The weather is dodgy and the success of the track and field team at Niwot is still unwavering.
Yep, it must be spring in Colorado, where these kinds of uncertainties and assurances are a yearly expectation on the high school sport’s scene.
But what about the spring surprises? Not so much in terms of the unfortunate kind (which we won’t get into here), but what about those which are so warmly welcomed at their respective schools?
Let’s take a look at 10 local programs who have turned heads early this spring season.
Boulder girls soccer: The Panthers (5-0-1) stayed undefeated with a 6-0 win over Silver Creek on Tuesday.
Coach Carlos Real’s team is ranked second in the state by MaxPreps and 87th in the nation. This comes just a year after they snapped a playoff drought that dated back to 2019.
Erie girls track and field: The Tigers, who finished 33rd at the 5A track and field meet a year ago, have five different girls with top-20 marks in the state in their respective events.
At the 30-team Niwot Invitational last week, they finished fourth — a spot ahead of reigning Class 5A champ Rock Canyon. They trailed only winner Eaglecrest (fourth in 5A in 2024), Niwot (4A champs) and Mountain Vista (third in 5A).
Individually, Addison Greenlee has the fifth-best high jump in the state this spring (5 feet, 4 inches). Natalie Fetters is sixth in shot put (36-11) while Tegan Cerveny is eighth (36-2.5).
Fairview boys lacrosse: The Knights (3-1) feel like this could be a special season.
Despite three straight losing campaigns, they field a dynamic offense headlined by a junior core that has played together since they were freshmen. Their goaltender room is deep, touting three guys coach Matt Kelley feels comfortable starting.
CHSAA’s rankings currently have them 10th in 5A.
Legacy boys volleyball: Led by all-world setter Rafael Urbina, who is headed to UCLA next season, the Lightning are unanimously the top-ranked team in the state at 14-0.
Last year, the Adams 12 District team played out of Thornton High School. Without Urbina for last year’s playoffs, they bowed out in the 5A second round. At that time, Urbina was playing for USA’s under-age 19 team at the NORCECA Continental Championships, where the Americans took gold and Urbina was named the tournament’s best setter.
Longmont baseball: After late-season injuries derailed what started as a promising 2024 season, the Trojans (6-2) appear back on track … and then some.
Senior pitcher Bryce Smaic has helped lead the way, touting a 3-0 record with a 1.33 ERA through 21 innings.
Mead baseball: The Mavericks have been the model of consistency the past few years, finishing just above .500 in every season since the pandemic — 12-11, 13-11, 12-11. Now, they appear to be on the way up.
They’re 7-1 to start 2025 and 2-1 against 2024 4A postseason teams. Among them, they beat 4A defending champ Holy Family, 10-3, last week.
Monarch boys track and field: Last season, the Coyotes finished 20th at the 5A track and field meet as most of their points came from grad Tyler Rowan’s win at pole vault.
They look deeper in 2025, currently with six different athletes with top-20 marks in the state in their respective event. Brek Hoenninger didn’t qualify for the 2024 state meet but has Colorado’s third-best mark in the long jump (23 feet, 1 inch), as well as the 15th and 16th fastest times in the 110 and 300-meter hurdles (15.33 seconds, 41.19).
Prospect Ridge Academy girls soccer: Under Erie’s former soccer boss Jeff Vigil, the Miners opened the season with six consecutive wins against 2024 playoff teams.
Now at 6-0 on the season after beating Forge Christian on Tuesday, they’re outscoring teams 22-1.
PRA has never reached a title game in girls soccer.
Peak to Peak girls soccer: The Pumas beat St. Mary’s Academy to move to 4-0 on the season. The last time the program won the first four games to a season came in 2017. That year, they went on to finish as 3A’s runner-up.
Silver Creek girls tennis: The Raptors went 3-7 in duals last spring and eventually qualified their No. 2 doubles into the individual 4A state tournament.
A promising start could mean more success in 2025.
They’ve won half of their first four duals. The first loss came at the hand of Erie, which reached the 4A team quarterfinals in 2024.
Both their No. 1 and 2 doubles teams, meanwhile, are 3-0 in dual play.
Looking for the surprise locals in boys swimming, girls golf and girls lacrosse? Us too.
Plenty of strong starts to the season in each of those three sports. But as far as surprises? None that are glaring.
In the pool, reigning Class 4A champ Silver Creek and perennial-power Fairview are off to good starts. And so is Monarch, which finished eighth in 5A last season.
On the links, Holy Family — the 4A runner-up to Erie last year — has its entire varsity core back and won the first Granite Peaks League tournament of the season by 25 strokes last week. Meanwhile, 3A defending champ Prospect Ridge Academy, has fared so far behind reigning individual champ Hope Torres.
In girls lacrosse, Fairview and Mead, the 5A and 4A runner-ups in 2024, have started a combined 9-3.
