NHS track and field teams take girls and boys state titles

In the conclusion to another dominant Niwot High School track and field season, both the boys and girls teams walked away with team titles from the State Track and Field Championships held May 15 to May 17 at Jeffco Stadium.

The Cougar girls claimed their sixth consecutive state title with 148 points over Windsor (79.5 points), while the boys topped the standings with 98 points over Roosevelt (56 points), marking their third first-place finish since 2019 after a runner-up performance last year.

Niwot Girls - 6th consecutive state title

Senior Jade West was one standout performer, winning her third consecutive state title in the shot put with a throw of 40 feet 8 inches. West's dominance cemented her legacy as one of the state's best. Sophomore Mahlya Blanks came through with a strong second-place finish in the shot put with a personal record of 37 feet 2 inches.

West also defended her state discus title, finishing first with a throw of 133 feet 7 inches, which was eight inches farther than second place. West will take her talents to the University of Wyoming next fall.

Senior Reese Kasper was another driving force for the girls, winning both the 100-meter hurdles (14.22 seconds) and the 300-meter hurdles (41.35 seconds). Her performance in the 300-meter hurdles not only earned her first place but also set a new personal record and established the new Colorado #1 and U.S. #7 times.

Kasper's victory came with an impressive 1.22-second margin over second place. Kasper also helped the 200-meter relay team to a gold medal, alongside senior Eliana Henriques, sophomore Sammie Holliday, and senior Kate Schmidthuber, breaking the meet record, finishing in 1:38.86, surpassing the previous record set by a team of Cougars in 2021.

Henriques had a standout meet as well, winning the long jump with a leap of 18 feet 3 inches and taking second in the triple jump with a personal record of 35 feet 10.25 inches. Henriques also ran in the 200-meter dash, finishing fifth with a time of 25.46, and took 15th in the 100-meter dash (12.62).

In the 400-meter relay, Henriques, Kasper, Holliday, and Schmidthuber placed second with a time of 3:48.93, just behind Windsor High School. Both teams broke the meet record set in 2015 by Thompson Valley High School.

Junior Addison Ritzenhein had a remarkable performance in the distance events, successfully defending her titles in both the 1600-meter (4:47.05) and 3200-meter (10:27.80). Sophomore Elise Hagen was another key contributor in the distance races, finishing fifth in the 3200-meter (10:57.02) and eighth in the 1600-meter (5:01.78).

Niwot Boys - Back on top

In earning their first state title since 2021, the Cougar boys had their own set of impressive performances, with junior Rocco Culpepper taking first in the 1600-meter (4:12.23). Junior Ryder Keeton followed suit in the 3200-meter, winning with a time of 9:02.44. Keeton's victory was even more significant as he had finished eighth in the event last year. Junior Hunter Robbie also had a strong showing, placing third in the 3200-meter (9:03.40) and sixth in the 1600-meter (4:14.08).

The 400-meter relay team of sophomore Quinn Sullivan, senior Gavin Engtrakul, junior Townes Bernstein, and junior Joshua Archuleta ran a season-best 3:21.70 to claim first place. The 800-meter relay team of Culpepper, senior Cole Mazurana, Engtrakul, and Sullivan placed first with a time of 7:51.52, setting a new Colorado #2 time.

In the 110-meter hurdles, sophomore Jaydan Martinez finished eighth with a personal record of 14.94 seconds, while junior Kingston Staton placed fifth in the 300-meter hurdles (39.74 seconds). In the long jump, senior Weston Domich finished ninth with a leap of 20 feet 10 inches, and Staton placed third in the triple jump with a bound of 43 feet 9.5 inches.

Niwot's Unified track & field

Freshman Isaiah Richart stole the spotlight in the Unified events with an impressive all-around performance. In the 4A/5A 100-meter dash, Richart placed fourth with a time of 13.64 seconds. He went on to win the 4A/5A 200-meter dash with a personal best of 26.56 seconds.

Richart also impressed in the field events, taking third in both the discus (33' 5") and shot put (20' 5"). Additionally, he placed second in the long jump with a mark of 14 feet 3 inches.

Niwot came to play, with the girls securing their sixth straight title and the boys bouncing back to claim their third championship in six years. Niwot, under Coach Maurice Henriques and his talented staff, left Jeffco Stadium, once again, proving they are the best in Colorado.