2019 Athena Award Recipient

Eleanor Quam and her coachesCongratulations to MPA senior Ellie Quam for receiving the Athena Award for Mounds Park Academy! She was honored for her athletic achievements at the St. Paul Area Athena Awards ceremony at the Vadnais Heights Commons. Laura Bush, the executive director of USA Volleyball, was the guest speaker, and the Master of Ceremonies was Randy Shaver from KARE 11.

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 Ellie for representing MPA with all of these traits!


MPA Triangular Track and Field Meet Results

Taevion at a track and field meetMPA Track and Field hosted SPA and Minnehaha at the Schilling Track on a partly sunny, cool afternoon. On the girls’ side, notable performances included eighth grader Zoe M. winning the 100m dash in 13.2 (all times are hand timed). Eighth grader Greta M. finished third in the 100m in 13.7. In the 200m, that same eighth grade duo finished in first and fourth, with Zoe winning in 27.8 (10th all time at MPA) and Greta fourth in 29.2. In the 400m, 12th grader Sofia Walker finished second in 1:05.8, in the 800m, sophomore Izzy Quam finished second in 2:35.3, and in the 1600m, Katie Dahiya finished second in 5:49.0. In the 100m hurdles, Senior Ellie Quam won in 18.3 seconds, and in the 300m hurdles, Ellie was second in 53.2 and eighth grader Emily B. was tied for fourth in 55.5. Read More


Panthers at Heidi Kunz Invitational

Ellie Quam doing the hurdlesMPA Track and Field athletes opened up the outdoor season strong on a beautiful day at Mahtomedi High School.

On the girls’ side, notable finishes included eighth grader Zoe M., who placed fifth in the 100m dash in her first ever varsity race. Her time of 13.40 places her fourth all time in MPA history in the girls 100m dash and is the fastest 100m dash by an MPA girl since 2002!  Zoe also added a seventh place finish in the 200m, just off the top 10 in a time of 28.27. Eighth grader Greta M. finished eighth in the 200m with a similarly impressive time of 28.35.

In the 400m, Greta M. ran to a fourth place finish, crossing the line in 1:03.56, sixth best all time in MPA history and the fastest since 2007! Senior Sofia Walker, making her track and field debut, finish seventh in the 400m, with a time of 1:05.43, just .12 seconds outside the 400m top 10 all time. In the 800m run, Sophomore Izzy Quam ran a strong debut of 2:40.32 to place third.  Read More


Yahya Madar Qualifies For Hamline Elite

Yahya Madar doing the high jumpCongratulations to MPA senior Yahya Madar on qualifying for the Hamline Elite Meet! The Hamline Elite Meet, Minnesota’s most prestigious high school track and field competition, features a small number of elite qualifying athletes from both Class A and AA. Yahya is one of only a handful of MPA athletes to ever qualify for the invite only meet. He placed 4th at the 2018 MSHSL Class A Track and Field Championships, has a personal best of 6’6, and holds the IMAC Conference and Section 4A high jump records. Though undecided on his college choice, Yahya plans to compete in track and field at the collegiate level. He competes this Friday, April 26 at 7 PM at Klas Stadium, Hamline University. Good luck on Friday, Yahya! Go Panthers! 


Karli McGill ’03 Plays in Coaches vs Cancer

Karli McGill Karli McGill ’03 was selected to play in the Coaches vs Cancer NCAA basketball game this past weekend! The game was hosted by the American Cancer Society, and is for cancer survivors, caregivers, researchers, and healthcare providers. The game was held at the US Bank Stadium with two retired NCAA coaches, Jim Calhoun and Bo Ryan.

When she played basketball for MPA her number was 13, so she chose that number for the game. Congratulations Karli on a game well played! To watch a video of the event, click here.


Register For MPA Summer Sports Camps

panther soccer camp 2018Registration is open for Summer Panther Sport Camps!

Basketball lovers, join Jacob Schwartz ’09, MPA alum and Head Varsity Basketball Coach, as he and the assistant coaches emphasize shooting, ball handling, and fundamentals! Mounds Park Academy’s Panther Summer Basketball is excited to offer our annual Panther Basketball Camp. With more than 50 campers attending last year, we are expecting another tremendous camp. This camp is open to MPA and non-MPA students alike, who are entering grades 4-9 in Fall 2019. MPA students are encouraged to invite a friend!  Read More


Spring Sailing For MPA

Sailing teamfrom Toby Sullivan ’19, sailing captain

Spring sports have begun! Of course, you have all the normal sports to choose from, but here at MPA students in grades 7-12 also have something different—sailing. Did you know that we have been one of the top teams in the state recently? Did you know that we race locally, regional and nationally? Did you know that sailing is a co-ed sport?

If you are looking for a sport that has life-long potential and is tons of fun, come join the MPA Sailing Team. You do not have to know how to sail—we will teach you everything you need to know to be able to be part of our team.

Sailing is a two-season sport. You can sail in the fall or the spring or both. Practices are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at White Bear Sailing School (carpools are arranged) and races are on Saturdays at various locations. Practices and races are loose so if you cannot make one, it’s ok. If you don’t want to commit right away, come and try out three practices for free. We’ll get started after spring break.

If you have questions or want more information talk to senior Toby Sullivan (tsullivan19@moundsparkacademy.org) or team advisor and MPA math teacher Ms. Sullivan (wsullivan@moundsparkacademy.org).


7/8 Girls Basketball Wins Championship

7/8 Girl's basketball team photoCongratulations to the 7/8 Girls Basketball team on being the 2019 CAA Champions! The team beat Immaculate Conception School this past Sunday, winning the championship.

“The girls were undefeated all season,” shares their coach Bev Docherty. “This was one of their goals, so they’re really happy with the outcome and especially excited.”

We’re so proud of you, Panthers! Way to go!


Panthers Race In State Ski Meet

State ski participants racing Congratulations to five members of the Nordic Ski team for participating in the State Nordic Ski meet! Senior Matthew Bourne placed fifth, junior Henry Snider placed 6th, ninth grader Isak Nightingale placed 54th, eighth grader Margo N. placed 24th, and sophomore Izzy Quam placed 34th at State.

Way to go, Panthers!


Finding Balance In The Snow

third graders snowshoeing in Phy EdBy Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Like you, I spent a good part of the day Wednesday shoveling out from another blast of snow. I love the quiet of a snow storm and work to find balance between appreciating the beauty and cursing the extra work it requires. It has also been a challenge to find balance between the safety of our community and our commitment to academic excellence. Cancelling school is never an easy decision, particularly when we have missed so many days already. Finding balance is tough work.

As I was shoveling, I was thinking about another challenging balance that is important to maintain: the three A’s (arts, athletics, and academics) that serve as the foundation of our school’s mission. In particular, I’ve been troubled by the state of athletics, not only in Minnesota, but nationally. There has been a rise of single sport athletes and club sports that affects not only athletic programs, but also athletes themselves. At MPA, we strive to offer a variety of opportunities for our students, maintain a no-cut policy, and be competitive. However, that is becoming increasingly difficult to balance as well. Read More