Athletics Archives

June 28, 2018

MPA opened the 2018 outdoor season later than usual due to surprise April snows, but finally got underway with our first meet on May 3 at the IMAC relays, a relay-only meet.

Highlights from the girls team included the 4x1600m team of senior Sarah Ley, ninth graders Izzy Quam and Katie Dahiya, and seventh grader Margo N. placing third with a total time of 26:29.41. Margo N. finished in fifth place in the 1600m individually with a personal best time of 5:53.35! In the 800m sprint medley, the team of seniors Maya Sayers and Quinn Campbell, junior Catherine Moore, and ninth grader Izzy Quam placed second. Their time of 1:59.42 is the third fastest in MPA history!

MSHSL State Championships

June 28, 2018

Three MPA athletes qualified for the MSHSL State Championships held on Friday and Saturday, June eighth and ninth at Hamline University.

Senior Blake Henke finished in fifth place in the Wheelchair Shot Put (Category 1) with a put of 12’8 ¾. His throw established a new MPA school record in the Wheelchair Shot Put!

In the high jump, junior Yahya Madar placed fourth, clearing 6’5 in a near personal best performance.

Section 4A Championships

June 28, 2018

The Section 4A Championships are the culmination of months of hard work for our team, and MPA athletes showed exceptional talent and drive at this competitive, 26-team meet.

On the girls side, our 4x800m team of junior Gabby Law, ninth graders Izzy Quam, and Katie Dahiya, and seventh grader Margo N. earned a medal with their fourth place finish. In the 100m hurdles, junior Ellie Quam placed third with a time of 17.23, the fastest time at MPA in 15 years.

In the 4x200m, the team of senior Maya Sayers, junior Ellie Quam, sophomore Catherine Moore, and ninth grader Izzy Quam ran 1:50.36 to place second in their preliminary heat and qualify for finals. That time was their fastest time this season, the third fastest time ever at MPA, and the fastest time since 1999. While they didn’t do as well in finals, they still scored with an eighth place finish. Their time from prelims qualifies them for the MSHSL honor roll.

2018 Upper School Awards Assembly

June 7, 2018

Congratulations to all of the Upper School students who received honors and awards at the 2018 Upper School Awards Assembly! On Friday, June 1, the school gathered to commemorate all of these students’ achievements. Academic, National Merit, Scholarship, Yearbook, Choir, Band, Orchestra, Visual Art, Math, English, Science, Social Studies, Forensics, French, Spanish, Drama, Athletics, Service, Spirit of ’86, Junior Mission Statement, Certificate of Distinction, and Alumni Association awards were given. Please join us in congratulating the following students! View photos of the assembly or watch the assembly here!

MPA Spring Athletics Highlights

June 4, 2018

We are excited to share many updates and highlights from the 2018 spring athletics season! While the season got off to a wintry start, the MPA athletes and coaches made up for their lost time with various achievements. Please congratulate and celebrate them with us!

Senior Rachel Lindrud qualified for State and placed fourth in the Section Golf competition, scoring 49-43/43-37 172. She will be representing MPA as an individual at the State Meet at Pebble Creek in Becker on June 12 and 13.
The MPA boys golf team placed first in Section 4A and qualified for State, winning by 12 strokes: senior Brock Bliese scored 40-39/39-34 152, senior Matthew Berning scored 39-41/40-41 161, senior Jackson Peacock scored 41-41/41-42 165, senior Joe Mecklenburg scored 44-42/42-38 166, senior Anthony Kuba scored 44-48/52-43 187, and senior Nicholas Guiang scored 48-47/45-53 193. They will be competing as a team at the State Meet at Pebble Creek in Becker on June 12 and 13.
The boys tennis team of junior Adam Reinke, freshman Alexander Vue, junior Aneesh Syal, freshman Diego Valverde, sophomore Dillon Vue, junior Karan Jain, eighth grader Mario L., junior Parker Law, and senior Travis Mudge won the Section 5A competition, defeating Hill-Murray with a score of 5-2 to advance to the State meet. They are playing on June 5 in the Team State Class A Tournament against Litchfield High School.
On June 7, Travis Mudge and and Dillon Vue will play doubles at the State Class A Tournament versus Luverne High School and Parker Law, ranked the number one seed in this tournament, will play against Minnewaska Area High School. Read more about Parker’s ranking in this recent Star Tribune article!
Junior Yahya Madar was the Section champion in the high jump at the Section 4A Track and Field championships, tying the meet and school record with a jump of 6’6.
Senior Declan Dahlberg placed first at Sections in the 3200m run with a time of 9:50.48.
Five individuals and four MPA relay teams earned medals for placing in the top six. Out of 27 schools, MPA’s boys were fifth and girls twelfth.
Three Panthers are moving on to the State track and field meet at Hamline University: senior Blake Henke in the Wheel Chair Shot, competing on June 8 at 3:30 PM; senior Declan Dahlberg in the 3200m on June 8 and the 1600m run on June 9 at 5:23 PM; and junior Yahya Madar in the High Jump on June 9 at 3:30 PM.
Coach Bev Docherty and Coach Nate Bander ’09 were named the Section 4A Track and Field Boys Head and Assistant Coaches of the year.

