Sports

Niwot’s Isaiah Richart isn’t letting his disabilities keep from anything — including gold – Boulder Daily Camera

Published

7 months ago

June 2, 2025

NIWOT — Inside a track and field program stuffed with collegiate stars, and often Olympians, is the boy who couldn’t walk.

Born in the country of Burkina Faso, Isaiah Richart spent the first years of his life in an orphanage. And though much of the detail around those years are murky, more can be pieced together.

Within a day of giving birth to Isaiah — her seventh child — his mother died from hemorrhaging, leaving Isaiah without any other family willing or capable of taking him in. His early caregivers weren’t sure what the future held for the child. Especially as he suffered through several early illnesses, including bouts of malaria that left his body depleted and his cognitive development impaired.

At nearly 3, he still wasn’t walking. There was hope, maybe someday he could, by the grace of God. At least coming from his future parents who were waiting in Longmont.

“We prayed,” Jessie Richart remembered.

She and her husband Ross believe in the power of prayer and said it helped their adopted son walk by the time they picked him up in October of 2013. They weren’t given any other reason for it.

Jessie, a special education teacher in Longmont, and Ross, who has been a police officer in Boulder for more than two decades, were already in the business of helping others. Though they had two kids of their own, they sought out what more they could do. And adoption just felt right.

They worked with an agency. Then more than one. In the middle of the process, this out of Rwanda, they suffered disappointment when its country officials suddenly shut things down.

Finally, after 18 arduous months, they were able to pick up their new son. And today, 11 years later, he is a freshman at Niwot High School who — and you couldn’t make this up — runs track.

Two weeks ago, in fact, Isaiah won gold in the Unified 100- and 200-meter runs at the state meet.

Isaiah Richart was born in Burkina Faso, Africa, in Jan. of 2010. His mother died at birth and Isaiah was in an orphanage from day one. He was on a waiting child list for several years due to his inability to walk, most likely due to sickness from an early age.(Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer) — Niwot’s Isaiah Richart won a pair of Unified sprint distance races at the state championships last month, and track coach Maurice Henriques envisions Richart getting a chance to compete in varsity relays with continued training. (Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer)

“Just keep going no matter what,” Isaiah said when asked about his first season in high school track. “Just keep going, (even) if it hurts.”

The kind of attitude Niwot’s track and field coach loves to hear from his young athletes.

Maurice Henriques, better known as Coach Mo around the sport, played football for Bill McCartney at the University of Colorado in the 1990s. And like Coach Mac (who died in January after a long battle with dementia), the 52-year-old coach evaluates success with a long lens.

Reflecting on his own story, Henriques could start with the worst day of his life. Forty-three years ago, he recalled, his dad snapped, shooting and killing his sister and her boyfriend before jumping to his own death.

His dad’s last words to him were to take care of his mother, who would teach her son the importance of focusing on the two things in life you can control: attitude and effort. With hard work in those areas, she instilled into him that the possibilities are endless.

In his decades of coaching, Henriques has seen the power of his mother’s words in action. He remembers Jessica Watkins jotting down her desire to be an astronaut in a written exercise he’d assigned her back when he was the coach at Fairview in the early 2000s. Three years ago, Watkins became the first Black woman to serve on a long-duration space mission.

Elise Cranny, too. When she was a junior at Niwot, she marked down that she wanted to be an Olympian. And Henriques sent her the paper she wrote, ahead of her first of two Olympic Games in 2021.

“I think sometimes as adults in our society, we want to put people in boxes,” Henriques said. “And we’re not putting Isaiah in a box. Man, it’d be cool, that by his senior year, he’s on our 4×100 team at state.” He then doubles down on the notion. “He’s fast enough, and we should be able to teach him what he needs to do to be able to do that. You’re talking about a story. That would be a great story.”

It wouldn’t be the first great story about Isaiah, who despite disabilities had times from this past track season that gives Henriques vision merit.

