• Sixteen Fort Collins-area high school boys athletes have been nominated for the Blue FCU Boys Athlete of the Year.
• Nominees include state champions, players of the year, and all-state selections across 10 sports.
• Voting will take place in four rounds over two weeks, concluding on June 30th.

Who was the top high school boys athlete in the Fort Collins area this school year?

You tell us.

The 2024-25 school year featured plenty of high-level team and individual success for local boys athletes, from state champions and record-setting performances.

The 16-athlete bracket will feature four rounds of voting over the next two weeks. The top seeds go to athletes who won individual state titles or those named Athlete/Player of the Year in their sport, with the rest seeded in alphabetical order.

The first round of voting will run through June 19 (ending at 11:59 a.m.) and the top vote-getters in each matchup will move on to the next round starting June 20. The bracket will continue through the end of the month, with the winner announced June 30 at coloradoan.com/sports.

Fans, you can find the ballots below to vote for your favorite players in the first round.Blue FCU Boys Athlete of the Year matchups1. Billy Greenwood (Poudre wrestling) vs. 16. Kaden Souders (Fort Collins football/baseball)The resumes:Greenwood: Won the Class 5A 157 title for a second straight state championship. Went 36-5 with no losses to in-state competition and 24 wins via pin.Souders: First-team all-conference in two sports. Led the Lambkins with 98 tackles and 5 interceptions in football and hit .354 with 4 homers and 6 doubles on the diamond.2. Brennen O’Neil (Fossil Ridge swimming) vs. 15. Colton Pawlak (Fossil football/PSD lacrosse)The resumes:O’Neil: Won his second straight 5A 200-yard individual medley state title and helped SaberCats take runner-up in 400 free relay with new school record to cap his career.Pawlak: Shined for SaberCat football with over 700 all-purpose yards with 5 TDs despite missing 5 games; Scored 35 goals with 10 assists as 5A first-team performer for PSD in lacrosse.3. Evan Perez (Windsor wrestling) vs. 14. Marcus Mozer (Fossil football/track & field)The resumes:Perez: Won second state title in 3 years with unbeaten 41-0 run to 4A 215 championship. Needed a third period just twice, took 32 matches via pin and average winning time was just over a minute.Mozer: Named 5A second-team all-state in football with over 1,000 total yards and 18 TDs plus 2 interceptions to finish decorated career. Also second team in track at 5th in 5A long jump.4. Madden Smiley (Windsor basketball) vs. 13. Jack McKeon (Fort Collins football/PSD lacrosse)The resumes:Smiley: Led Wizards to first boys basketball state title in 101 years as 5A Player of the Year. Averaged over 21 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists and reached 1,000 career points.McKeon: All-conference running back for Fort Collins football with over 1,400 yards and 24 TDs. Also named 5A first team in lacrosse as a defender and face-off specialist, winning over 70%.5. Hayden Williamson (PSD hockey/Windsor lacrosse) vs. 12. Vince Hochhalter (Timnath football/wrestling)The resumes:Williamson: 5A ice hockey Player of the Year, leading Stars to runner-up finish with Colorado-best 26 goals, plus 10 assists. Also a 4A first-team all-state lacrosse player with 81 goals, 26 assists.Hochhalter: Had 98 tackles, 2 INTs and 500 yards and 5 TDs as 3A all-state football honorable mentioned. Was also one of Timnath’s first wrestling podium finishes at state with 5th place finish.6. Cash Altschwager (Wellington football/wrestling) vs. 11. Levi Hermsen (Heritage Christian basketball/track, Fort Collins football)The resumes:Altschwager: The senior running/defensive back led the Eagles to 2A football runner-up finish with 20 TDs and over 2,000 total yards as first-team all-state player. Also made 3A state wrestling tournament.Hermsen: Three-sport star who was a second-team all-state performer in football for Fort Collins and basketball/track for the Eagles. Led 5A football with 1,311 receiving yards and 2,343 all-purpose yards with 14 total TDs.7. Kellen Ball (Windsor Charter basketball, Windsor golf) vs. 10. Mason Griffin (Fossil football/baseball)The resumes:Ball: 3A first-team all-state in basketball, leading Firebirds to third-place finish with 13 points, 4 assists, 3 steals per game. Also 4A second-team all-state golfer for Windsor, winning regional title.Griffin: Northern Conference baseball Player of the Year, leading SaberCats to first-ever state tournament with state-high 50 RBIs while hitting .511 with 6 homers, 6 triples and 11 doubles. Also 1st team all-conference football at defensive end with 81 tackles, 5.5 sacks.8. Ross Frank (Rocky Mountain baseball) vs. 9. Luke Garvin (Fossil football/track & field)The resumes:Frank: Led Lobos to another state tournament and shattered Rocky legend Marco Gonzales’ single-season school strikeout record with 106 Ks plus a 1.28 ERA and 10-2 record. Also hit .304 with 21 RBIs.Garvin: An all-around Fossil force. Second-team all-conference football as receiver (552 yards, 9 TDs), defensive back and punter. Was 5A all-state in track as only athlete to qualify for long, triple and high jumps with podium finishes in the triple and high.

