalism awards, which included two Left Hand Valley Courier writers. Mary Wolbach Lopert, senior editor, columnist and co-founder of the Courier, received a first place award in Best Humorous Column Writing for "It's a Laughing Matter." Lopert wrote the column periodically throughout her 25-year career with the Courier, often drawing upon her personal experiences with friends and members of her family. Lopert retired from the...
Hannah Waldron has erupted during her senior season for the Niwot girls volleyball team. The four-year varsity player recorded her first-ever 10-kill game against Roosevelt on Oct. 5 and then proceeded to have back-to-back 14-kill performances against Frederick and Mountain View. She believes that much of her recent success can be credited to her teammates, including sophomore Anne Haley, who leads Niwot with 346 assists. "My connection with Anne has been just really on fire," Waldron said....
The final chapter of Madison Shults' Niwot High School cross country career has been a good read. In the month of September alone, Shults had top-10 finishes in the RE-1J District Meet, the St. Vrain Invitational and the Desert Twilight XC Festival - which all also resulted in team wins. Shults gave special recognition to head coach Kelly Christensen and a slew of others for helping make her senior season memorable. "I definitely have to credit it to our coaches," Shults said. "Our coaches are...
Niwot softball's power-hitting pitcher Anne Booth reached a difficult milestone during the Cougars' loss to Riverdale Ridge on Sept. 29. In only her junior season, Booth recorded her 100th career hit on a double, and although it's more of an individual accolade, she was sure to mention her fellow teammates, a few of whom have also racked up some large numbers. "It's really cool to finally see with the stats how much work I've been putting in, and the team as well," Booth said. "A lot of our othe...
The stage is set for Luke Weber's grand finale. Two years after winning the No. 3 singles state title and leading the Niwot boys tennis team to an overall state championship in 2020, Weber is focused on creating some similar magic during his senior season. The now-No. 1 singles star's first test will come on Sept. 28 when No. 9-seeded Grand Junction comes to No. 8 Niwot for the first round of the Class 4A state tournament. "It's been a long journey, just playing all four yours going to state,"...
Outside linebacker Gavin Burrage wasn't going to allow Niwot football to lose its first-ever game played on campus. Going up against Skyview, Burrage's barrage held the Wolverines to only one touchdown in a historic 15-6 win on Sept. 9. "I thought it was our team's best game," Burrage said. "The energy was really high, we were all performing our best and it was just a great game for me." Including Burrage, two other juniors on Niwot's defense have stood out, not only in the Skyview game, but...
Multi-talented is perhaps the best way to describe Gabe Martinez. In addition to becoming an Eagle Scout in February, the Longmont Christian School senior has taken on both baseball and tennis during his prep career. Because LCS doesn't support a boys tennis team, Martinez joined the Niwot High program during his freshman year. Cougar head coach Aimee Hites has utilized Martinez, a doubles player, in a swing role this season, which has him practicing with varsity but playing most of his matches...
Chad Volf's versatile skill set at quarterback proved perfect for Niwot football's offense in their 22-16 season opener win over Greeley Central on Aug. 26. Volf rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another to get his junior campaign off to a strong start. Still, though, Volf hopes the Cougars can do even more damage moving forward. "I think Friday went really well," Volf said. "I feel like on offense we could have had a couple more touchdowns, but I think the three we had were pretty...
This week's Student Athlete of the Week is Niwot Senior Softball player Zoie Chociej, who was named Max Prep's first national softball player of the week for the 2022-2023 season. According to the organization's announcement, the Niwot senior was chosen based on her accomplishment of going 10-for-10 at the plate, including two home runs during the week of August 15-21. "It felt amazing," she said. "It makes me feel good about all the hard work I put in after years of coaches not believing in...
