Given the choice, Park’s Matt Glenna passed on posing for a photo in front of the school swimming record board. He isn’t quite finished adding to it yet.

“I do remember when I started coming on the team and the seventh graders were all looking up at the record board and seeing Nate Amidon and I remember thinking to myself I want to do that one, I want to be the Nate Amidon one day. I want my name to be up there in every single event.

“It’s really cool to think that little seventh grade Matt can look up and be like, wow, I did that, he added.

Already one of the best swimmers Park has ever had, Glenna’s assault on the school records will continue as the season winds down and section and state meet competitions loom. A five-year letterwinner, team captain and twotime state qualifier, Glenna holds Park High records in the 100 freestyle (48.17), 500 freestyle (4:48.34) and as one-fourth of the 200 medley relay (1:36.97) and the 400-freestyle relay (3:16.05). Glenna also has his eyes set on grabbing the 200-freestyle record as well, and Park head swimming coach Amanda Johnson wouldn’t bet against him taking that one as well. Glenna has qualified for the state meet twice, but it would be shocking if he doesn’t make it again this winter as a senior.

“He has a lot of determination, a lot of grit. He knows what he wants to do, and he has worked his way up to it,” said Johnson. “So not just in our time that we see him, but he’ll be at home doing things, on the off-season he is swimming all the time, lifting weights, doing the things he needs to do to become a better swimmer.”

Johnson should know. She remembers given swimming lessons to Glenna when he was “yay big,” about three- or fouryear- old. “He was always like a baseball player, he did other sports, so then when he was in ninth grade I think, there was one year that he was I’m done with that. You’re done with that, and I said you loved it. And he said yea, but I love swimming so much more. And that’s when I think he really hit that pivotal moment of I’m going to become good, and I know how to become good.”

Glenna wasn’t among the fastest swimmers when he first joined the varsity, Johnson recalls.

“He was good for his age is how I like to say it,” Johnson recalled. “He was not by far any of the fastest. He was fast for his age. But is you compared him to the seniors it would be no contest.”

That, obviously, has changed a bit.

It was Glenna’s sophomore year when Johnson realized he could be one of Park’s best. Johnson was in the process of trying to get the relay teams in proper order.

“There was one point in time when he did the 50 in relay for the 200 medley and he had this astronomical time for him and I was like ooh, he’s going to become a fast kid. And from then on he just continued to get faster and faster. And then of course developed in his other events, too. So it wasn’t just the 50. But I think it really started at that point.”

“I can’t really tell you a time when I figured out I could be really good at this,” Glenna said. “It was just from a really young age it was just a goal I had set, and hard work and incredible support from coaches, family, friends, helped with that.”

Glenna points to his sophomore season as his personal breakthrough. He earned his way onto an experienced medley relay team with upperclassmen Nate LeMay, Dylan Purrington, Devin Schwartz. That foursome went on to qualify for state and set a Park school record of 1:36.97.

“I was like hey, I think I can do this,” Glenna said.

Johnson swims yearround, competing for a club team when he’s not swimming for the Wolfpack. That year-round training has helped make him the swimmer he is today.

His best event – coach Johnson hesitates only a moment when asked what his best event is.

“I’ll be honest, his 100 freestyle is probably one of my favorites to watch,” Johnson said. “He’s got so much grit. I think the 200 is kind of another one. But his 100, he just goes for it. He knows how to go fast in that. He knows what he needs to do.”

Glenna’s goals in the 100 include getting in the 45-or 46- second range, a time that would likely place him in the state finals.

“Not even a time goal, but mostly trying to medal at state,” – which goes to the top eight finishers in each event — is another goal.

Glenna signed a letter of intent to compete at St. Cloud State University next season.

In addition to talent, hard work and competitiveness, a key for Glenna is staying hungry.

“Don’t ever be pleased with an event you swam,” he said. “Always have that hunger for more.”

Glenna has two more regular season meets to compete in, this Thursday at Forest Lake and then Saturday, Feb. 19 in a seven-team meet. Then it’s off to the section meets at Blue Water Aquatic in Apple Valley Feb. 23-25 with chances to qualify for state. He’ll swim the 100 and 200 freestyles and be in the relays.

His remaining goals include setting the Park records in the 50 freestyle, lowering his times in the 100 and 200 freestyles, and contributing to a record- setting relay effort. “If we can get the 200 free relay record as well, so my name will be up there for every single freestyle event,” Glenna concluded. “That would be the ultimate goal. And getting some of my buddies, Ethan Anderson, Evan Darling and Mitchell LeMay up on the board too in that relay.”

The smart money wouldn’t bet against it.