It was a pendulum of emotion for area athletes, and that went all the way up to the school year’s final moment.
A sharp throw to first from Broomfield shortstop Dylan Harris sent the Eagles into a dogpile along the third-base line at All-City Stadium in Denver last weekend. Just outside of it, in somber, were the crosstown players from Legacy.
The state champions crowned from the 2021-22 school year in the BoCoPreps.com area calculated out to 10 teams and 48 individuals, and concluded with the Eagles’ dramatic 7-6 Class 5A title game win over the Lightning last Saturday.
Team champions included Niwot girls cross country, Broomfield gymnastics, Holy Family softball, Erie and Prospect Ridge cheer, Longmont boys track and field, Niwot girls track and field, Dawson girls soccer, Erie girls golf and Broomfield baseball.
Among others, individual winners were highlighted by Boulder’s repeat No. 1 singles champ Lily Chitambar, Niwot swimming sensation Mary Codevilla, Erie freshman golfer Hadley Ashton, standout runners Zane Bergen of Niwot and Connor McCormick of Longmont, and pole vaulters Lilly Nichols of Broomfield, Megan Kelleghan of Silver Creek and Kourtney Rathke of Peak to Peak.
Below are some of the defining moments from the 2021-22 school year.
August 12-26 — Mathieu Zerwin records two aces in two-week span
A hole-in-one is winning the golf lottery. Doing it twice is somewhere in make-believe land.
But this story is as true as Zerwin’s iron swing. The then-junior recorded two aces 14 days apart in August, nailing his first hole-in-one at Broadlands Golf Course before replicating it at Thorncreek Golf Course in Thornton.
Even stranger to this story, his dad and coach John Zerwin did the same thing over the same span when he was his son’s age.
Boys golf: Fairview’s Mathieu Zerwin hits a hole-in-one at Broomfield Classic
Sept. 8-10 – Skyline football honors fallen teammate
During its Week 3 game against Golden, the Falcons honored Savion Lowe, who died Sept. 7 at age 17.
Two days before that game, Skyline soccer player Alex Meza scored a game-winning goal and removed his jersey to show an undershirt that had Savion’s name and his football number, No. 46, written on it.
Boys soccer: Skyline’s Alex Meza scores winner in tribute to fallen classmate
Oct. 23 — Holy Family wins third state title in four years
Behind veterans Abby Edwards and Ava Kuszak, as well as a freshman pitcher in Izzy Arroyo that was untouchable, the Tigers beat D’Evelyn in the 4A title game. Over the past four years, Holy Family has gone 95-10 on the softball diamond.
Softball: Bombs away! Holy Family earns back-to-back state titles
Oct. 30 — Niwot girls grabs fourth straight XC title
This run of Cougars’ girls teams will go down as one of the best in state history. In the fall, the state’s most dominant running program was led by individual winner Eva Klingbeil and five Niwot girls in the top nine. Zane Bergen won the boys race for Niwot, while in 2A, Lyons' Tyler Ball won an individual title.
Cross country: Niwot once again dominates Class 4A state championships
Nov. 4 — Broomfield wins gymnastics title
It was the Eagles’ third gymnastics team title since 1988.
Gymnastics: Broomfield puts on its best efforts in winning Class 5A state team championship
Dec. 4 — Erie and Mead finish runner-up in football
Both area teams were on the wrong side of instant classics that came down to the last possession. An interception inside the 20 ended Mead’s final drive as it fell to Fort Morgan 21-17 in Pueblo. Erie lost on Chatfield quarterback Jake Jones’ 32-yard TD pass with 11 seconds remaining at Empower Field at Mile High.
Dec. 10 – Erie and Prospect Ridge win cheer titles
"I think we just had a lot to prove this year," Erie head coach Nora Roth told CHSAANow. "The more you win, the more you have a target on your back. I let the girls know it's their day, they get to decide who comes away with the trophy, and they definitely showed up."
Dec. 30-present – Sports community lends helping hand after Marshall Fire
With the pandemic restrictions lightened inside the Boulder, Longmont, Broomfield and Erie communities, there had been some alleviation on the high school scene this past year. But there was still pain, and plenty of it, as the area faced another crisis from the Marshall Fire in late December, which burned up more than 1,000 homes in Louisville/Superior.