Chris Abshire covers high school and community sports for the Coloradoan.

Orion Ostheimer of Buffalo HS Named WY Gatorade Boys Soccer Player Of The Year: A Buffalo High School soccer goalie not only saved a state championship for his team, he saved one of the state’s top honors for himself.

Last week, Orion Ostheimer was named the 2025 Wyoming Boys Soccer Gatorade Player of the Year.

During the regular season of 3A Soccer, if teams are tied, then the game is decided by a shootout.

In the state championship game last month, neither Buffalo nor Cody scored in regulation or in overtime, thus the championship had to be decided in shootout style.

Ostheimer and the Bison had zero shootout experience this season outside of practice.

The junior talks about how the championship shootout played out from his perspective.

A big reason why Buffalo did not have any shootouts before the championship game, was because of their 12 wins this season, 10 of them were by shutout.

Sheridan Troopers Legion Baseball: The Sheridan Troopers are hitting the road this morning for their longest trip of the year to the Omaha, Nebraska area.

The team will play 6 games over the course of the next 4 days against teams from Minnesota, Nebraska as well as North and South Dakota, plus depending on the schedule, they’ll try to watch a game from the College World Series.

Senior Avon Barney says these next 6 games will be some of the toughest out-of-state competition that Sheridan will play this season.

Will Greer has made this trip before and says it’s not all business, but when the time comes, the team needs to be able to throw the switch when it matters.

Sheridan goes up against Wayzata, Minnesota tomorrow at 12-noon, followed by a 2:30pm game against North Platte, Nebraska.

Colorado Rockies Baseball: The Colorado Rockies won the first game of a 4-game series yesterday at Washington 6-4, thanks to a 3-run 9th inning.

Hunter Goodman hit both a 2-run and a solo home run, and Mickey Moniak provided a 2-run blast to provide the final margin of victory.

The Rocks and Nationals will play each other again today starting at 4:45pm.

NBA Finals: Oklahoma City won Game 5 last night at home vs. Indiana, 120-109 to take a 3-games-to-2 lead in the series.

Game 6 is scheduled for Thursday at Indiana.

If Game 7 is needed, it would be played on Sunday at Oklahoma City.

UNIVERSITY PARK — When Cy Sollenberger stood in line to be awarded his gold medal after Cedar Cliff captured its PIAA Class 6A baseball title in historic fashion over North Penn, he was aligned with his Colts family in Navy blue along the first baseline.

His immediate family, of course, was seated among the thrall of Cedar Cliff faithful at Penn State’s Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, watching the program be crowned state champion for the first time after a 13-inning epic and jaw-dropping walk-off balk to end it last Friday.

Surrounded by family both on the field and in the stands, it was the bowtie on a season of firsts for the Colts. First state final appearance, and first PIAA title.

