Park will have several bonafide stars to build around this track and field season. Joining them will be a plethora of eager athletes looking to make their marks. Headlining the boys' team should be …
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Park will have several bonafide stars to build around this track and field season. Joining them will be a plethora of eager athletes looking to make their marks.
Headlining the boys' team should be 400-meter star Dominic Jenkins, while Rainna Jameson returns from injury after qualifying for state in the high jump two seasons ago.
Park’s numbers are about the same as previous seasons, said the Wolfpack coaches.
“I think we’re happy with the number of kids, we’re happy with the energy, we’re happy with how things have started so far with the kids we have out,” said Jesse Nelson, boys co-head track and field coach.
Park boys
Leading the key athletes back for the Wolfpack is senior Jenkins. Jenkins qualified for the state meet and into the Park High record book with a time of 49.54 in the section 400-meter final. His time was the second fastest in Park history, trailing only the all-time record of 48.28 set by R.J. Alowonle in 2012. Jenkins was 10th in the Class AAA 400-meter dash in a time of 49.54 at state last spring.
“Getting pretty strong,” said Park coach Ashley Acosta-Meyers of Jenkins. “He’s actually looking at different events to get a couple of medals rather than just one.”
Other boys who should fare well include senior jumper/sprinter/hurdler Eyuel Miftah, “he looks really strong,” said Acosta-Meyers. Miftah was third at sections last season in the triple jump (42-10.75), 10th in the 300-meters hurdles (43.48) and 14th in the 110-meter high hurdles (17.26).
Miftah’s 43-8 triple jump is the seventh best in Park history, trailing the all timers of 47-11 set by R.J. Alowonle in 2012 and the 47-0.25 set by OT Omot two seasons ago.
Park also has a very strong trio of boys' distance runners returning. Senior Gavin Stauffer finished seventh (4:35.62) and junior Eli Firchau was eighth (4:37.74) in the 1,600-meter run at sections a year ago, both setting personal records. Sophomore Henry Joa was 13th in 4:46.96. In the section 3,200, Stauffer was sixth (10:00.19) in another personal record, Firchau eighth (10:08.10) and Benjamin Paulsen 26th (11:45.67) in a PR.
“Eli Firchau, Henry Joa and Gavin Stauffer had excellent cross country seasons, they’re coming off all-conference cross country seasons so we would expect them to be able to translate that over to the track really well,” said Nelson.
Junior Aidan Boche was seventh in the discus (128-10) and 16th in the shot put (40-04.75) at sections last season.
Park finished eighth in both the boys and girls team section last season.
“I’m looking to compete well in the True Team section meet,” Nelson said of the Park boys. “Make sure we fill out the entire roster and then beat a couple of teams in the True Team section. In cross country we were fifth there so to see how close we can get to being in the top half of the conference is something we would definitely aspire to something like that.”
Park girls
School record holder Jamison will look to make another jump to state in the high jump and leads the Park girls' team. Jamison cleared 5-8 in 2023.
“She’s super talented and high jump is a passion of hers,” said Acosta-Meyers. “She’s also really great as a sprinter. We could put her in any position, and she’d be successful. She has a really great attitude this year. We’re looking forward to seeing what she can do and look forward to her having a full healthy season which will be great to give her that final chance at state.”
Another key returner for the Park girls is Zoey Bammert-Mueller, 10th in the shot put (32-08.5) and 15th in the discus (93-02) at sections last season.
“On the girls side too we have a lot of younger girls on the team,” said Acosta-Meyers. “We have a lot of juniors, a lot of ninth graders, 10th graders, just looking at their potential.”
Junior sprinter Maddie Finstad was 17th in the 100 (13.46) at sections last season. Junior Pajyeeb Kong was ninth in the shot put (32-10), earning all-conference honors. Versatile senior Hailey Kieffer can score points in the sprints, jumps and hurdles for the Wolfpack. She was 20th in both the high and triple jumps at sections last spring.
“We have a lot of really young, talented, members on our team and so seeing our group of seniors really mentor the younger athletes and see the growth and progression that happens from the beginning of the season to the end. I would think about just always improving and scoring more points at meets, being able to move some of our girls from some of the prelims in conference and sections to the final heats, that would be a success for me and being able to find spots for our girls in events and fill events and improve our true team score as well, I think would be successful,” said Acosta-Meyers.
Park opens the season Thursday evening at the Hastings Indoor Time Trials. The Wolfpack’s first meet of the season is the White Bear Lake boys and girls invite on Thursday, April 10. Park will have just three home meets this season, starting on Tuesday, April 22.