Isaiah won the Unified 100 at state in 13.07 seconds, while his personal-best time on the year was slightly under 13. That’s promising considering the average leg for the last-placed boys’ 4×100 team at the state meet clocked in at 12.4.

“Yeah, Isaiah smoked cats,” Torrey Staton said.

Staton is a paraeducator for the school. He assists Isaiah and other special-needs students in anything from academics to athletics. He was the reason Isaiah first got involved with the track team, saying after he saw the freshman’s athleticism early into the school year he thought it could be a great fit.

“I said early on to Isaiah, ‘You’re going to be the fastest in Colorado,’” said Staton, who’d been convinced about the school’s track program years earlier, so much so that he and his son Kingston trek from their Arvada home to be a part of it. “I told him he is going to win Unified and it was going to be by a landslide.” He laughs. “And it wasn’t by a landslide, but he absolutely did win.”

The whole experience was fun, Isaiah said.

But he still prefers basketball.

“I just complain the whole time,” Staton said about working with Isaiah on his shot during gym class. “I’m like, ‘Get your elbow in!’”

Isaiah is always looking for ways to improve.

In track, he blossomed socially, too, something that would’ve been hard to imagine when he first came to the U.S. and only knew a broken variation of the African tribal language called Mooré and French. He’d asked his parents for yogurt in French when he got to his new home, then ate tons of it. His first word in English came quickly, “candy” — just in time for Halloween.

LAKEWOOD: Niwot's Isaiah Richart running at the state track and field meet in May. (Photo courtesy of Jessie Richart. By David Anthony) — LAKEWOOD: Niwot’s Isaiah Richart running at the state track and field meet in May. (Photo courtesy of Jessie Richart. By David Anthony)

Today, his conversations are deeper. Isaiah is still quiet by nature out in public. But when comfortable, he often shares his thoughts about life and the world as he sees it. And those closest to him say they can’t get enough of his sense of humor. His dad sets him up, asking if he thinks his older brother would be any good at track. Isaiah deadpans, “Uh, probably not.”

Staton is let in, too.

“He is a slew of unknown knowledge,” Staton said. “Like he’ll say something about tsunamis or about galaxies, like something so random. He’s just a great kid. Awesome kid.”

Isaiah found kinship in his competition, too.

At one race this past season, he took some playful trash-talk from another Unified athlete, who told him he hopes he enjoys the view of his backside. Shortly after Isaiah handily beat everyone, Staton recalled, the other kid came up to say, “Wow, I didn’t know you’d be that fast. I don’t think I’ll ever be that fast.”

At another, Isaiah told someone else on the starting line that he hoped they would win.

“He just says that,” his dad recalls with a smile. “Just very nicely, ‘I hope you win this race.’ The Unified athletes are all very kind. They’re competitive, but they’re just very kind to one another.”

By the team’s year-end banquet, his mom still thought Isaiah would stay by her side. But he didn’t. When she found him, he was fist-bumping teammates. “They’ve embraced him,” she smiled.

He’s the boy who couldn’t walk. But now, he has certainly found his stride. “And,” his dad adds, “he has more in the tank.”

View a list of Prep sports and high school teams we cover.

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Wisconsin lands All-American middle blocker Jaela Auguste via portal

Published

2 minutes ago

December 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Dec. 20, 2025, 12:39 p.m. CT

Former Florida middle blocker Jaela Auguste has committed to the Wisconsin Badgers volleyball team.
Auguste was a 2025 AVCA third-team All-American and the SEC’s 2024 freshman of the year.
The 6-foot-2 transfer has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Wisconsin volleyball has made its first big splash in the transfer portal.

Ex-Florida middle blocker Jaela Auguste has committed to the Badgers via the transfer portal, she announced on Instagram on Dec. 20.

Auguste was a 2025 AVCA third-team All-American after averaging 2.69 kills per set and 0.98 blocks per set while hitting .344. Her hitting percentage was eighth-best in the SEC this season. She also was the SEC’s 2024 freshman of the year after starting in 29 matches and hitting .404.