“It’s pretty amazing to have the opportunity to do this and have support around us,” Sollenberger said.

Much of that support came from elder sisters Alana and Cora. And prior to the two senior sisters watching their brother, a sophomore, on the grand stage, they too enjoyed a share of program history on the pitch this spring by guiding Cedar Cliff’s girls lacrosse program to the postseason for the first time.

Amid longtime basketball skipper Scott Weyant’s first year coaching lacrosse, the duo packed a punch for the Colts in 2025. Alana Sollenberger, a midfielder, scored 37 goals, tallied 24 assists, secured 35 ground balls, recorded 11 caused turnovers and pulled down 72 draw controls this season. Meanwhile on attack, Cora Sollenberger dished out 43 goals, 17 assists, nabbed 16 ground balls, accounted for five caused turnovers and owned 60 draw controls.

It was the recipe for a regular season record of 11-7 and the uncharted waters of the PIAA 3A tournament, the Colts ultimately exiting via a 10-2 loss at Hempfield.

Throughout the entire spring, the Sollenberger siblings enjoyed new heights with their respective squads, highlighting a wave of postseason magic for Cedar Cliff.

“It’s been pretty special supporting each other and helping each other,” Cy Sollenberger said.

Cy Sollenberger is among a deep class of 11 sophomores on the Colts’ baseball team, highlighted by ace pitcher Peyton Price and star third baseman Grant Enders, to name a few. With PIAA 6A gold in the bag and a family that’s helped elevate their programs to new heights respectively, Cy Sollenberger will be back for more in 2026.

“It says we have a lot of potential in the future years, and we did great this year,” Cy Sollenberger said. “It’s been amazing, it’s been a great ride. Hopefully we can continue it next year.”

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VALENTINE, Neb. (KNOP) – The 2025 Nebraska High School Finals Rodeo wrapping up in Valentine over the weekend. The state’s top cowboys and cowgirls were action Saturday for the Short Go-Round Championship. The top four athletes in each event for the season punching tickets to the National High School Finals Rodeo in Rock Springs, Wyoming in July.

2025 State Champions and National Qualifiers (Bold = Local Athlete)

Pole Bending

State Champion = Rylee Nall Sillivan (St Paul)

Qualifiers = Rylee Nall Sillivan (St. Paul), Maci Herrington (Bassett), Regan Stracke (Stuart), Phoenix Brown (North Platte)

Alternate = Gracie Pearson (Hershey)

Tie Down Roping

State Champion = Tyler McCauley (Pender)

Qualifiers = Tyler McCauley (Pender), James Drueke (O’Neill), Taylor Drueke (Sutherland), Emmett Sortum (Burwell)

Alternate = Jackson Wykert (Grant)

Breakaway Roping

State Champion = Reagan McIntyre (Grand Island)

Qualifiers = Reagan McIntyre (Grand Island), Allyx Forre (Newman Grove), Rylan Swanson (Arthur), Remi Wells (Central City)

Alternate = Brooke Forre (Newman Grove)

Saddle Broncs

State Champion = Grady Gorwill (Hyannis)

Qualifiers = Grady Gorwill (Hyannis), Sutton Schrunk (Valentine), Cort Buss (Atkinson), Laken Krogman (Valentine)

Alternate = Kanin Heath (Minden)

Bareback Riding

State Champion = Koltdyn Heath (Minden)

Qualifiers = Koltdyn Heath (Minden), Kanin Heath (Minden), Cooper Walker Seneca), Trevor Burdick (Johnstown)

Goat Tying

State Champion = Tatum Reid (Crawford)

Qualifiers = Tatum Reid (Crawford), Reagan McIntyre (Grand Island), Laney Hoier (Herman), Allyx Forre (Newman Grove)

Alternate = Phoenix Brown (North Platte)

Steer Wrestling

State Champion = Cotter Johnston (Stapleton)

Qualifiers = Cotter Johnston (Stapleton), Carson Cooksley (Valentine), Cayson Johnston (Stapleton), Cale Buss (Atkinson)

