It’s a whole new era for the Park swim and dive team, starting with a new coach as Will Arnsparger replaces longtime Wolfpack mentor Amanda Johnson. Johnson resigned after 15 years leading the program.
Park must also replace two of its top freestyle swimmers from a year ago in graduated seniors and co-captains Amber Norgaard and Afton LeMay.
Leading athletes back for the Wolfpack include senior swimmer Alayna Faletti and senior diver Sarah Weston. Faletti and Weston will be two of the four Park captains for this season, along with Zoe Pfeiffer and Ellie Imdieke.
At sections last season, Faletti was 10th in the 100-yard butterfly in a time of 1:03.91 and 10th in the 100-yard backstroke in 1:05.04.
Weston finished tied for ninth in one-meter diving with a score of 287.15, her second straight ninth-place finish at sections.
Park was fifth in the leadoff 200-yard medley relay with the foursome of Pfeiffer, LeMay, Faletti and Norgaard finishing in 1:58.46. The Wolfpack foursome of Faletti, LeMay, Ella Langness and Norgaard was fifth in the 200-yard freestyle relay in 1:46.10.
Park was seventh in the 400-yard freestyle relay with the team of Katelyn Norgaard, Eraya Nybakken, Ella Langness and Danika Rowan finishing in 4:23.07. Imdieke of the Wolfpack was 15th in the 200-yard freestyle in 2:12.06. Evelyn Sahli was 16th in the breaststroke in 1:19.93.
Coach Arnsparger, 26, swam and played water polo in high school in Long Beach, California, then swam competitively for four years at a Division III Whittier College. He’s also an English teacher at Park High School.
“I come from a big background in just being by the water but more so specifically swimming,” said Arnsparger. “I’ve always had a big passion for the sport. More specifically I’ve had a passion for mentorship or leadership or coaching.”
Arnsparger believes the swimmers and divers will be accepting of the changes he wants to make in the program.
“There’s definitely going to be a learning curve,” he said. “There’s always a learning curve when you have large change. And I think that is the sense that I have is that I’m going to be bringing in some big change. I don’t know if it’s at the practice level, at the small detail level, but maybe in the attitude or maybe the enthusiasm kind of level. Just bringing in that kind of spark into this program. I think that’s something that the swimmers are craving.”
2024 Park girls swim and dive schedule
Aug. 22 Conference relays Ottman Middle School 5:30 p.m.
Aug. 29 Irondale CG Middle School 6 p.m.
Sept. 5 Stillwater CG Middle School 6 p.m.
Sept. 10 at South St. Paul SSP Central Square 6 p.m.
Sept. 12 Cretin-Derham Hall CG Middle School 6 p.m.
Sept. 14 Invitational TBA
Sept. 19 Forest Lake CG Middle School 6 p.m.
Sept. 21 Invitational John Glenn Junior High 9 a.m.
Sept. 26 Woodbury CG Middle School 6 p.m.
Oct. 3 at Mounds View Chippewa Middle School 6 p.m.
Oct. 5 Invitational Simley - The Grove Pool 9 a.m.
Oct. 9 at East Ridge Oltman Middle School 6 p.m.
Oct. 15 at Roseville Parkview 6 p.m.
Oct. 24 at White Bear Lake White Bear Lake YMCA 6 p.m.
