All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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It wouldn't be a stretch to describe Manan Gangwar as an eternal optimist. Despite taking some lumps early in his Niwot High School boys tennis career, the senior has remained positive throughout it all and even values those difficult times. "When you lose a lot, it helps you gain a new perspective, which is why losing is really important," Gangwar said. "You just know what to do better next time." Gangwar is now giving out lumps far more than he's taking them. Through Sept. 17, his varsity matc...
The Niwot High School girls softball team bounced back with two blowout wins, not letting a single defeat in last weekend's tournament throw them off course. Cougar pitching continued to get stronger through both games, the team's bats were also out in force, and both games ended in mercy-rule victories. "It was a good week for the team," said Coach Bobby Matthews. "Getting two run-rule victories was great. The way the team played Monday against cross-town rival Silver Creek in an 11-0 win was...
Not much went right for the Niwot Cougars a year ago at the Region 4 golf tournament. This time around, Coach Ed Weaver is hoping things take a different turn Thursday, Sept. 21 at Boomerang Links Golf Course in Greeley. The Cougars enter this year’s tournament ranked third in the region behind Windsor High School and Longs Peak League nemesis Riverdale Ridge High School and are looking to qualify a full contingent of golfers to the 4A state tournament on Oct. 2-3. But to ensure that, the Cougars will most likely need to find a way to do s...
GIRLS XC Look out Colorado, Niwot’s Addison Ritzenhein is a runaway freight train with no slowing down in sight. The sophomore picked up speed on the final downhill stretch and steamed through the finish line Saturday at the St. Vrain Cross Country Invitational, leaving all competitors far behind while crushing the girls’ course record along the way. In her second race of the season, Ritzenhein picked up her second victory, this time by a whopping 30 seconds over teammate and second-place finisher Olivia Alessandrini, who added the silver med...
Coming off a sweep of the top five places in the all-around competition at a three-team meet this past week in Thornton, the Niwot High School girls gymnastics team appears ready to test the deeper waters of 4A state competition -- especially considering that two of their top gymnasts were less than 100% and did not finish among that top tier. Once again behind the stellar performance of junior Maeve Flentie, the Cougars continued their meet-to-meet improvement, finishing with 175.40 points, their highest team total in their three early season...
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...
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...
By most standards, Niwot Boys Tennis is off to a strong start, but when you are used to competing at the top levels of the sport, sometimes it’s hard to keep it in perspective. The Niwot Cougars are off to a 4-2 start, and 4-0 in league play. “It’s been a little rough,” according to Head Coach Aimee Hites, who was speaking of recent losses to Colorado Academy and Cheyenne Mountain. The Cougars lost both matches by a score of 4-3, to two of Colorado’s top prep tennis programs at any level. “We were up 3-0 against Cheyenne Mountain,” Hites said,...
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...
The results of last Wednesday's RE-1J District Cross Country Meet may have looked like opening the floodgates, but Niwot head coach Kelly Christensen described the outcome as more of a controlled release. The Cougars, who had seen their top runners held out of competition in the first weeks of the season, were on full display on their home course and the visual effect was a green wave. Both the girls and the boys teams easily ran to victory with the girls capturing the top 13 individual places...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
About five years after hearing his name called in the 2018 MLB draft, 26-year-old Gunbarrel native Kyle Leahy made his big league debut with the St. Louis Cardinals on July 7. The right-handed pitcher's first call-up didn't last long, but Leahy can officially consider himself one of just over 20,000 players who've ever reached the game's highest level. Leahy's first MLB appearance came on the road against the Chicago White Sox. With the Cards up 7-6 following a go-ahead two-run home run by Nolan...
Early in the boys golf season, Niwot High School Coach Ed Weaver wants to see as many players as possible tee it up and feel why high school tournament play is different from the individual events most of his players experience during the rest of the golfing year. “No matter how you carve it, playing high school golf tournaments is different. It just is,” Weaver said. “The kids put more pressure on themselves, I think. Anyway, they know they’re playing for a team score, which is different from tournaments over the summer when it’s just thei...
The Niwot High boys tennis team kicked off its new campaign with a clean 7-0 sweep of Frederick High School on Aug. 10. In his first match since taking over Niwot's No. 1 singles spot, senior LiChen Liao defeated his opponent, 6-1, 6-1, while sophomores Oskar Hansen and Charlie Kirtland won the No. 2 and No. 3 singles matches, respectively, 6-0, 6-0. Niwot's doubles teams found similar success on the Golden Eagles' home court. Junior Sebastian Moy and senior Kyle Davidson took the No. 1 doubles...
Niwot High School gymnastics Coach Marisa Purcell has seen some amazing Cougar teams in her now ninth year of leading the Cougars – 4A state championships in 2015 and 2018 and, more recently, top three finishes in each of the past three state meets. So, when she says she’s excited about this year’s edition, there’s probably plenty of good reasons. The Cougars are coming off a third-place state finish a year ago with a team made up of two sophomores and three freshmen, all of whom return for another shot at adding to the Niwot gymnast...
Niwot High School boys soccer coach Stephen Dimit is optimistic about the 2023 squad that begins play at home against Pueblo West High School at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 17, the first day of school. "We're pretty senior heavy," Dimit said. "Josh Ary came up big time for us last year," Dimit said of the senior defender. Ary is out for the first game with a minor injury suffered in the first week of practice, but is expected back soon. Senior midfielder Bo Gardner has moved up the field this year and...
The stage is set for both Zoe Cameron and her Niwot High School softball team to make some noise on the diamond this fall. Now entering her fourth varsity season, Cameron is one of multiple seniors eyeing a big final year, including power-hitting pitcher Anne Booth and shortstop-centerfielder Autumn Rutherford. Niwot certainly boasts a few accomplished bats and Cameron hopes to provide another steady thump in an already dangerous Cougars' lineup. "This season, I really want to look at my...
Niwot High School Golf Coach Ed Weaver was hoping that the first tournament of the 2023 season would give him a glimpse into how his team stacked up against its Longs Peak Conference competition, especially perennial powerhouse Riverdale Ridge High School. Based on the results, Weaver has reason to be optimistic about what lies ahead for this team. At last Thursday's Pace o' Play Palooza tournament at Mariana Butte Golf Course in Loveland, the Cougars battled the Riverdale Ravens, the 2021 4A st...
Take a solid core of outstanding returning starters, sprinkle in some transfer talent and add a dash of fresh new faces, and Niwot High School softball Coach Bobby Matthews thinks he has the recipe to challenge the top teams in a very strong Longs Peak Conference this season. After finishing 9-14 and missing the regional tournament a year ago, Matthews believes this year’s team has just the right ingredients to compete with conference foes like Riverdale Ridge High School, Frederick High School, and Roosevelt High School. Riverdale, the c...
The Niwot High School boys tennis team hasn't forgotten how last season ended. After putting together a 9-4 regular season, including an 8-0 match record in the Class 4A Region 5 League, head coach Aimee Irwin was surprised when Niwot was seeded No. 8 in the state tournament, with an early match against the No. 1 seed. The Cougars, disappointed by their low seeding, were then edged 4-3 by eventual 4A state champion Kent Denver in the quarterfinals. Minus the now-graduated Luke Weber, most of...
Addison Engel understands that her upcoming senior season could be a little different compared to her previous three years with the Cougars. After graduating six impact seniors from last year's 21-9 club, the Niwot High girls volleyball team has a considerably younger roster entering this fall, making the veteran Engel a crucial piece to this transitional period. "Our Niwot team, in general, is on the younger side, whereas in the past we've been on the older side," Engel said. "We graduated six...