“So beyond excited to announce my commitment to Wisconsin!” Auguste said in her Instagram post. “So grateful to be able to continue my career at such a great program! Thank you to all the people who have helped and believed in me through this process!!”

The 6-foot-2 middle blocker has two seasons of eligibility remaining. She fills a key void for the 2026 Badgers, as starting middle blockers Carter Booth and Alicia Andrew were seniors in 2025.

She is the Badgers’ first transfer portal commitment following the 2025 season. Five UW players have departed via the portal – Addy Horner, Aniya Warren, Maile Chan, Tosia Serafinowska and Trinity Shadd-Ceres.

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At the AVCA Major League Volleyball All-America / Players of the Year Banquet presented by Nike, Brooklyn DeLeye was recognized as a 2025 AVCA All-American First Team selection. Reflecting on the honor, DeLeye shared: “This is such a high honor. We talk about grit, competitiveness, and joy all the time. Playing alongside my teammates this year has been amazing—I wouldn’t be here without them, our staff, and my family.” DeLeye’s season was marked by resilience, connection, and a shared commitment to excellence. Congratulations to Brooklyn DeLeye on her First Team All-American recognition.

Published

18 minutes ago

December 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

At the AVCA Major League Volleyball All-America / Players of the Year Banquet presented by Nike, Brooklyn DeLeye was recognized as a 2025 AVCA All-American First Team selection. Reflecting on the honor, DeLeye shared: “This is such a high honor. We talk about grit, competitiveness, and joy all the time. Playing alongside my teammates this year has been amazing—I wouldn’t be here without them, our staff, and my family.” DeLeye’s season was marked by resilience, connection, and a shared commitment to excellence. Congratulations to Brooklyn DeLeye on her First Team All-American recognition. | American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA)

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Wisconsin’s Aniya Warren, Addy Horner to enter transfer portal

Published

34 minutes ago

December 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Dec. 19, 2025, 7:33 p.m. CT

Two Wisconsin volleyball freshmen, Aniya Warren and Addy Horner, have announced their intention to enter the transfer portal.
Warren, a backup libero, and Horner, a backup setter, were behind other talented underclassmen on the roster.

Two Wisconsin volleyball freshmen appear to be taking their talents elsewhere in 2026.

Backup libero/defensive specialist Aniya Warren and backup setter Addy Horner are entering the transfer portal, they each announced on Instagram on Dec. 19.

Horner, in addition to sharing a post from a transfer portal account that listed her entry, said on her Instagram story that she is “beyond grateful” and thanked Badger nation. Warren said in an Instagram post that she is entering the portal to “explore new opportunities and continue my growth.”

“I want to start by sincerely thanking Wisconsin for welcoming me with open arms and so much love,” Warren said in the Instagram post. “A huge shoutout to the incredible coaching staff, my amazing teammates and the wonderful city of Madison for all the support and kindness I’ve received. This experience has meant the world to me.”

Both freshmen had impressive moments in the 2025 season, but were behind other talented underclassmen on the roster.

Starting libero Kristen Simon earned Big Ten all-freshman team honors as she averaged 3.47 digs per set. Charlie Fuerbringer, a third-team All-American in 2024, was an all-Big Ten first-team honoree in 2025 despite missing a month of the season with a shoulder injury.

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BEA has four players earn LHAC volleyball all-star honors | News, Sports, Jobs

Published

52 minutes ago

December 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

: TIM WEIGHT/For the Express
Bald Eagle Area’s Leah Bryan and Norah Eppley hold District 6 Class AA championship trophy together. Both were named to the Laurel Highland volleyball all-star team.

: TIM WEIGHT/For the Express
Bald Eagle Area’s Casey Angellotti was named a LHAC volleyball all-star.TIM WEIGHT/For the Express
Bald Eagle Area’s Casey Angellotti was named a LHAC volleyball all-star.

: TIM WEIGHT/For the Express
Bald Eagle Area’s Emily Smith was named a LHAC volleyball all-star.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express
Bald Eagle Area’s Leah Bryan and Norah Eppley hold District 6 Class AA championship trophy together. Both were named to the Laurel Highland volleyball all-star team.

