Mascot guru, teacher (kinda), sports dude and all-around good guy! Packers, Capitals, Nuggets, Brewers and Swansea City fan from KY!
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Jon E. Yunt
Holy Family baseball upsets Durango, then falls to Falcon in 4A tourney Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... COLORADO SPRINGS — Something has clicked the past three weeks for Holy Family baseball. The Tigers, seeded No. 7 in the Class 4A state tournament, entered the tournament on a six-game winning streak — including an impressive display last week in the regional tournament at Lutheran — and parlayed it into a first-game victory over No. 2 Durango at Mountain Lion Park on the campus of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
Valor Christian’s Ella Scott emerges as girls golf best of the best
LONGMONT – You think the atmosphere around a state golf tournament is nerve wracking? That was the sense you got on Monday afternoon at The Fox Hill Club, site of the 3rd Annual Showcase Invite hosted by Holy Family. Tigers head coach Heikke Nielsen has made it one of the biggest and best girls golf events in the state, drawing in players from all four classifications for one remarkable tournament.
Baseball: Holy Family moves on despite loss Original
COLORADO SPRINGS — There is that scene in Monte Python’s Holy Grail, where the Silver Knight stabs the Black Knight, and he responds, “it was merely a flesh wound.” That’s all it is, just a dent in the armor. And to be realistic, it’s probably a good thing for Holy Family coach Marc Cowell and his boys — who dropped a 6-5 heartbreaker to Severance on Saturday afternoon at UCCS — to get focused heading into the final weekend of the Class 4A state tournament next week at UC Health Park.
Windsor baseball falls to Holy Family at Mo Kvamme Field
WINDSOR — Windsor baseball coach Brad Deal is already a man of few words. After the Wizards’ second straight shutout loss — this time 9-0 — to newly crowned Class 4A No. 1 Holy Family on Monday at Mo Kvamme Field, Deal didn’t mince his words. “For us, we don’t want to put this behind us. These are the things we have to work on and we have to be better,” said Deal, whose team dropped to 13-6 overall and 7-5 in the Northern Colorado Athletics Conference. “They beat us in every aspect.
4A girls golf: Jessica Mason, Discovery Canyon claim championships
AURORA – The Class 4A state tournament was anything but a made for television event. There wasn't one ounce of drama after Day 1 for either Holy Family's Jessica Mason or the Discovery Canyon Thunder. Both had sizable leads after Monday's first round, and both expanded on them on a blazing Tuesday afternoon at CommonGround Golf Course. Mason kept the medalist honors at Holy Family, following her teammate Hailey Schalk's three-year hold on the event from 2017-19.
4A girls golf: Discovery Canyon leads after Day 1 at state
AURORA – You have to hand it to the Discovery Canyon foursome on their performance on Monday at CommonGround G.C. in the opening round of the Class 4A state golf tournament. Mere moments before their collective morning tee times, the Thunder group of Emily Cheng, Christina Cheng, Lauren Jaworowski and Mena Song-Lew got the usual words of encouragement from their coach Mark Liggett.
3A girls tennis: D'Evelyn, Colorado Academy finish Day 1 atop team standings
COLORADO SPRINGS – We've all heard the saying before, that it is impossible to win a state championship on Day 1, but you can certainly lose it. On Friday at Memorial Park in Colorado Springs in the first two rounds of the Class 3A state tournament, both of the team tournament favorites upheld their end of the winning bargain.
Alumni corner: Akindele 100 percent for 2014 season at Regis
Even mention the 2013 Regis women’s soccer season and you are likely to get this reaction of of Sade Akindele: “Ugh,” she said. The Rangers entered last season the three-time Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference champs and had their sights set on a fourth when the injury bug bit before the season even started. Akindele, a former standout at Legacy, tore her knee up playing an indoor game over the summer and missed the first part of the season rehabbing and regaining her strength.
Baseball: Holy Family tops Eaton to claim second straight 3A title
GREELEY — For years, Eaton has taught its pitchers the mystical knuckle-curve, and with that dominated Class 3A baseball to the tune of eight state titles. “Hey, if it’s going to work for them,” Holy Family coach Eric Nakayama said. “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.” Austin Brown utilized the pitch to baffle the Reds’ bats, and then watched his offense explode for six runs in the top of the seventh to break a 2-2 tie and win their second straight Class 3A title 8-2 Saturday at Butch Butler Field.
