Cougars could challenge meet record for lowest score, in addition to becoming first program to potentially win at four different venues as meet returns to Toka Sticks Golf Course for first time in a decade; Niwot and ThunderRidge expected to battle in boys sweepstakes

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Regardless of venue, the Niwot High of Colorado girls team has continued to demonstrate impressive performances each year at the Desert Twilight Festival, and the Cougars have an opportunity to conquer another course Friday when the meet returns for the first time since 2013 to the Toka Sticks Golf Course in Mesa, Ariz.

Niwot, the nation’s top-ranked team, is seeking a third consecutive sweepstakes victory – at a third different venue – and a fourth triumph in five years, after not attending the 2020 event as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Cougars prevailed at Coyote Run Golf Course at Leisure World last season, the same site where they returned in November to capture the NXR Southwest title as well, before finishing runner-up at Nike Cross Nationals in Oregon.

Niwot won at The Links Golf Course in Queen Creek in 2021 and triumphed in 2019 at the Grande Sports Complex in Casa Grande.

Now, the Cougars have an opportunity to win at a fourth site, a feat yet to be achieved by any program, regardless of gender, in meet history.

Niwot also has the potential to secure another sweep of both sweepstakes titles, which it accomplished in 2021 at The Links Golf Course. The Cougars were third in the boys sweepstakes competition last year behind fellow Colorado programs Valor Christian and Cherokee Trail.

Mia Prok, Addison Ritzenhein, Olivia Alessandrini and Cayden Justice return for the Cougars from last year’s victorious sweepstakes lineup that prevailed against Colorado rival Air Academy by a 42-92 margin.

Avalon Beltran, Alena Kasanicky and Kendall Madine are also expected to compete for Niwot, with Viola Alessandrini scheduled to participate in the girls championship race.

Niwot has the potential to challenge the meet record achieved at Toka Sticks by Xavier College Prep of Arizona, which placed six athletes in the top 10 in 2011 to triumph with 25 points.

Xavier College Prep followed in 2012 with five competitors in the top 10 to score 28 points.

Although there will be several elite individuals competing in the girls sweepstakes race, only defending Arizona state champions Highland (Division 1) and Flagstaff (Division 2) are returning among the top 10 teams from last year’s competition.

Highland is led by Camryn Delancey and Stella Hall, with Taylor Biggambler the top competitor for Flagstaff.

Desert Vista of Arizona secured sixth place last season, but only has Brooklyn Hanania and Dana Pivin scheduled to race Friday in the sweepstakes.

Colorado will also be represented by Alamosa, led by Sarah DeLaCerda, and Conifer, with the impressive pair of Audrey Vanwestrienen and Kate Horneck elevating to the sweepstakes race for the first time.

New Mexico is expected to showcase promising freshman Chloe Grieco of St. Michael’s Prep, with Nicole Pierce from Piedra Vista ascending to the sweepstakes competition after placing 13th in the championship race last season.

Arizona’s leading sweepstakes contender is expected to be Millennium’s Landen LeBlond, who won the championship race last year.

Phoenix Country Day’s Kimi Cahoon, Catalina Foothills’ Katherine McNulty and Hamilton’s Lily Clawson are also entered, along with Tally Call and Talya Workman from American Leadership Academy of Queen Creek and Northwest Christian’s Ashley Tarasenko and Sarah Johnson.

Hellgate High of Montana is also expected to compete, led by Jamison Molloy, with Adelynn Rodriguez representing El Paso Eastwood of Texas and Delaney Vickers competing for Spain Park from Alabama.

Niwot has four competitors returning from its third-place boys sweepstakes lineup last year, led by sophomore Rocco Culpepper, who finished seventh. Culpepper is likely to be joined by freshman Quinn Sullivan, Christopher Wood, Hunter Robbie, Evan Kear, Cole Mazurana and Sammy Jackman.

The Cougars, who also return Gavin Entrakul, William Lennert and Keegan Geldean with previous Desert Twilight racing experience, are also entered in the boys championship section as well.

The biggest challenge for Niwot is expected to come from another strong Colorado program in ThunderRidge, led by senior Owen Casselman.

Ben Lee, Braydon Leist, Ryder Jay, Cameron Skidmore, Anthony Cummings and Landon Twiss are also scheduled to participate in the sweepstakes race for the Grizzlies, who are looking to become the third different Colorado team to capture the Desert Twilight boys sweepstakes crown in as many years.

Highland, Hamilton, Flagstaff, Liberty and Mountain View Mesa from Arizona all return after finishing in the top 16 in the boys sweepstakes last season, along with El Paso Eastwood and San Elizario of Texas.

Following an impressive victory Sept. 16 at the ASICS Mt. Carmel Invitational in San Diego, senior Ryan Denhof of Liberty is highly motivated to improve on his 72nd-place sweepstakes performance last year.

Denhof is expected to be joined in the sweepstakes field by fellow Arizona competitors Matthew Hamilton from Red Mountain, Glenn Thomas of Northwest Christian, Tim Willford from Highland, Emmanuel Simiyu of Greenway, Donovan Bitticks from Scottsdale Horizon, Jacob Batty of Kingman Academy, Jonah Pearson from North Phoenix Prep, Andrew Fastrup of Sunrise Mountain and Jack Bradley from Williams Field, as well as Pusch Ridge Christian teammates Myles Floyd and Camden Odell.

Israel Quintana from Immanuel Christian and Danny Torres of El Paso Eastwood are representing Texas, with Jackson Fagerlin of Resurrection Christian in Colorado expected to compete, in addition to freshman Calvin Rivera of Las Vegas Centennial, Wilson Derry from Hellgate in Montana and Eian Phillips of Spain Park in Alabama.

After being edged on a sixth-runner tiebreaker in the girls championship race last season by Shadow Ridge High of Nevada, Shadow Ridge High from Arizona returns in pursuit of the title.

Evangeline Dunckley of Saguaro High in Arizona is the top returning competitor from last year’s championship race following a fifth-place finish.

With Red Mountain elevating to the boys sweepstakes race after winning the championship competition last year, fellow Arizona programs Sandra Day O’Connor and Shadow Mountain are the top returning teams after securing sixth and seventh.

Evan Grawer from Notre Dame Prep in Arizona is the top returning competitor in the boys championship race following a 12th-place effort last season.