In turmoil, though, there was signs of hope. Thousands of volunteers from the area stepped up to provide comfort and care in the wake of the state’s most destructive fire in history. The sports community was a cornerstone of it.
Prep athletic community lends hand in Marshall Fire relief efforts
Feb. 11-16 — Niwot’s Mary Codevilla caps off career with seventh state title
The Niwot senior won golds in both her individual races at the 4A state championships. It was the third straight year she did so. Five days later in 5A, Karolina Bank and Morgan Lukinac won individual titles for Fairview, which finished runner-up.
Girls swimming: Niwot’s Mary Codevilla caps off all-time career
Feb. 19 — Five wrestlers take gold at Ball Arena
Monarch’s Cole Carlucci won the 5A 182-pound title on an ACL that was torn just months prior. Broomfield’s Ryan Vigil won his second straight in 4A, while Erie’s Ramon Salazar, Mead’s Jenna Joseph and Renata Means won their first.
Wrestling: Close-knit Monarch takes fourth led by Cole Carlucci’s gold
Feb. 26 – Jeff Kloster wins his 500th career game
In advancing to the Sweet 16, Kloster won his 500th game at Longmont. He was later inducted into the Colorado High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
March 10-11 — Mead girls and Frederick boys end historic runs in Final Four
The Mavericks, in their longest postseason run in program history, fell to Windsor. Frederick, in its first Final Four appearance in 66 years, lost to Pueblo South.
Boys basketball: Frederick bows out in first Final Four appearance in 66 years
May 13-14 – Legacy wins 200 free relay championship in swimming
The Lightning, led by BoCoPreps.com swimmer of the year Kyle Raskay, won the 5A relay. It was the school’s first relay title in history. Legacy finished third in 5A, while Silver Creek, led by rising star freshman James Story, was second in 4A.
Boys swimming: Legacy takes third at 5A state behind 200 freestyle relay title
May 14 – Chitambar wins second straight 5A No. 1 singles title
The Boulder ace repeated in 5A in Denver and Niwot’s Anna Salle won the 4A No. 2 singles title in Pueblo. Fairview’s 2-doubles team of Jane Roth and Maya Brakhage and Holy Family’s 4-doubles pairing of Kylie Horning and Alesandra Wise also won titles.
May 17-23 – Erie boys and Fairview girls lose in girls lax semifinals
The two league champions bowed out a game before the championships, with Erie losing to Cheyenne Mountain and the Knights to Valor Christian.
May 19-22 — Longmont boys and Niwot girls win 4A track and field team titles
The Trojans won their first track title since 2012, while the Cougars won their third straight. Connor McCormick and Caleb Johnson each had two individual titles for Longmont. Madison Shults and Eva Klingbeil each had two individual wins for Niwot.
The BoCoPreps area brought home 29 individual titles from the race at Jefferson County Stadium. Other major track news from the meet was out of Lyons' camp, where longtime coach Mark Roberts said he was stepping down as coach at the school. He said he will coach at Resurrection Christian next year.
Track and field: Longmont boys and Niwot girls take home gold
May 24-25 – Dawson soccer wins second straight title, Broomfield and Jefferson Academy fall
The Mustangs beat Crested Butte for their second straight 2A title at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Broomfield, looking for a repeat in 5A, fell to Grandview. Jefferson Academy lost to Kent Denver in 3A.
Girls soccer: Dawson overcomes obstacles to win second straight 2A state title
June 1 – Erie and its freshman ace win golf title
Hadley Ashton won the 4A title going away. Erie clinched its first team title in its first year qualifying as a team. Other top-five finishers among the golf tournaments included Mead’s Timbre Shehee, Peak to Peak’s Noelle Thompson and Prospect Ridge’s Hope Torres.
June 4 – Broomfield beats Legacy in all-city championship game
“I’m just trying to have fun with it,” Ross said between bear hugs with teammates and fans Saturday afternoon as Broomfield had beaten city rival Legacy, 7-6, for the Class 5A state title at All-City Stadium. “When you have fun in baseball that’s how you succeed.”
Baseball: Broomfield beats city rival Legacy for Class 5A state title
