Both boys tennis standouts had worked their way through their collective brackets to claim the No. 1 singles championships. Both had come up short the year before, Schilling falling in the Class 5A final while Wilcox got tripped up in 4A semis.
After winning their championships in 2019, they have a chance to accomplish something that hasn’t been done in over 20 years.
The last time that both the 5A and 4A boys No. 1 singles champions won back-to-back championships the same year was during the 1998 and 1999 seasons. Cherry Creek’s Chad Harris and Kent Denver’s Cory Ross won their titles together in those two years. Schilling and Wilcox weren’t even born.
Since then, the 5A No. 1 singles position has seen a repeat champion four times in Fruita Monument’s Richard Johnson (2002-03), Rocky Mountain’s Casey MacMaster (2008-09), Highlands Ranch’s Hayden Sabatka (2011-12) and Chatfield’s Christian Holmes (2017-18). In 4A there has only been one back-to-back champion since Ross and that was his little brother Casey in 2015-16. Niwot did get a two-champion in Harrison Lang but he won his titles in 2010 and 2012 with a loss in the championship match to Kent’s David Mitchell in 2011.
As the boys tennis season enters its full swing now, Wilcox and Schilling will attempt to tie their names together in a way that’s over two decades in the making.
“That’s amazing,” Wilcox said. “It’s motivational and I would love to be a part of any kind of small history that I can.”
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
The catch is that both players know that nothing is a given simply because they won a title the year before. Both have suffered defeats late in the bracket and both have seen talented senior players fall in either the semifinals or the championship final.
The key, according to both players, is to maintain focus and act as though each opponent on the court is more than capable of ending their championship runs.
“My mentality is to take it one match at a time,” Schilling said. “I’m not thinking about regionals or state. I have to get there first. Just because I found success last year and won state, it doesn’t mean I’m guaranteed that.”
The good news is their seasons are off to a good start. Both players have a few dual matches under their belt and neither has dropped a match yet. Wilcox is especially dominant as he’s only dropped one game all season. His talent is demonstrating that he has what it takes to make another run at Pueblo City Park.
“My strength is my versatility,” he said. “I feel like I can do anything on the court. No matter what position I’m put in, I always feel like I have a way out.”
He proved that in his championship winning match after dropping the first set to Cheyenne Mountain’s Joey Geisz. Wilcox rallied to win the match 2-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Schilling’s lone dropped set of his season came in a Sept. 30 win over Cherry Creek’s George Cavo. He rallied to win that one in three sets and never dropped a set for the remainder of the season. Like Wilcox, Schilling knows that the path to another championship – and the path at a chance at shared history with the Niwot senior – lies with how dominant he needs to be, not how dominant he has been.
“I’ve know George and (Fairview’s) Luke (Silverman) for a long time,” Schilling said. “These aren’t new faces from last year or anything. George and I are really good friends and we know how each other play.”
Regardless, when Wilcox and Schilling take the court, all friendships are put on pause. They’ve exhibited nothing but great sportsmanship in their time with their schools, but they both have the same mission in mind. Should they each come away with another championship, that accomplishment will tie them together in Colorado high school tennis history.
Niwot junior Taylor James has been named the best girls track athlete in Colorado by Gatorade.
James, who was named the Class 4A track athlete of the year last season, is the first girl from Niwot to win the track award, and becomes the fifth Niwot student to be honored by Gatorade overall. Niwot’s most recent Gatorade winner was Elise Cranny for girls cross country in 2013-14.
At last year’s state meet, James won the 800, 200 and 400, and was part of Niwot’s championship 4×400 team. She set a meet record in the 800 (2:08.29). This year’s state meet, of course, was wiped out by the Coronavirus pandemic.
In April, Gatorade announced that it would continue to honor spring sport athletes despite the cancellation of the season nationwide.
This past fall, James was part of Niwot’s championship-winning girls cross country team, and she placed 10th individually in Class 4A.
“Taylor’s range and versatility are unmatched,” said Niwot coach Maurice Henriques. “Her athleticism shows clearly given her ability to run against the best from the 100 to the 1600, and on the cross country course.”
A senior this coming school year, James has a 4.0 GPA, and has volunteered locally on behalf of Lifeline Puppy Rescue.
Typically, the Colorado Athletic Directors Association announces their annual awards at their conference each year. However, with no conference this year, they are announcing the awards online.
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Annual Awards
CADA 1A Athletic Director of the Year: Brett Williams, Hanover JSHS School District 28
CADA 2A Athletic Director of the Year: David Schuessler, Clear Creek
CADA 3A Athletic Director of the Year: Jesse Shawcroft, Centauri High School
CADA 4A Athletic Director of the Year: Kris Roberts, Cheyenne Mountain HS
CADA 5A Athletic Director of the Year: Adam Kelsey, Denver South High School
CADA Administrative Assistant of the Year: Joyce Cunningham, Littleton High School
CADA Administrator of the Year: Diana Sirko, Mesa County Valley School District
CADA Board Member of the Year: Reynaldo “Chico” Garcia, St. Vrain
CADA Award for Distinguished Service: Sue Prahl, Niwot High School
CADA Media Representative of the Year: Dan Mohrmann, CHSAANow/Southern Colorado
CADA Middle School Athletic Director of the Year: Jeff Conway, Coal Ridge MS
CADA New Athletic Director of the Year: Jimmy Cottrell, Kiowa High School
CADA Retired Athletic Director of the Year: Frank Lee, Fairview High School
State Award of Merit: Denny Squibb, Fruita Monument High School
Student Athlete Scholar award:
Male: Elijah Meyers, Arickaree High School
Female: Susan Puchino, Littleton High School
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CADA Committee Awards
Kurby Lyle Service Award: Mike Jacobsma, Dawson High School
THORNTON — Caroline Bricker already had a state record to her name. But all the freshman really wanted was to help her team capture a state title.