Boys swimming: Zarian repeats as BoCo Swimmer of the Year
BOULDER — Michael Zarian will be missed on the high school level. The Fairview senior was the epitome of a student/athlete. He found a way to balance a grueling training schedule that had him up as 5 a.m. on most days and a class work load that would make Albert Einstein blush. The reward?
Football: Reloaded Legacy ready for new challenge
BROOMFIELD — Make no mistake, when people thought of Legacy football over the last few years, they thought of quarterback Matt Lynch. And rightfully so. But Lynch is gone to UCLA and so too was a huge class of seniors that took Legacy into the second round of the Class 5A playoffs last year; and in steps another class that is eager to forge its own identity and prove that the winning ways are here to stay.
Girls soccer: Niwot’s Colvin adds boot camp to training regimen
So, what did you do last summer? You can bet that Allie Colvin’s story was better than yours and likely unlike anything that any other high school student would come close to telling you. The Niwot senior spent 10 weeks of her summer in the hot and muggy conditions of South Carolina at Fort Jackson in the Army’s basic training and it was everything you can imagine. “Drill sergeants are the real deal.
Alumni corner: Paris lighting it up at Black Hills State
Phydell Paris was set to give up his dream of playing college football. An accomplished running back at Legacy High who rushed for nearly 1,800 yards and 14 touchdowns during his prep career, he failed to draw much attention from recruiters. But after his senior season at Legacy, a lot of schools came in to visit with certain players and Black Hills State invited Paris up to take a recruiting visit and he was sold. “They sold me on the whole family-like atmosphere.
Alumni corner: Marcovecchio doing big things at Northern Colorado
Whoever it was that coined the term “good things come in small packages” had to have had Melissa Marcovecchio in mind. You wouldn’t think her 5-foot frame would strike the fear into many players on the softball diamond, but just one swing of the bat can change everything. The former Legacy High star just completed her junior season in Greeley for the University of Northern Colorado Bears and for the second straight year was a Big Sky Conference first team selection.
Softball: Legacy’s Geist soaking it in this summer for Colorado Stars
BOULDER — You would think after 17 games in six days, Alyssa Geist would be a little softballed out. Nah. The Legacy senior-to-be is loving every second for coach Scott Sakamoto’s Colorado Stars this summer. “I just enjoy being out here,” she said.
Girls basketball: Holy Family upsets Pueblo West to reach 4A semifinals
PUEBLO WEST — Should we really ever question Ron Rossi and his Holy Family girls basketball team? The six-time state champion coach and owner of over 500 career wins has seen a lot of basketball. On Friday night at Pueblo West’s Jerry Kersey Gym, he did something he has never done in his illustrious career. He won a game in Pueblo. The Tigers trailed by 12 at the half and by as many as 14 midway through the third quarter, but somehow found a way.
Girls basketball: Holy Family upsets Pueblo West to reach 4A semifinals
PUEBLO WEST — Should we really ever question Ron Rossi and his Holy Family girls basketball team? The six-time state champion coach and owner of over 500 career wins has seen a lot of basketball. On Friday night at Pueblo West’s Jerry Kersey Gym, he did something he has never done in his illustrious career. He won a game in Pueblo. The Tigers trailed by 12 at the half and by as many as 14 midway through the third quarter, but somehow found a way.
Football: Nederland takes care of undermanned Justice
NEDERLAND — Football on a week-to-week basis at Justice High School is a crapshoot. Phoenix coach Nels Thoreson never knows exactly what he is going to get and game plans are basically done on the fly. On Saturday, Justice traveled up the hill to play Nederland, a team that still has intentions of sneaking into the 8-man playoffs, and did so with just 11 players.
Wrestling: Monarch places sixth at FRL finals
FORT COLLINS — Monarch wrestling coach Ezra Paddock understood the challenge when he took over the Coyotes wrestling program eight years ago. Baby steps. And while realistically he is still a long way from where he wants to be, it is gratifying to look back to see where they were and where they are with a month to go in the 2014-15 season.
