All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
Sorted by date Results 501 - 550 of 1749
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...
The 2022 Niwot High School boys golf season did not end the way Coach Ed Weaver, or his Cougars expected, but chalk it up to lessons learned and experience gained. Now it’s time to tee it up for a new season. The golf season started this week at a furious pace with team tryouts and qualifying rounds Monday and Tuesday, and the first league play Thursday in Loveland with a varsity event at Mariana Butte and junior varsity play at Cattail Creek. For Emmett Shell, his senior season will be an opportunity to showcase the talent that makes him o...
Skyler Messinger, now playing third base for the Fresno Grizzlies in the Colorado Rockies' organization, last played on it in 2017. His brother, Connor Messinger, played on it a few years earlier before heading off to play baseball at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and later the University of Nebraska at Kearney, then returning to Niwot as an assistant coach. Last season, seniors Jed Kilpatrick, Julian Lettow, Diego Castro and Jaedyn Adler played on it, together with a number of...
The Niwot High School football season is officially gearing up as the players have played their last 7-on-7 games. The games took place this summer against both Weld Central High School and Silver Creek High School (twice). Their first two games were successful as they took home "wins" and gained experience. While their final game last Wednesday was a close "loss," it was still a great learning moment for the team, according to the coaching staff. The 7-on-7 games are non contact, with no...
This summer has been all about football for Niwot High School incoming senior Mats Lehan. On top of Niwot's offseason morning workouts, the wide receiver/free safety spent time training at Jenkins Elite, a Denver-area camp focused on developing high school players. Plus, Lehan attended prospect camps at both the University of San Diego and Colorado School of Mines with the goal of getting noticed by college coaches. "They were a lot of fun," Lehan said of his experience at the prospects camps....
Twenty-six members of the Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band, under the direction of Debbie Benson, performed the National Anthem at the Colorado Rockies game against the New York Yankees on Friday, July 14. Band members gathered in the parking lot before the game to warm up with "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," "Don't Stop Believin'," "Sweet Caroline," and "Celebration," which seemed to work as the Rockies beat the Yankees, 7-2, in the first regular season game after the All-Star...
Finding success on the big stage isn’t anything new for Elise Cranny, but this year’s trip to the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships was particularly special. Beyond securing her third straight 5,000-meter national title and her first in the 10,000, the 2014 Niwot High School grad was perhaps most pleased when she utilized an energized mindset to produce a pair of gold medals. “Overall, it was probably one of the proudest I’ve (been) leaving a meet,” said Cranny, who placed 13th in the 5K at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. “More so than that o...
Now entering her senior season, Sarah Bitterman is working once again to prove both to herself and to her Niwot High School softball coaches that she can contribute at the varsity level. Bitterman was used sparingly as a pinch hitter last season but made the most of her limited opportunities, going 4-for-11 at the plate with three RBIs. She is now using her final high school summer to sharpen her swing while also becoming a more solid defender. "I like to hit a lot, so I've been trying to streng...
Niwot High School golfer Mina O'Dell wanted to do something to help animals and settled on a charity golf tournament as the best avenue. Her efforts paid off when she delivered a check to the Longmont Humane Society on June 30 for $5,120. The tournament, held at Twin Peaks Golf Course June 24, was a 4-person best-ball scramble. "We all had so much fun golfing and laughing," O'Dell said. "After playing 18-holes of golf, we served an all you can eat taco bar lunch catered by Marco's Tacos. The...
Clocking the fastest times is far from the ultimate goal at REAL Training. Under longtime director and founder Maurice Henriques, the track and field club's primary focus is helping young athletes develop character and a work ethic that can be used throughout life. Henriques, often referred to as "Coach Mo," is using this summer to instill those values into his REAL athletes, who hail from high schools across the Front Range, including Niwot. "REAL" is an acronym for Responsibility, Education, A...
Niwot resident Emerson Scott may be the perfect example of how one can accomplish more when enjoyment is prioritized over results. As the saying goes, work becomes play, and for Scott, his "play" resulted in a pair of national titles at the USA Gymnastics National Trampoline and Tumbling Championships in late June. Scott teamed up with Seattle's Toby Scott to win the open 22+ skill/age category synchronized trampoline before earning gold again in the individual trampoline event. The 22-year-old...