Following its run to the PIAA Class AA quarterfinals in November, it comes as no surprise that the Bald Eagle Area volleyball team was well represented on this year’s Laurel Highlands all-star team. Four Eagles made the team, including two first teamers.

On the first team, Bald Eagle seniors Leah Bryan and Nora Eppley were present, earning accolades after prolific campaigns at outside hitter and libero respectively.

Fellow senior Casey Angellotti earned second-team honors at setter, and in just her second season, sophomore outside hitter Emily Smith also made the second team.

Apart from the Eagles, Bellefonte and Penns Valley also had all-star representatives. Penns Valley’s Peyton Wasson made the second team as a hitter while Bellefonte’s Colbie Frailey was named an honorable mention.

2025 LAUREL HIGHLAND VOLLEYBALL ALL-STARS

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express
Bald Eagle Area’s Casey Angellotti was named a LHAC volleyball all-star.TIM WEIGHT/For the Express
Bald Eagle Area’s Casey Angellotti was named a LHAC volleyball all-star.

FIRST TEAM

HITTERS

Leah Bryan, Bald Eagle; Addi Basenback, Hollidaysburg; Adi Jarrett, Philipsburg-Osceola; Kynlee Budny, Hollidaysburg.

SETTER

Delayni Baird, Hollidaysburg.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express
Bald Eagle Area’s Emily Smith was named a LHAC volleyball all-star.

LIBERO/DS

Nora Eppley, Bald Eagle; Kenzi McLanahan, Hollidaysburg.

SECOND TEAM

HITTERS

Lily Metz, Huntingdon; Peyton Watson, Penns Valley; Rylan Crowell, Tyrone; Emily Smith, Bald Eagle.

SETTER

Casey Angellotti, Bald Eagle.

LIBERO/DS

Abigail Anthony, Tyrone.

HONORABLE MENTION

Sonny Diehl, Clearfield; Colbie Frailey, Bellefonte; Crosby Holt, Philipsburg-Osceola; Bailey Snyder, Tyrone.

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Wisconsin setter Addy Horner to enter transfer portal

Published

1 hour ago

December 20, 2025

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Badgers news: 5 players enter transfer portal after loss to Kentucky

Published

1 hour ago

December 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The Wisconsin Badgers suffered a tough loss to the Kentucky Wildcats in the NCAA National Semifinal on Thursday, ending their season after an incredible postseason run.

One day later, five different players announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal: Freshman setter Addy Horner, sophomore outside hitter Trinity Shadd-Ceres, freshman libero Aniya Warren, sophomore libero Maile Chan, and redshirt freshman middle blocker Tosia Serafinowska.

Horner, a native of Illinois, was considered the No. 1 setter in her class and the No. 2 player in her state coming out of high school last year by PrepDig. She stepped up during a big middle-of-the-season run when Charlie Fuerbringer was out due to injury. But, with the star sophomore still at Wisconsin for the next two years, it makes sense that Horner will look for other opportunities.

Shadd-Ceres played in four matches as a freshman. She saw action in nine games this year, including Wisconsin’s final three matches in the NCAA Tournament, recording three kills against Texas and one against Kentucky, subbing in late in both matches.

Warren was ranked the No. 1 libero in the Class of 2025, and her recruitment had a number of turns before she ended up at Wisconsin. She had seen time in the rotation early in the season and finished playing in 16 sets across nine games.

Chan, considered the No. 1 libero from the state of Oregon in her class, played in 25 matches across two seasons at Wisconsin. With freshman Kristen Simon entrenched at the libero spot to end the year, both Chan and Warren are heading elsewhere.

Lastly, Serafinowska is moving on with three years of eligibility left. She saw action in five games this year.

Those five outgoing transfers join seniors Mimi Colyer, Jada Cerniglia, Carter Booth, and Alicia Andrew as the players departing Wisconsin this offseason.

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