Alternate = Clayton Elliott (Valentine)

Barrels

State Champion = Kallan Cox (Purdum)

Qualifiers = Kallan Cox (Purdum), Anna Clark (Thedford), Tyley Sears (Valentine), Grace Krafka (Bellwood)

Alternate = Maci Herrington (Bassett)

Bull Riding

State Champion = Grady Gorwill (Hyannis)

Qualifiers = Grady Gorwill (Hyannis), Cody Brinkman (Kimball), Sutton Schrunk (Valentine), Cooper Kerner (Sutherland)

Alternate = Kelstyn Lindner (Broken Bow)

Reining Cowhorse

State Champion = Callie Olson (Bloomfield)

Qualifiers = Callie Olson (Bloomfield), Remi Wells (Central City), Reese Gillespie (McCook), Lane Foote (North Platte)

Alternate = Quinten Jones (Hershey)

Trap Shooting

State Champion = Case Shane (O’Neill)

Qualifiers = Case Shane (O’Neill), Ian Shane (O’Neill), Treyson Foral (Clatonia), Colter Wright (Burwell)

Alternate = Jess Fanning (Benkelman)

Light Rifle

State Champion = Karsyn Chesley (Harrisburg)

Qualifiers = Karsyn Chesley (Harrisburg), Cale Buss (Atkinson), Wade Krysl (O’Neill), Cooper Neal (Amherst)

Alternate = Ty Stevens (O’Neill)

Boys Cutting

State Champion = Cash Cooper (Kilgore)

Qualifiers = Cash Cooper (Kilgore), Kaddo Schrunk (Pender), Kolt Smith (Pender), Lucas Scheer (St Libory)

Alternate = Lucas Burkey (Milford)

Girls Cutting

State Champion = Ava Smith (Pender)

Qualifiers = Ava Smith (Pender), Callie Olson (Bloomfield), Brooke Forre (Newman Grove), Allyx Foore (Newman Grove)

Alternate = Carsyn McBride (Kearney)

Team Roping

State Champion = Reagan McIntyre (Grand Island) / Owen Littau (Newport)

Qualifiers = R. McIntyre (Grand Island) / O. Littau (Newport), K. Schrunk (Pender)/P. Nokes (McCook), E. Richter (Ogallala)/R. Swanson (Arthur), T. From (Bridgeport)/ J. Drueke (O’Neill)

Alternate = R. Wells (Central City) / K. Druery (Anselmo)

Boys All Around = Kaddo Schrunk (Pender)

Girls All Around = Reagan McIntyre (Grand Island) Note: She won all around all four years of her high school career

Boys Reserve All Around = Grady Gorwill (Hyannis)

Girls Reserve All Around = Allyx Forre (Newman Grove)

Boys Rookie = Cotter Johnston (Stapleton)

Girls Rookie = Phoenix Brown (North Platte)

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Heidrick actually opens the show by taking a moment to talk about the WNBA. “First and foremost, Caitlin Clark missed five games for the Fever, and it has been a struggle for them,” Heidrick says. “But she was back … [with] 32 points in her big return. … She got hot, she found a rhythm.” Per Heidrick, the Fever needed that.

Later on, Heidrick discusses the implications of the House settlement and how it will affect current and former college athletes. “The NCAA is going to pay almost $3 billion in back damages over the next 10 years to athletes who competed in college at any time from 2016 to the present day,” Heidrick informs listeners. She goes onto provide more context for this massive update, including how the funding will be allocated and which programs will benefit the most from this settlement.

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Heidrick closes out the show by discussing how roster limits, another aspect of the House settlement, will affect some women’s sports. Per Heidrick, unless some teams and programs find other ways to generate revenue, “someone is going to get left behind.” As Heidrick warns, “there are going to be cuts, people are going to feel this, because that money just does not grow on trees.”

Make sure to subscribe to the Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast to keep learning about women’s college basketball, the WNBA, basketball history and much more!

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