Over her last four years at Park, senior Molly Arntson has participated in a sport every season.

Over her athletic career she won various awards in tennis, hockey and lacrosse including winning all conference in hockey her junior and senior years and all conference honorable mention her sophomore year.

Her lacrosse team won conference twice. Over her whole career she has lettered 11 times. She was also made a captain of each team. Arntson is currently captaining the girls’ lacrosse team.

Two weeks ago Arntson was awarded the Athena Award, an award given to a prominent senior female athlete in the school.

Athletic director Andy Ewald said the award is given to a senior girl that is picked by staff and coaches from Park.

“It’s an award for the most outstanding female athlete for our school,” Ewald said.

Ewald said Arntson was chosen for the excellence of her athletic ability in the all three sports she participates in.

“We had a lot of girls that were outstanding. The fact that she has been excellent in all three sports and excelled in them,” Ewald said. “She embodied what athletes should be.”

Arntson said she was surprised when she won the award because she knew there were a lot of other strong qualifying girls.

“I was surprised. I knew I had a chance at getting it but I didn’t know at all,” Arntson said. “All the other girls up for it had impressive bios.”

According to Arntson’s tennis and hockey teammate sophomore Brigid Duffy, Arntson is a very determined sports captain and is very encouraging.

“She is very assertive and motivational and wants what’s best for the team,” Duffy said.

Arntson also said she felt very privileged to have won such an important award that she had worked for her entire career.

“I feel really honored to have been picked,” Arntson said. “It’s something I’ve wanted and worked for since seventh grade.”

As one of Arntson’s long-time teammates Duffy said she believes that as an athlete Arntson deserved the award.

“I think that she worked really hard for the award and deserved the recognition that it gave,” Duffy said.

Ewald said the winner of the Athena Award is determined through a combination of awards and accomplishments, voting from coaches and senior girls who have lettered in the sports that the Athena candidates participate in.

Arntson will formally receive the Athena Award at a ceremony May 2. The ceremony will be held at the Minneapolis Convention Center in which all of the winners of the Athena award in Minneapolis and the West Metro will be honored for their accomplishments.

Superintendent Rob Metz and Principal Joann Karetov will be in attendance along with other superintendents and principals of the other school. In addition, coaches and families will attend the ceremony.