4A Gymnastics: Niwot Captures First State Title Since 2018

THORNTON – For most teams, six years wouldn’t seem like a long time between gymnastics state championships.

But for perennial contender Niwot, having not won a team title since 2018 felt like a long time to wait. That wait ended on Saturday when the Cougars put together a team score of 180.75 to claim the Class 4A team championship at Thornton High School.

“We started off on beam and we actually had four falls in our first event this evening,” Cougars head coach Marisa Purcell said. “That makes you have to dig deep and really fight. We just kept reminding them, ‘You fought too hard to get here to give up now.’ We went to bars and had the best bars set of the entire season. That just showed them how much grit and determination they have to be able to keep fighting for a state championship.

“That’s how we did it.”

The Cougars, who finished fourth last season, scored 45.275 on vault, a meet-high 44.825 on bars, another meet-high 44.875 on beam and 46.000 on floor. The Cougars are now third all-time with seven team titles.

Niwot also claimed the 4A individual all-around title with sophomore Evie Saunders placing first with a four-event score of 37.100. Saunders had the highest score of 9.700 on beam, which was a season high for her, finished second (9.500) on floor, was eighth (9.075) on vault and placed 12th (8.875) on bars.

“It maybe wasn’t a goal for me this season,” Saunders said. “I was just trying to do the best that I could. I didn’t really think I could get all-around winner. But I’m really just proud of overall how I did.”

Standley Lake, whose Merrick Nakatsu (36.550) was runner-up in the all-around, finished second in the team competition with a score of 176.200. Roosevelt (175.600) was third, Evergreen (173.525) was fourth and Palmer Ridge (173.050) was fifth.

Also in the all-around, Northfield’s Ocean Pierce and Niwot’s Lilly O’Neill tied for third with a score of 36.525. Elizabeth’s Braeleigh Melsness (36.475) was fifth, Palmer Ridge’s Braelynn Marr (36.175) was sixth, Roosevelt’s Alea Piddington (36.150) was seventh, Palmer Ridge’s Kaitlin McArthur (35.725) was eighth and Pueblo Central’s Karlee Knabenshue (35.700) was ninth.