Today's Sports

Spring is almost here and that means it’s time for America’s pastime to re-enter the fold.

The Evergreen Cougars’ baseball team has been in hibernation and is ready to be a force in the Jeffco 4A league this upcoming season and improve upon last year’s 16-5 record and third-place league finish.

Even though the Cougars lost some strong contributors, including two starting pitchers from last year’s team, head coach Terry Hensley hopes changes in philosophy and in the offseason conditioning program can duplicate last year’s success.

Jamey Kittelberger was raised a little differently than most folks around here.

Being from the East Coast is part of it, but what defined him even more were the lacrosse sticks in his car. Those sticks, and that sport, had been a part of his life since seventh grade, something few people in Colorado — especially these mountains — can relate to.

February has been very wintry, with colder-than-average temperatures, snow flurries and a lot of gray skies.

Despite all this, if you walk along Bear Creek between the downtown parking lot and the Church of the Transfiguration, you can hear the beautiful canary-like song of the dipper. These fantastic little birds are permanent residents along our boisterous mountain streams and therefore one of the earliest birds to sing, mate and nest in the area.

DENVER — Nick Keitlen found nirvana.

In the hardest sport offered to prep athletes, Keitlen had been dreaming of getting his hand raised in victory at the Class 4A state wrestling tournament at the Pepsi Center. The thought was bordering on an obsession.

His moment of Zen came Feb. 18.

Keitlen saw his 4-0 lead erased by Cheyenne Mountain’s A.J. Simon, then reversed an attempted shot in the third period for a takedown and nearfall points to clinch a 9-4 decision in their 160-pound match.