Wrestling: Broomfield dominates visiting Cherry Creek
BROOMFIELD — When last we left Broomfield’s Darren Green, he was walking off the Pepsi Center mats after a discouraging loss in the 120 pound final to Pomona’s Colton Yapoujian. It’s a match that he has watched a countless number of times since February. “On the days when I’m feeling kind of lazy, I just think of that,” Green said, “And I just start going again.” The Eagles sophomore, who starts the season ranked No. 3 by Tim Yount and his On The Mat rankings, is primed for another deep run.
Track and field: Silver Creek’s Lee double-dips at league meet
LONGMONT — Silver Creek’s James Lee had a decision to make. And it wasn’t necessarily an easy one. The Raptors junior was successful both on the track and on the pitch. But he felt like excelling in both, running and soccer, took away from one another. “Last year when I did both, I felt like I slightly under-performed in both of them and I knew I could do better in one if I just picked one,” Lee said.
Volleyball: Prospect Ridge finding early success on the court
Prospect Ridge Fall 2016 While the Miners volleyball team is off to a great start in its first season of CHSAA-sanctioned play, things have been a little rougher for the school’s other teams competing this fall: • Football is off to an 0-5 start, with it’s closest game being a 20-19 loss to Arvada on Sept. 19. The Miners were shut out in their other four losses. • Boys soccer is 2-9 and have yet to record a victory in the Metro League, going 0-7.
Boys golf: Silver Creek heading to state with loads of confidence
LONGMONT — At the regional tournament last week in Fort Morgan, a coach walked up to Silver Creek’s Ryan Williams to congratulate him on his teams eighth straight regional crown. “Way to go coach,” the coach said. ” I remember when it used to be us and people were scared when we showed up, now that is what it is like for you guys.” Indeed it has been a glorious run for the Raptors, who show no signs of letting up anytime soon.
Broomfield: Sereno named the new athletic director
It didn’t take long for Broomfield principal Ginger Ramsey and her search committee to find Steve Shelton’s replacement as the school’s next athletic director. On Friday, Ramsey — who is in Texas celebrating the birth of a grandson — announced to her staff that Autumn Sereno would take over for the departed Shelton, who took a job within the Boulder Valley School District.
Girls golf: Monarch’s Elliott wins Front Range League crown
LOUISVILLE — There is no such thing as a sure thing in sports … especially golf. But Monarch’s Delaney Elliott was in a pretty good spot heading into Tuesday’s third and final Front Range League match that doubled as the league championship at the Coyotes home course, Coal Creek Golf Course.
Boys basketball: Faith Baptist runs past rival Front Range Baptist
FORT COLLINS — For those of you that think that a parochial rivalry isn’t heated have never attended one of those games before. For years, both Faith Baptist and their arch nemesis from Front Range Baptist have toiled behind the scenes, not under the umbrella of the state association.
Boys swimming: Silver Creek’s Willett double-dips at 4A state meet
THORNTON — The faces of the Silver Creek contingent on Saturday told you everything you needed to know. Having just destroyed a school record in the 200-yard freestyle relay by going sub 1 minutes, 26 seconds, the glee turned utter disappointment. The reality of their best team finish in years was suddenly realized when they were disqualified for what was described to them as a false start.
Girls swimming: Latest Valette puts stamp on Boulder-Fairview rivalry
BOULDER — The name Valette has become synonymous with Boulder swimming. Recent graduate Josie Valette helped make her mark on the Panthers program and the everlasting mark of her work is proudly displayed on the record board behind Lane 1 at the North Boulder Rec Center. The highlight of an impressive freshman class for coach Jay Turner’s Panthers is Grace Valette, who when all is said and done, would love nothing more than to add her name next to her sisters on that board.
Boys soccer: Boulder unseats Broomfield in epic 5A finale
COMMERCE CITY — It was going to take something special to remove the two-time Class 5A champion Broomfield Eagles off their perch. Fitting that it was the Boulder Panthers. In one of the more amazing finishes in state championship history, Boulder coach Hardy Kalisher’s nationally top-ranked team went 110 minutes plus 14 rounds of a drama filled and controversial penalty shoot-out to cap their perfect 20-0 season, outlasting the Eagles 13-12, with Mitchell Graesser delivering the finishing blow.