Celebrating The Class Of 2018

May 31, 2018

by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

If you happened to drive through the north parking last Friday, you no doubt noticed the playfulness of the seniors as they celebrated their last day of school. From filling the parking lot with cars parked askew, to the American Ninja obstacle course inside the north entrance that we all needed to traverse, to serving ice cream at 8 AM in the morning, the seniors showed a bit of mischievous humor. For that to serve as a last impression would be a mistake. They are a group of accomplished, multi-faceted, enormously talented, and genuinely good people.

MPA Is My Village

May 24, 2018

This is an excerpt from Nicholas Guiang’s ’18 senior speech, delivered on Friday, May 18, to Middle and Upper School students, faculty and staff, in the Nicholson Center. As a school community, we are immensely grateful for his family’s 24-year commitment to Mounds Park Academy.

Dear MPA,

Today I hold a unique challenge. I am not only thanking you for my time over the past 13 years, but I also hold the responsibility of thanking you for my family’s past 24 years.

For me, this spring signifies the end of those 24 years. It is the end of high school, childhood, and the end of a huge part of my life. In the fall, I will be heading off to Northwestern University to pursue my love of journalism, broadcasting, and sports. On June 9, I will toss my cap in the air on this very stage and these past 13 years, and the 13 years that each of my three older brothers spent here, will simply be the stories of old. However, MPA, you have been more than a school, you have been our home.

A Joyful Update from Kristen Bourne ’13

May 17, 2018

On May 5, 2018, I graduated from Northern Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science degree in exercise science. I attended NMU for five years which allowed me to start working toward a master’s degree.

Along with my education, I had the honor of racing for the cross country ski team at NMU for the entirety of my college experience. Over those five years, my passion for skiing grew and it became quite evident that pursuing it professionally was the next step.

Having made this decision, graduation marked the beginning of my professional cross country ski career. I will be moving to Oslo, Norway on May 25 to train and race for the elite team, Lyn Ski. A few members of the team competed in the most recent Olympics in Pyeong Chang, South Korea including Olympic gold and bronze medalists in the 30 kilometer mass start. I will be training with them, along with many others, and come the winter, racing throughout Scandinavia.

Additionally, I have an internship at the Oslo Sports Trauma Institute helping with research in sports injuries. I’m very grateful to my family, friends, professors, teammates, and coaches for helping me get to this point. I’m extremely excited to see what the future holds in this next chapter of life!

May 3, 2018

Now is the time to get excited about 2018 MPA fall sports and register now! Please note that there are new opportunities for students going into grade five!

MPA believes athletics complement the academic experience, provide balance to our students’ lives, and foster school spirit. We offer one of the broadest prep-school athletic programs in the Twin Cities with first-rate facilities. MPA coaches are teachers, and the fields are extensions of the classroom. Athletics at MPA encourage students to participate, engage, and dream big. Through this, student athletes develop commitment, character, perseverance, initiative, leadership and teamwork! With options including cross country, volleyball, tennis, and soccer, we are so excited for another outstanding fall season!

Sign-up for fall sports here!

2018 Athena Award Recipient

May 3, 2018

Congratulations to MPA Senior Abby Goodno for receiving the Athena Award! An outstanding multi-sport student athlete involved in basketball, soccer, and softball, Abby was honored for her athletic achievements at the MPA Upper School Monday morning meeting and at the annual St. Paul Area Athena Awards ceremony.

The award is named after Greek goddess Athena, known for her wisdom and skills, and thus the Athena Award honors female high school seniors for their athletic achievements. Dedication, confidence, achievement, and motivation are all taken into consideration when choosing a recipient. We are so proud of Abby for representing MPA with all of these traits!