A senior-led Park squad had cross country success last season and should be poised for more of the same this fall.
Senior captains back for more are Henry Joa, Ben Paulsen on the boys' side and …
This item is available in full to subscribers.
To continue reading, you will need to either log in, using the login form, below, or purchase a new subscription.
If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account and connect your subscription to it by clicking here.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Please log in to continue |
A senior-led Park squad had cross country success last season and should be poised for more of the same this fall.
Senior captains back for more are Henry Joa, Ben Paulsen on the boys' side and Jana Hafiz and Alli Devine on the girls.
Joa has previously competed twice at state, including a 76th place finish as a sophomore in a time of 16:43.4. He ranks third on Park’s all-time best list with a time of 15:43 set in 2024.
Seniors Joa, Paulsen, Liam Fleming, Kroix Pearson and sophomore Will Mann all competed at last year’s section meet. The list of returning section veterans on the girls' side is even longer with seniors Hafiz and Devine, junior Bella Walker, sophomore Eva McMorrow and freshmen Mya Albrecht and Ramsey Nelson.
Hafiz (second, 20:30), Albrecht (third, 20:46), Walker (fifth, 21:08) and Devine (eighth, 21:32) all rank in the girls all-time best performance list.
Newcomers who could battle for varsity spots early this season include sophomore Nolan Bowe and freshman Bentley Heise, as well as junior Alaina Murphy and eighth grader Chloe Peters.
Park’s boys were seventh in the Section 3AAA Championships last fall while the girls team finished sixth. Joa placed 13th in the section meet (16:03.50) while Hafiz led the Park girls with a 16th-place finish in 20:35.70.
Team goals, according to co-head cross country coach Brad Narveson are “to work hard, to get a little better each day, to have a positive attitude towards practice and competition, and to be great teammates.”
“We’re hoping to get a runner or two to the state meet this fall,” Narveson added. “Henry has made it the last two years and has a great shot at getting back again this year. It’s our job as coaches to see that our team is ready for the championship part of our season. Our conference is always tough. One of the toughest in the state. We’re looking to be a little better this year than last year.”
“We had a great first week of practice and we have a team that likes to work hard and help each other to do their best,” Narveson concluded. “I think it’s going to be another fun season.”
The Wolfpack open the season at the CDH Invite Friday at Lake Elmo Park Reserve, starting at 4:30 p.m. Park then hosts the Grey Cloud Invite Thursday, Sept. 3, starting at 5 p.m.