Following a busy yet fruitful start to his summer, Kye Toothaker's two weeks of down time is now complete as his junior cross country season at Niwot High School looms not far in the future. His time away was certainly well-deserved, though, after he competed in both the CHSAA track and field state championships and the Nike Outdoor Nationals in June. Results-wise, Toothaker helped Niwot win the Class 4A 800-meter relay - along with Rocco Culpepper, Ryder Keeton and Carlos Kipkorir - before...
Niwot High School Boys Basketball Coach Clay Wittrock announced that he was stepping down to spend more time with his family. The Cougars won their first three games last season, but finished with a record of 5-17. Wittrock became Niwot's head coach in the 2019-20 season, when the team posted a record of 13-11. Since then, the Cougars finished 1-13 during the 2020-21 Covid season, and 3-17 in the 2021-22 season. Niwot's overall record during Wittrock's four seasons was 22-58. Athletic Director...
Niwot Independence Day festivities kicked off at 8:30 a.m. with the annual Niwot Downhill Mile race. The Downhill Mile started at Niwot High School and ended at the Niwot Market with a crowd of participants. The first place winners were 25-year-old Billy Ulrich, who finished in 4 minutes, 8 seconds; and 42-year-old Sarah Piampiano, who finished in 5 minutes, 11 seconds. Kim Mangrobang finished second and Melissa Mazzo finished in third place in the women's category. Jonathan Aziz finished...
TRACK Erika Timbang (Niwot), a junior at UCCS, ran the 800M at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships April 28-30. Timbang placed 19th overall, with a time of 2:23.18. Her best time in the event, 2:20.86, came at the Kit Mayer Classic April 7-8, where she finished eighth. She also ran the 400M earlier in the season. Kathryn Carroll (Niwot), a freshman at UCCS, was second team all Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in the triple jump this spring. Carroll finished sixth in the event...
Joining the Niwot High boys team last fall was one of the best decisions Josh Ary has made regarding his thriving soccer career. Then a junior, Ary was playing academy soccer before committing to play for his high school. Not only did Ary lead the Cougars in total points (32) en route to winning the Longs Peak League, but he also revived his love for the game along the way. "I think it just challenged me more on a technical level," defender Ary said. "It was also just the environment. It was a...
They were all around . . . Cardinals and Blue Jays; Astros and A's; Padres and Twins; Cubs and Mets; and plenty of Rockies. That last one probably gave it away. We're not talking about this year's Major League Baseball All-Star Game. This was the 2023 Bob Bote Baseball Camp sponsored by Niwot Youth Sports. For the second year in a row after a two-year, COVID-induced hiatus, kids ages five to 13 donned their favorite caps and jerseys and gathered at the Biff Warren Baseball Complex last week to...
Just imagine . . . you are sitting, or mostly standing, in the front row directly behind the team bench as the Denver Nuggets are seconds away from winning their first NBA championship. Can you imagine? Surely, your last name would have to be Elway or Manning or Wilson, right? Not so for Niwot High School's Jamie Williamson and her family. Last Monday night as the Nuggets were enroute to closing out their best-of-seven series with the Miami Heat, 94-89, and capturing their first NBA...
Lex Bullen doesn't much like talking about herself. The 2023 Niwot High School grad instead prefers giving credit to the countless number of individuals who've helped her reach impressive heights as a runner. After moving from Stargate Charter School in Thornton to Niwot High prior to her sophomore year, Bullen helped the Cougars to three straight girls state titles in both track and cross country. Yet, she remains most fulfilled knowing that she benefited from a program that treated her as...
Not many student-athletes nowadays are willing - or able - to take the path that Julian Lettow traveled throughout his time at Niwot High School. Besides opting out of his sophomore basketball season due to COVID-19 concerns, Lettow balanced academics with hoops, tennis and baseball for all four years, earning the increasingly rare distinction of being a three-sport athlete. The effort he put forth made receiving his diploma all the more satisfying. "I put a lot of work into these four years,"...