The lengthy bus drive south to Pueblo West High School on Aug. 18 was well worth it for the Niwot boys soccer team after senior goalkeeper Matt Hansen pulled off a miraculous 50-yard game-winning goal on a penalty kick. That's right, the goalkeeper. With just seconds left and the score tied 2-2, Cougar head coach Stephen Dimit called upon Hansen to take the penalty kick. Dimit's decision took into account that Hansen doubles as Niwot football's placekicker, making him no stranger to long distanc...
Niwot softball's 2022 season commences Aug. 16, and for the third straight year, Autumn Rutherford will be one of the Cougars' biggest bats. Rutherford's ability to impact the game offensively with both power and speed earned her first-team all-conference honors in the 4A Longs Peak League as just a sophomore. Now entering her junior campaign, she hopes to be recognized on a grander scale with an all-state nod. During the past few months, her skills have been displayed throughout the country...
Although she's just entering her junior year, Julia Rudolph has been a valuable leader for Niwot High School track and field. Rudolph was named a team captain last season and then helped the Cougars win the 4x400-meter relay state title, as well as the state Class 4A team championship. Rudolph continued to beat the competition in early June at the Great Southwest Track and Field Classic in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Competing for Niwot track head coach Maurice Henriques' REAL Training, she ran a...
This fall will look a little different for Niwot senior Ben Classen. After spending the past two years playing football, the Niwot High incoming senior has decided to shift his complete focus to track and field. Classen believes his best chance of securing an athletic scholarship will come through track, a sport that he excelled in last spring. His decision also factored in the elimination of any potential for injury he could have suffered playing football. Last season, Classen was named...
A rarity in most sports, Rachel Noble was a four-year varsity player on the Niwot girls basketball team. The 2022 grad accumulated an impressive 80 career games played while scoring a total of 254 points in a Cougar uniform. She was also part of a tight-knit senior class that included Carly Toothaker, Jordyn Stewart, Maddi Tajchman and Grace Crall, who together helped Niwot (7-15) win its most games since the 2018-19 season. "I loved my senior season," Noble said. "It wasn't anything on the reco...
Staying active is a must for recent Niwot grad Grace Crall, and she accomplished this need well by playing both basketball and soccer during her successful high school career. In Crall's final basketball campaign with the Cougars, she led the team in three categories: rebounds (110), blocks (12) and assists (30). The senior took particular pride in her rebounding, which as a taller player, was a facet of the game that was drilled into her from an early age. "I think a lot of people don't want...
One of the first gifts Carly Toothaker could remember receiving as a young child was a soccer ball, and after some time to reflect on her recently-completed high school career, that present can be considered an ember to a life encapsulated by sport. Toothaker's father became her first soccer coach, with her mother doing the same in basketball. The immense early guidance helped her become a multi-year varsity starter in both sports at Niwot High. In soccer, which she considers her primary sport,...
Niwot High graduated senior Easten Leatherwood has just a few more weeks before he leaves for Durango to begin his college football career at Fort Lewis College. A 3A North Central 3 League All-Conference honorable mention last fall for Niwot football, he committed to the Division II Skyhawks in February and created a homecoming of sorts. Both of his parents attended Fort Lewis and Leatherwood grew up in Durango before moving to Longmont shortly after completing fourth grade. He said Fort Lewis...
Not many high school baseball pitchers have suffered the setbacks Nick Yard has experienced during his prep career. The recent Niwot High graduate has undergone not one, but two Tommy John surgeries over the past three years. Following his freshman season in which he was second on the Cougars' varsity staff with 35 innings pitched, Yard braved his first Tommy John surgery in January of his sophomore year to repair his ulnar collateral ligament. He then fought back and pitched just one game his...
Having never touched a pole in his life, Niwot senior Nicholas Stade needed just three weeks to learn the pole vault and place ninth in the Class 4A state track and field championships on May 22. Stade said that after he was unable to qualify for state in the 110-meter hurdles, it was his head coach Maurice Henriques who challenged the team player to help Niwot gain an extra point or two. His vault of 12 feet, 9 inches was a pleasant result. "I really surprised myself with being able to do...