Boys soccer: Boulder and Broomfield one more time for title
Omar Castruita was in eighth grade in 2014 when his older brother Brian and the Boulder Panthers last played at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park for a Class 5A state title against Broomfield. He distinctly remembers Brian coming home after a 2-0 loss and the look on his face. “It sucked seeing him come home frustrated and disappointed,” said Omar Castruita, now a sophomore midfielder for the Panthers.
Football: Legacy’s Wayne Voorhees moving on from Lightning
BROOMFIELD — A good coach should never be measured by their win and loss total. If they are good at what they do, their record should be secondary. That was always the case for Wayne Voorhees, since the first day he stepped foot in Legacy High School in 2000.
Football: Longmont’s Scrappy Turtle, the ultimate competitor
LONGMONT — Cooper Rothe has taken his love affair with turtles to an extreme. It goes well beyond his affinity for Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello — a.k.a the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He was given his pet turtle 12 years ago and he and Squirt have been inseparable since. His twitter handle: @scappyturtle7. It came from the combination of his “scrappy” style on the field, court or diamond and his love of the shelled reptiles … that and he was simply looking for an Xbox name.
Girls soccer: Broomfield again bested by Cheyenne Mountain for 4A title
COMMERCE CITY — Jim Davidson has had some very special teams during his tenure at Broomfield. On Wednesday night, after a two hour wait due a storm that blew threw Commerce City, he went out on Dick’s Sporting Goods Park pitch with what those in the know might deem his best. “That’s why this is so devastating,” he said. For the second straight year, the Eagles were unable to solve Cheyenne Mountain, and just like last year Broomfield lost the Class 4A title game 2-0 to the Indians.
Track & field: Broomfield’s Dean an instant contender in long jump
LONGMONT — Well hello Haley Dean. The Broomfield junior, who transferred in from nearby Mountain Range in Westminster, is well recognized for her basketball exploits. But if she keeps up what she did on Friday at the St. Vrain Invitational at Everly-Montgomery Field, it will be hard to ignore what she does in her second sport.
Wrestling: Broomfield’s Dohm making an impact on the mat in first season
BROOMFIELD — Not that Noah Dohm is keeping track or anything, but the last time he beat Legacy in anything was freshman football. But again, he’s not keeping track. The Broomfield senior spent his last two winter seasons playing basketball for coach Terrence Dunn, but with his role up in the air this season, he opted to give wrestling one last go. And the last time he was even on the mat was for a month at Broomfield Middle School. “”I didn’t remember anything, any technique or anything,” Dohm said.
Baseball: Boulder Gold gives the Aces all they handle in BNIT
BOULDER — In sports, there is no such thing as a moral victory. But … On Friday night at Scott Carpenter Field, the Boulder Gold team, playing in its final game of Pool B play in the Boulder NIT, gave a more experienced Aces team all it could handle for six innings. Ultimately the Aces, behind an awkward six run seventh inning, made the score look more lopsided than it actually was, 11-3, and clinched a spot in Saturday’s quarterfinals.
Boys lacrosse: Nick Mandia hired as Erie’s first coach
ERIE — Earlier this spring, Erie athletic director Justin Carpenter announced that his growing school and vastly improved sports programs across the board would add boys lacrosse (as well as girls swimming) to the mix for the spring 2019. The next step was finding the right coach to step right in a put his stamp on the Tigers program from the get-go. Nick Mandia was the perfect man for the job.
Track and field: Skyline 4×100 team set to show off in Kansas at Jr. Olympics
LONGMONT — James Davis knew he had a good thing. So why tinker? He didn’t. The assistant track coach at Skyline High School and coach of the Longmont-based CDm Elite team kept the Falcons’ 4×100 relay team — Moses Rivera, Jack Wathen, Kyle West, Braden Kram — together for an impressive summer of competition that will see them compete next week in Lawrence, Kansas, at the USATF Hershey National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships at Rock Chalk Park. “We are racing against all-star teams.
Boys soccer: Ramirez goal pushes Boulder past Broomfield in title rematch
BROOMFIELD — It had been exactly 287 days since Boulder and Broomfield staged one of the most epic matches in state history in the Class 5A title match at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The players were different and, most certainly, so were the stakes, but Saturday night’s rematch at Elizabeth Kennedy Stadium certainly had the feel of something very special.
