State Titles and State Records Highlight Successful Sports Seasons

With packed crowds, broken records, historic milestones and one more team state championship added to the school’s resume, the winter and spring sports seasons brought great success for Kent Denver Athletics. 

The girls’ soccer team capped off another dominant season this spring with its second consecutive state title, beating Jefferson Academy 3-0 in the 3A state title game. The Sun Devils had a nearly perfect season, going undefeated against 3A opponents. Their only loss all year was a 1-0 defeat against Northfield, the eventual state champions in Class 4A. Coach Chelise Flagg was named CHSAA’s 3A Coach of the Year, while star forward Izzy Newton ’22 was named the 3A Player of the Year. Newton also made 1st Team All-State, alongside teammates Maria Romo-Nichols ’22, Kaci Karl ’22 and Megan Ho ’23. 

Girls’ tennis also brought home some hardware, as Meredith Waters ’23 and Kendall Adams ’24 won state in No. 1 Doubles! As a team, Kent Denver finished tied for second in Class 4A. 

The track and field team had a successful spring season, finishing 16th out of 35 schools at the 3A state meet. Amanda Licht ‘22—this year’s winner of the prestigious Freddie Steinmark Award—led the way for Kent Denver by finishing 2nd in the Shot Put and 4th in the Discus Throw. 

The girls’ golf team placed 3rd at the 3A state tournament! The Sun Devils were led all season by Nicole Davari ’22 and Elise Nelson ’23, who both made 1st Team All-State. 

Both the boys’ and girls’ lacrosse teams had fantastic seasons, making it all the way to the state quarterfinals in Class 5A. Kathleen Michaud ’23 represented Kent Denver with a 1st Team All-State selection. 

In baseball, the Sun Devils went 16-9 on the year, making it to the Regional Final before losing to the eventual state champion, Eaton. 

The winter season was headlined by historic milestones on the basketball court. Ethan Levin ’23 broke the Colorado state record for most 3-pointers in a season, while Duke Benson ’22 and Amanda Licht ‘22 both reached the 1,000-point marks for their Kent Denver careers.

The girls’ and boy’s basketball teams both made the state playoffs, with the girls’ team advancing to the Sweet 16. The season also saw the return of fans in a big way, as students, faculty, staff and alumni packed Yates Pavilion to cheer on the Sun Devils for an exciting doubleheader of hoops (link below) against Colorado Academy this February. 

Kent Denver also had a great season on the ice, as the varsity hockey team made it to the quarterfinals of the 4A state tournament. 

In the pool, Natalia Evans ’22 highlighted a great season for the Sun Devils, placing 4th at the 3A state meet in the 50-yard freestyle and 5th in the 100-yard backstroke.  She was also part of the 400-yard freestyle relay team with Rachel Prager '25, Sasha Berry '24 and Audrey Davies '23 that came in 13th place. In diving, Lise Kafka was named the Dive Coach of the Year, as all three KDS divers placed in the top 20 in the state (Dea Mielenz ’25—19th place, Davis Patteson ’23—13th place, Stuart Terry ’22—12th place). 

We’re so proud of all our amazing sports teams, and we already can’t wait for the 2022-23 season! See photos from the 2021-22 season with our gallery below.