Addison Ritzenhein runs 16:44.9 to help Cougars produce first five finishers in girls race for perfect 15-point effort, securing third consecutive crown in Arizona; Bitticks clocks 15:10.3 to edge Culpepper and Torres, but Niwot has more than enough support to achieve second team sweep in three years 

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

MESA, Ariz. – Five athletes, combining to achieve the greatest feat in Desert Twilight Festival history.

Five green letters highlighting NIWOT across the front of their racing kits, identifying one of the proudest racing traditions in U.S. prep cross country history.

And five words to describe the Cougars’ dominance Friday night at Toka Sticks Golf Course.

They’re as good as advertised.

Addison Ritzenhein, Mia Prok, Avalon Beltran, Olivia Alessandrini and Cayden Justice swept the first five places in the girls sweepstakes race, producing a perfect 15-point performance to lead top-ranked Niwot High from Colorado to a third consecutive title and fourth in five seasons, as the event returned to Toka Sticks for the first time since 2013.

RESULTS | INTERVIEWS

Niwot also swept both boys and girls sweepstakes crowns for the second time in three years, including in 2021 at The Links Golf Course in Queen Creek, Ariz., but the Cougars did so in much more emphatic and memorable fashion Friday following individual wins from Ritzenhein, a sophomore, and Scottsdale Horizon of Arizona senior Donovan Bitticks.

Ritzenhein covered the 5-kilometer layout in 16 minutes, 44.9 seconds to deliver the fastest female prep all-time effort at Toka Sticks, eclipsing the 2013 mark of 17:03.9 established by former Niwot standout Elise Cranny during her senior year competing at NXR Southwest.

Prok ran 17:31.8, Beltran clocked 17:38.1, Alessandrini finished in 17:50.8, with Justice solidifying the meet record for lowest team score with her 17:54.2 performance.

Xavier College Prep of Arizona established the previous low girls sweepstakes team score in meet history with 25 points in 2011 at Toka Sticks.

Niwot also had Sarah Perkins (18:24.6) and Alena Kasanicky (18:28.6) finish 14th and 15th, with Kendall Madine placing 23rd in 18:51.2 for the Cougars, who captured the sweepstakes title at a fourth different venue, including Coyote Run Golf Course at Leisure World last year, The Links Golf Course in Queen Creek in 2021 and Grande Sports Complex in Casa Grande in 2019.

Hellgate High from Montana had five scorers in the top 50 to secure runner-up with 95 points, with Highland of Arizona taking third at 133 points, followed by Alamosa High from Colorado with 162 points and Xavier College Prep finishing fifth with 201 points.

Kimi Cahoon of Phoenix Country Day in Arizona was the only other female athlete to eclipse the 18-minute barrier, clocking 17:57 to grab sixth.

Chloe Grieco, a freshman at St. Michael’s in New Mexico, captured seventh in 18:00.3, Landen LeBlond of Millennium High in Arizona earned eighth in 18:03.1 after winning the championship race last season, Madeline Castillo from Alamosa was ninth in 18:09.4 and Adelynn Rodriguez of El Paso Eastwood in Texas achieved 10th in 18:12.2.

Bitticks prevailed in an exciting three-athlete sprint to the finish, clocking 15:10.3 to hold off Niwot sophomore Rocco Culpepper (15:11.1) and Aidan Torres of El Paso Eastwood (15:11.8).

Bitticks improved from 44th place in last year’s sweepstakes race, running 16:13.6 at Coyote Run Golf Course at Leisure World, also the site of NXR Southwest.

Culpepper was supported by Niwot teammates Quinn Sullivan, a freshman, in fourth in 15:17.4, as well as Cole Mazurana finishing 15th in 15:36.9, Evan Kear (15:44.7) and Hunter Robbie (15:47.5) placing 18th and 19th, Christopher Wood taking 24th in 15:50.3, Gavin Engtrakul achieving 27th in 15:53.5 and Sammy Jackman capturing 31st in 15:57.4.

Niwot triumphed with 47 points, ahead of fellow Colorado program ThunderRidge at 127 points.

Highland also took third in the boys sweepstakes with 201 points, El Paso Eastwood was fourth at 218 points and Douglas High from Colorado finished fifth with 222 points.

Sullivan wasn’t the only freshman to place in the top 10, as Yohanes Van Meerten of Northland Prep grabbed fifth in 15:18.4, just ahead two more Arizona standouts in Liberty senior Ryan Denhof securing sixth in 15:18.6 and Myles Floyd from Pusch Ridge Christian taking seventh in 15:20.4.

ThunderRidge teammates Owen Casselman (15:20.8) and Ben Lee (15:23.0) earned eighth and ninth, with Bryson Nielsen from Eastmark High in Arizona rounding out the top 10 in 15:25.4.

Niwot also won the team title in the boys championship race by a 42-77 margin against Durango.

Keegan Geldean prevailed for the Cougars in 15:40.3, with Charlie Dillman of Durango finishing runner-up in 15:48.6.

Durango won the team crown in the girls championship race with a 125-165 triumph against West Torrance from California, led by freshman Kamilah Salim, who emerged victorious in 18:25.3.

Brenna Jorde of IMG Academy in Florida was second in 18:48.0, just ahead of Ellie Phillips from Valley Christian of Arizona in 18:48.5.

Aron Kiflu of Camelback High in Arizona was victorious in the boys large school varsity race in 16:00, with Aidan McBridge of American Leadership Academy Ironwood taking top honors in the boys small school varsity competition in 16:12.8.

Taylor Buckner from Dobson High prevailed in the girls large school varsity race in 20:15.4, with fellow Arizona athlete Alex Montano of Salpointe Catholic earning the win in the girls small school varsity competition in 19:33.5.