Elise Cranny joins NHS Hall of Fame

When Elise Cranny picked up the phone and heard Niwot High School principal Eric Rauschkolb and athletic director Joe Brown on the other end, she did not expect anything out of the ordinary.

"I just figured maybe it was something for the cross country team," Cranny said. "I didn't even think it could be this."

Rauschkolb and Brown told Cranny she had been selected for the Class of 2025 Niwot High School Hall of Fame. The two-time Olympian, NCAA standout at Stanford, and professional runner was quick to reflect on the place where it all began.

"It's one of those moments I'll always remember," she said. "This school and this town launched my whole trajectory. To be even a small part of the history here means so much."

Cranny, a 2014 Niwot High School graduate, won two state titles in cross country and swept the 800, 1600, and 3200-meter races at the state Class 4A meet in both 2013 and 2014.

She helped lead the Cougar girls team to its first-ever state track and field championship in 2013, a turning point for a program that has since become one of the best in Colorado.

"I still remember Jeffco Stadium, those races, the 4x8 we ran," she said. "It was just so special to feel like you were contributing to multiple events and helping your team win."

While Cranny's name became known nationally during her college career at Stanford University and internationally through her Olympic success, it was at Niwot where she first began to understand what was possible. Early on, she thought the state meet was the highest level she could reach.

"I didn't really know much about anything beyond that," she said. "But Coach Mo and Coach Hartmann opened my eyes to college running, national meets, and even the idea that you could keep going after college."

Head coach Maurice Henriques, who still leads the Cougars today, was a key figure in Cranny's development. She remembers a conversation her freshman year when she told him she planned to play soccer in the spring.

Henriques encouraged her to focus solely on track.

"He really believed in me," Cranny said. "And not just in me, but in everyone. What's so special about Coach Mo is that he cares about helping each athlete get the most out of themselves, no matter what their goals are."

That personal investment stayed with her. From bus rides and hill workouts to early-morning meets and sweaty summer sessions, Cranny said her time at Niwot left a deeper impact than any medal ever could.

"I tell people now to soak in all the little moments," she said. "I don't remember every race, but I remember the feeling of being part of a team. That's what I miss most."

Cranny's career only grew from there. She became a multiple-time NCAA runner-up at Stanford and now runs professionally for Nike. In 2021, she qualified for the Tokyo Olympics. In 2024, she made the Olympic team again for the Paris Games.

"Qualifying for my first Olympics is something that will always be etched in my mind," she said. "It's something you dream about. And even though it was during COVID and there were no fans in the stands, people in Niwot were waking up at four in the morning to watch the race at The Wheel House. Just knowing people were watching meant so much to me."

Last fall, she returned to Niwot to help honor the boys cross country team after their Nike Cross Nationals victory. Nike hosted a surprise assembly at NHS to celebrate, and Cranny got the chance to join in.

"It felt like a full-circle moment," she said. "Being back in the gym, seeing the energy, it was like being transported right back to high school."

These days, Cranny is still training and competing while also pursuing a master's degree in public health. She splits her time between Flagstaff, Arizona, and the Gunbarrel area, and often trains at Niwot's track.

"The community made me who I am," she said. "To come back and be recognized like this is incredibly meaningful."

Cranny will be formally inducted into the Niwot High School Hall of Fame on Sunday, June 1, during the Night of Champions ceremony at Niwot High School at 6 p.m. alongside fellow inductees Mabel Miyasaki and Mike Moat.