Little did she know that her win in the 100-yard breaststroke put Cheyenne in a position to do just that. After holding off Rampart in the 400 freestyle relay to cap the night, Cheyenne was a Class 4A girls swimming and diving state champion for the the second time in three years.
Bricker had just finished up her win in the breaststroke and watched her teammates compete in the relay not knowing where things stood with the team score, but she knew they had to battle.
“I just went out there and was thinking about my teammates,” she said. “I knew it was going to be close and I knew it was coming down to me or the relay.”
Cheyenne Mountain finished with 348 points. Two-time defending champion Rampart finished as the runner-up with 340 points.
In that freestyle relay, Cheyenne Mountain finished in sixth place with a time of three minutes, 38.79 seconds, just over a second faster than the Rams. As sophomore Elizabeth Brower touched the wall, the contingent of Cheyenne Mountain swimmers erupted in celebration. It had been just three years since its last title, but it felt like forever.
“This felt like a long one coming,” coach Kate Doane said. “The day-in and day-out work for the last couple of years paid tribute to today.
Cheyenne had to withstand a barrage of top finishes from Rampart including 50 and 100 freestyle wins from Lindsey Immel. Laelle Brovold added a win in the 100 butterfly and the Rams kicked off the night with a win in the 200 medley relay.
Bricker’s 2:02.03 in the 200 individual medley was good for a state record.
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
One of the more impressive swims of the night came in the 500 freestyle as Niwot’s Mary Codevilla blitzed the field, finishing in 4:57.37. The sophomore was two seconds faster in her prelim time and has dreams of doing big things in her last two chances at state.
“I’d love to get the state record in the 500 free,” she said. “I was so close in prelims and fell short in finals.”
Monarch’s Katey Lewicki had a shot at setting a state record in the 100 backstroke but fell just sixth-hundredths of a second short.
It was after that backstroke swim that things got interesting in the team race. Not only did Bricker win the championship heat, but Elizabeth Carrell also won the consolation heat, adding nine team points to the total.
That race was reflective of the depth that Cheyenne Mountain had that played a big role in the championship win.
“These girls work so hard in the offseason,” Doane said. “They knew that each person counted.”
The girls swimming championship is the second team championship for Cheyenne Mountain this year and the 99th team title in school history.
THORNTON — After escaping the cold of Colorado Springs, Rampart couldn’t wait to feel the warmth of the heated pool of the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center. After all, it’s got a championship feel for the Rams. It’s the same venue where they claimed the last two Class 4A state swimming titles and everything about the building feels comfortable.
So when snow dumped on their hometown, the Rams were thrilled to jump on the bus and head north to defend their title. And their results during 4A prelims indicated they are ready, willing and able to do just that.
They took the top time in the 200-yard medley relay, the first event of the day. The last two years, the Rams have set the 4A record in the event and then gone on to win the team championship, so getting that time of one minute, 45.09 seconds was a big step in their quest for a repeat.
Laelle Brovold followed that performance up with a top-three time in the 200 freestyle. Shortly after, Lindsey Immel’s 23.67 was good enough to put her in lane five for Wednesday’s finals. That time also feels like striking distance of Brooke Stenstrom’s 4A state record. Immel later grabbed the top time in the 100 freestyle at 51.56.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
The Rams will be pushed by another strong swimming program in Cheyenne Mountain. After claiming the title in 2017, Cheyenne wants to find the top of that podium again. The team took third in the 200 medley and then Caroline Bricker grabbed the top spot in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:05.02.
Both Brovold and Harper Lehman are seeded in the top five for the 100 butterfly which could end up being a crucial race when it comes to the team championship.
Niwot’s Mary Codevilla put on one of the more memorable preliminary performances of late as she dropped 11 seconds off her qualifying time in the 500 freestyle. She finished the race in 4:55.01, more than 14 seconds faster than the next closest swimmer, Cheyenne Mountain’s Frances Hayward.
Mullen squeaked out the top time in the 200 freestyle relay, beating Rampart by just two-tenths of a second.
Monarch standout Katey Lewicki has the top seed in the 100 backstroke and her time of 54.58 could be a preview of her going after a record in finals. The 4A state record is 54.22 and was set by Fort Collins’ Audrey Reimer.
Mullen’s Chase Davidson dropped nearly five seconds off her qualifying time in the 100 breaststroke and heads into Wednesday as the top seed. Her 1:03.03 was just one-hundredth of a second faster than Bricker.
Dakota Ridge capped the night with the best time in the 400 freestyle relay at 3:38.82. Grand Junction took first in the last heat of the night with a time of 3:39.82 which was just two-hundredths of a second faster than Mullen.
Dive prelims for 4A will take place Wednesday morning at the VMAC with swim and dive finals scheduled for a 5 p.m. start.
