Track and Field

Pete Frenzel '54 was a four-year member of the varsity football team, two-year member of the varsity baseball team, captain of the basketball team, while also running track. In his senior year, Pete was awarded the Senior Athletics Trophy, wrote for the Now and Then as the sports editor, and was named an All-Conference Football honoree two years in a row and an All-Conference performer in Basketball.

In football, Frenzel had a phenomenal senior season helping lead the offense to a 7-0 win over Shattuck, a 27-0 win against Breck, and a 26-13 win over Cretin, earning himself All-Conference fullback honors at the conclusion of the season. During basketball season, Frenzel led the team in scoring, helping the team finish with notable wins over Breck, Prior Lake, and Wilson. Entering the spring season, Frenzel's athletic ability really dazzled: he won nearly every shot-put event at track and field meets and was a key member of multiple winning relays. Frenzel was named the SPA Athlete of the Year on June 7, 1954 and would conclude his SPA career with 11 letters in four different sports. He was praised by his peers for his relentless work ethic and determination to keep improving. 

Pete would later come back to SPA to teach German and coach track and field.

 

David Goins '64 was a dominant athlete at St. Paul Academy where he competed on the football, wrestling, and track and field teams. David, along with his brother James, were the first African-American students to attend St. Paul Academy and immediately made their mark on the playing field and in the classroom. Described as one of the most dominant male athletes in the 1960s by Dan Starjash '68, Goins was also acknowledged by fellow classmates and other alums for his athleticism.

As a senior and co-captain of the football team, Goins led the team to a 4-1 record, scoring 24 points while guiding the team to a 21-0 win over Breck and 7-0 win over Blake. He would go on to earn All-Conference honors his junior and senior years.

Goins especially excelled in wrestling, going undefeated his junior and senior years and concluded his senior season at the MISL wrestling tournament, where he won the heavyweight category 3-0 against a rival from Concordia. He would be named All-Conference three years in a row, co-captain of the team, and was the MISL Heavyweight Champion his junior and senior seasons.

On the track, Goins was named All-Conference three years in a row and served as a co-captain his senior year. Goins graduated Cum Laude from St. Paul Academy and was awarded the Boys’ Athletic Bowl, given in memory of Thomas Frenzel '49 to a member of the boys’ varsity teams for exceptional performance and leadership. He attended Harvard University and eventually settled in San Diego, California where he managed a drug rehabilitation program, CalWorks. Goins passed away in 2017.

For Cathy Paper '85, athletics was and continues to be an important part of her life. A four-sport athlete at St. Paul Academy and Summit School, Cathy was a talented tennis player and member of the basketball, track and field, and softball teams, earning fourteen varsity letters and captain honors five times over the course of her SPA career.

In tennis, Cathy helped lead her team to three state championships, winning the individual state doubles championship as a junior. A captain her senior year, she led her team to an impressive 11-5 record against some of the top schools in the state and a third-place overall finish. She also partnered with teammate Cynthia Wang ’86 to claim the region doubles championship and a state runner-up finalist.

On the track and field team, as an eighth grader, right as middle schoolers were being allowed to play on Varsity sports, Cathy set the school record in the 3200m and earned All-Conference honors. Outside of St. Paul Academy and Summit School, she set a top-five record at the Grandma’s Marathon with a time of 3:33 for the U18 division.

Cathy was awarded the Girls’ Athletics Bowl for her exceptional performance and leadership, along with the Headmaster’s Bowl, awarded by the Headmaster in consultation with the faculty and given to an individual who makes significant contributions to important aspects of school life. Mr. Harris, SPA’s headmaster at the time, praised Cathy’s athletic and academic achievements, her work on the Student Activities Council and as editor of The Rubicon, and noted her enthusiasm and involvement in all aspects of the school.

Cathy attended Williams College where she earned four varsity letters in tennis and squash and was named to the All-New England Team in Women’s Rugby. She continues to run and play tennis, and has run two additional marathons and competes in USTA tennis programs, where she recently competed at Over 40’s Nationals.

“To know Cathy is to be buoyed by her energy and compassion,” says classmate Peggy Driscoll '85. “She's a fierce competitor, as demonstrated by her accomplishments, and an amazing leader. Her teammates loved her, and she was a great captain. She would be an excellent addition to SPA's Athletics Hall of Fame.”

Keren Gudeman '94 was a talented multi-sport athlete while at St. Paul Academy and Summit School, competing on the soccer, basketball, and track and field teams and serving as captain of all three teams. In her junior season, the girls’ soccer team went 14-1-4 and Keren led the team in scoring with 21 goals. She would be named All-Metro and All-State honorable mention following her junior season. In her senior season, she helped lead the team to an impressive 16-3 record, and was named to the All-State soccer team by the Pioneer Press. In track and field her senior season, she was a member of the 4 x 800 team that competed in the state track meet.

Keren played soccer and lacrosse at Harvard University, where she helped lead the soccer team to Ivy League titles in 1995, 1996 and 1997 and the NCAA soccer tournament three times. The team advanced to the NCAA soccer tournament quarterfinals in 1997, the Crimson’s best national tournament finish in fifteen seasons. Gudeman was a two time All-Ivy league second team honoree, NCAA Regional All-America third team selection, and is top 10 for season career assists in Harvard's soccer record books. In lacrosse, she made the varsity lacrosse team as a freshman after never having played, and served as team captain her senior year, also earning All-Ivy league first team and first team regional All-American honors in 1998. Following Harvard, Keren played in the Women’s Premier Soccer League for the San Francisco Nighthawks. 

Keren eventually moved back to the Twin Cities and took a teaching and coaching position at SPA. She taught Middle School English and coached girls’ varsity soccer and varsity track and field. The girls' soccer team advanced to the state championship in 2004 and earned 2nd place in Class A. She was then hired as Carleton College’s Head Women’s Soccer Coach, coaching the Knights for six seasons. She compiled a 79-31-11 (.697) record as Carleton’s head coach and guided the Knights to the NCAA Tournament in 2008, 2009, and 2010. She was a two-time MIAC Coach of the Year (2006 and 2010) and was also named the 2008 NSCAA Central Region Coach of the Year after the Knights set a school record for victories in a season (18-6) and advanced to the elite eight of the NCAA Tournament.