Sometimes it's not about winning the game, but how you finish. For Niwot High School graduated senior Kate Jones, her final outing as a Cougar, and her second round at last week's Colorado Girls State 4A Golf Tournament, was one to remember. After struggling through a disappointing first-round 104, Jones shaved off 16 strokes in Wednesday's second round, carding a solid 88 at the par-72 Thorncreek Golf Course in Thornton. That was her best round in three state tournament appearances and her...
For the second consecutive spring, Alena Kasanicky, Mina O'Dell and Kate Jones are all set to represent Niwot High School at the Class 4A girls golf state championships, which runs May 30-31 at Thorncreek Golf Course in Thornton. Each member of Niwot's trio qualified for the state's big dance after putting up a strong showing at the 4A Region 3 tournament at The Fox Hill Club in Longmont on May 23. Kasanicky and O'Dell, a sophomore and a junior, respectively, carded an 86 while the senior Jones...
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...
Niwot High School Athletic Director Joe Brown announced that Todd Trobaugh has been hired as the new Cougar girls basketball coach. Trobaugh has not coached at the high school level, but has extensive experience coaching girls club basketball. He grew up in South Boulder, attended Fairview High School, Colorado State University, and obtained a business degree from CU. In his day job, Trobaugh works in the banking industry in operational risk and compliance. "I started coaching as a girls...
Three days of exceptional performances at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood gave the Niwot High School girls track and field team its fourth consecutive Class 4A state title on May 20. The Cougars took first in eight of the 19 events and finished with 154 total points, significantly more than any other team - boys or girls - throughout all five classifications. Mesa Ridge High was runner-up on the 4A girls side with 67 points. Madison Shults wrapped up her high school career by winning her second...
Niwot assistant baseball coach Bobby Matthews said it well when he told the dejected players, "You put Niwot baseball back on the map," following an extra-inning loss in the second round of the state playoffs. The Cougars, once a Class 4A powerhouse with five state championships in eight years, returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2016 when Niwot knocked off number three seed Denver North under former coach Craig McBride. That playoff run ended in the second round, and the 2023...
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...
Stephen Codevilla, Joshua Dowlin and Hudson Kammerer were three of the biggest contributors, but the Silver Creek High School boys swim and dive team had help from its entire roster en route to finishing second at the Class 4A state championships on May 13. Silver Creek, which holds athletes from multiple St. Vrain Valley schools including Niwot and Silver Creek high schools, was runner-up to Cheyenne Mountain for the second consecutive season after winning the 2021 state title. "I love my...
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....
The Niwot High School girls soccer season is over, and with a record of 6-8-1, they met expectations. Niwot had a long season, playing 15 games, winning their opener and their finale, but fell just short of making the playoffs. Niwot's season opener was against Centaurus, with the Cougars winning 2-1 in a second overtime shootout, beginning the season with a hot start. The rest of the week did not go Niwot's way, as they fell to Palmer Ridge, a sign of their eventual slide. The next two weeks...
The once-dominant Niwot High School Cougar baseball program is poised to return to the Class 4A playoffs for the first time since 2016. From 1998 to 2005, Niwot won five state championships in a span of eight years, but has not won a championship since then. The Cougars finished the 2023 regular season with a record of 13-8, and went 11-7 in the Class 4A Longs Peak League. Niwot closed out the season on May 15 with a doubleheader split against Northridge High School. The Cougars were forced to...
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...
Reaching the state regionals tournament would have been nice, but head coach John Miller couldn't have asked for much more out of Niwot High School's inaugural varsity boys volleyball season. Miller entered the campaign hoping to simply be competitive in Year 1, and his Cougars fulfilled that goal with an 11-12 overall record. Niwot's team, which includes student-athletes from across the St. Vrain Valley School District, also went 6-6 in the strong Northern 1 League following a four-set loss at...
The Niwot High School girls soccer team entered the final two weeks of the season with four games slated against the Thompson Valley Golden Eagles, the Skyline Falcons, the Roosevelt Roughriders, and the Mountain View Mountain Lions. Niwot's games covered all the angles with a 2-1 loss to the Golden Eagles, followed by a 0-0 tie with the Falcons, and finally, two victories, 9-0 over Roosevelt and 2-0 over Mountain View, to close out the season. Niwot's game against the Golden Eagles was a close...