Holy Family’s Kyle Helbig learns from brother’s experience
Junior achievement A look at some of the other top juniors in the BoCo area: • Bryce DesJardins, Fairview: A standout DB, had seven INTs as a sophomore. • Sam Dirkes, Silver Creek: Big presence on the DL, had close to 70 tackles last season. • Drake Engelking, Longmont: Also a tremendous wrestler, could be the Trojans top rushing threat this season. • Keegan Feenstra, Monarch: Someone the opposing OL has to be aware of at all times.
Wrestling: Niwot’s Tommy Stager is the BoCo Wrestler of the Year
NIWOT — Tommy Stager had played out the whole state championship experience in his mind … many times over. And when it finally happened last month at the Pepsi Center, the flood of emotions seemed to overwhelm him and it took some time for everything to set in.
Boys basketball: Holy Family survives scare from Wheat Ridge
BROOMFIELD — That gentle breeze you may have felt around 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday night was the collective sigh of relief coming from inside the Holy Family gymnasium. The whole survive and advance playoff cliche was all too real in the first round of the Class 4A state tournament for the Tigers against the 47th-seeded (only 48 teams make the tournament) Wheat Ridge.
Boys basketball: Fairview and Broomfield bow out in Festival semifinals
Frustration tends to snowball and the more you let it get out of control, the more the opponent feeds on it and capitalizes. It’s something the young Fairview Knights are going to have to learn to corral this season if they are to be successful. On Wednesday night in the second semifinal of their Fairview Festival, the Knights watched visiting Arvada West maintain its composure down the stretch and use a 14-0 run in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 58-44 victory.
College Football: Holy Family alum Helbig moves on from CU for chance to play QB
Chris Helbig is a quarterback at heart. His video game-like numbers at Holy Family High School, where he threw for 6,634 yards and 72 touchdowns over his final two seasons, should have opened a lot of collegiate doors on the gridiron, but he originally committed to Colorado Christian to play basketball. The allure of playing football remained strong, however, so Helbig decommitted to CCU and opted to take his chances at the University of Colorado as a preferred walk-on.
State wrestling: Stager earns well deserved spot on top of the podium
DENVER — There was a moment this season when Niwot senior Tommy Stager questioned everything he knew about the sport he loved. He had just suffered a rare defeat at the hands of Greeley Central’s Tony Uleszak and something just wasn’t right. “I was very discouraged at that moment and I felt like I wasn’t enjoying the sport as much as I should be,” he recalled.
Boys basketball: Longmont rolls past Cheyenne Mountain into Sweet 16
LONGMONT — The Longmont Trojans had a week to stew on what happened the last time they took the floor on their home court. The regular season ended on a sour note with a home loss to Skyline — something that hadn’t happened in the last 15 meetings with the Falcons. Not exactly the way they wanted to enter postseason play.
Wrestling: A look back at the week that was, including Top of the Rockies
LAFAYETTE — Good show, Centaurus. And for everyone that complains about the antiquated facilities at Centaurus and that the annual Top of the Rockies tournament has outgrown its home, shame on you. Can you imagine it anywhere else?
Gymnastics: Broomfield wraps up season in style
THORNTON — Nobody would have blamed Sarah Holbrook if she just wanted to watch her Broomfield teammates compete from the stands. Every time the Broomfield junior competed, you had to wonder how much of a struggle it really was. “I’m in a lot of pain,” said Holbrook, referring to the constant pain she feels due to her Bertolotti’s Syndrome. But it was worth it in the end.
Boys soccer: Fairview, Boulder set to take on Delaware’s finest
BOULDER — As if the gauntlet that is the Front Range League wasn’t tough enough for both Fairview and Boulder. On Friday and Saturday, the Knights (currently ranked No. 1 in the CHSAANow.com Class 5A poll) and the Panthers (No. 2) will welcome in the six-time defending Delaware state champs from Salesianum. The Wilmington-based Sallies and coach Scott Mosier take an annual trip out of state to see what the rest of the country has to offer.
Boys soccer: Michels right at home with improving Erie
FREDERICK — Joshua Michels is more than comfortable in the color orange. One year ago, Michels came to America from his home in Nijmegen, Netherlands and was a vital cog in the first year program at Erie. He enjoyed his time so much, that even though his student visa ran out, he decided to stay — and with that had to pay to do so — and be a part of something special with the Tigers program.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Jon E.
Contact Jon E., search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack