By Madison Shaw
Originally published in the Left Hand Valley Courier on March 4, 2026.
Niwot High School senior Hunter Robbie (bib 5) races in the boys 1600-meter during the 2024 Class 5A State Track & Field Championships. Robbie enters his senior track season fresh off of being named the Gatorade Colorado Boys Cross Country Player of the Year. (Madison Shaw/Left Hand Valley Courier)
Four years ago, a Gatorade Player of the Year banner hanging in Niwot High School's gym planted the idea. As a freshman, Hunter Robbie used to look up at Zane Bergen's name, the first Cougar boy ever to win the award in 2022, and wonder what it might feel like to join him.
On the morning of Feb. 13, Robbie woke up to a text saying he had been named the Gatorade Colorado Boys Cross Country Player of the Year. He now joins Bergen on the boys' side and becomes part of a growing Niwot legacy that also includes senior Addison Ritzenhein and Elise Cranny, a 2014 graduate, both multi-time state recipients of the girls' award.
"I woke up, checked my phone, and saw a text," Robbie said. "I basically jumped out of bed to go tell my mom." Catherine Robbie was the first to hear the news. "She was super happy," he said. "It was really special."
The award carried weight long before he ever earned it. As a younger runner stepping into Niwot's program, Bergen's banner became the kind of quiet, ambitious goal only a freshman would admit to himself.
"I always thought it'd be so cool to win one," he said. "I kind of always had it in the back of my mind."
Even this season, he did not assume anything. Coach Kelly Christensen had told him he was in the final four under consideration, but Robbie did not let that turn into expectations.
"I didn't want to get my hopes up," he said. "So when I found out, I was really excited, and a little surprised."
What made the moment even more meaningful was how he felt about the team around him. Niwot's boys captured their third straight state title and second consecutive Nike Cross Nationals championship, posting some of the lowest point totals in the history of either meet.
"This year, what really stood out was how our team pushed ourselves, not only running-wise, but also faith-wise," Robbie said. "A lot of people on the team have a strong relationship with God, and I feel like we really grew in that aspect. That was really special."
Individually, the award stands apart.
"Winning nationals with my team is the best thing I've ever done," he said. "Nothing beats that, but individually this is the best award I've ever gotten."
The Gatorade honor also recognizes academics and community service, something Robbie said feels especially meaningful now. His Eagle Scout Board of Review is scheduled for March 6, and as he prepares for that milestone, he has been reflecting on years of volunteer hours that did not always feel significant at the time.
"When it finally pays off and goes toward something like this, it feels really special," he said.
He also credited his mother and Coach Christensen for pushing him academically.
"My mom always made me get good grades, and now I'm like, 'Oh, thank you for that,'" he said. "And if I told Coach I had a big test, he'd say, 'Just focus on your schoolwork.' I'm really grateful for both of them."
This past fall, Robbie's high school cross country career officially came to a close. Ending it with the state's top honor felt like the right punctuation mark. But his running career is far from finished, and he has already shifted into track season with Niwot. The Cougars return a deep roster, and Robbie said his motivation is simple.
"I know I have a great coach and great teammates," he said. "I'm so ready for track. My coach is going to make me the best athlete I can be, and my teammates will be there with me. I couldn't ask for a better group of guys. I'm excited for one last season with all of them."
And next fall, another banner will hang in Niwot's gym, waiting for the next young runner to look up and imagine what could be possible.