On Thursday, May 4, in the Class 4A Region 5 tournament held at Niwot High School, several Niwot players qualified for the individual 4A state tournament, which is set to begin in Pueblo on Thursday, May 11. “All of the Niwot girls played exceptionally well,” said Niwot Coach Aimee Hites. “They’ve worked so hard and they’re more than ready to play in the state finals next Thursday.” At No. 2 singles, Niwot freshman Sahasra Kolli battled against Silver Creek senior Liana Kelly, who was undefeated during the regular season. Kolli won the first s...
Now out of contention in the Class 4A team state tournament, Niwot High School girls tennis is focused on qualifying its lines for the individual championships. Fellow Region 5 schools, Centaurus, Erie, Northridge, Silver Creek, Skyline, Standley Lake and Thornton, will be at Niwot High May 3-4 to compete for Individual State Tournament spots in the Regional Tournament. The top two lines earn a ticket to the State Tournament in each of the seven Regional events (1 through 3 singles and 1...
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...
Blue skies and temperatures in the mid 60's brought out many Niwot Youth Sports families to the NYS Recreational Baseball/Softball Opening Day Celebration on Sunday, April 30, at Hangge Fields at Monarch Park. Over 300 young athletes lined up early in the morning for team pictures in their new jerseys and hats. A bouncy castle and the ever popular concession trailer were on hand to entertain and feed kids, parents, grandparents, siblings, and fans alike. The Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free...
The Niwot High School girls tennis team had a busy week April 16-21, with three matches capped off by a tournament at Cherry Creek. The week began with a match against Kent Denver, a perennial powerhouse in tennis. Although the Cougars came out on the short end of a 1-6 score, Coach Aimee Hites wasn't disappointed. "We played Kent Denver really close," Hites said. "It was actually the only match we've played all year with all of our lineup there." Freshman Saha Kolli, who is undefeated on the...
This past week the Niwot High School girls soccer team had three games slated against the Grand Junction Central High School Warriors, the Frederick High School Golden Eagles, and the Fort Morgan High School Mustangs. The Cougars beat both the Mustangs and the Eagles, but fell to the Warriors on Saturday. Niwot's win against Fort Morgan was a blowout, 10-0 win. The victory helped cement what has been a much stronger looking Niwot team. Niwot's goals were scored by senior Mia Dumler, senior...
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...
Niwot Youth Sports will host Opening Day ceremonies on Sunday, April 30 at 10 a.m. at Hangge Fields at Monarch Park, with speakers, live "baseball" music by the Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band, youth baseball and softball games, and a chance to see the progress on the new Monarch Improvement Project building. The NYS website states, "Our initial goal is to build a permanent structure to house the concession stand, a storage facility, and real bathrooms. No more using...
With four games coming up during the week of April 17, the Niwot High School Cougars will have their hands full after a 6-4 win over Severance High School April 13. Weather and a shortage of umpires have combined to put the Cougars in the position of playing Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, which will test the Niwot pitching staff given the pitch count limits now in effect. The victory over Severance came courtesy of the Kilpatrick brothers. Sophomore Jagger Kilpatrick went six strong...
With 140 students out for track, Niwot High School track coach Maurice Henriques has a hard time keeping track of all of them. But there are so many elite athletes among that group that the Cougars as a team routinely places first or second at large meets. The BOCO Track & Field meet at Longmont April 15 was no exception as the Niwot girls took first and the boys finished second, behind only Class 5A Erie. “On the girls' side, we scored 210 points, and Longmont was second with 78,” Henriques said. As for the boys, Henriques wasn’t disap...
The Niwot High School girls soccer team played two games this past week, playing both the Riverdale Ridge Ravens and the Northridge Grizzlies. Niwot started the week after a 9-0 win against Severance High School, so expectations were high during their game against Riverdale Ridge. The game was close in the first half, which ended with Riverdale Ridge ahead 3-2, with senior Tiffany Yie and Senior Martha McCarthy scoring for Niwot, but the Ravens put the game away with two more goals in the...
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...
