The athletic department announced that middle school Grade Level Coordinator (GLC), behavioral specialist and Park grad Chris Nordstrom will be the head coach for next year’s cross country teams.

Nordstrom said he has loved the sport since he started running while a student at Park.

“I started running as a freshman in cross country at St. Louis Park High school and I ran all through high school. Then I got recruited down at a small college down in Sioux City, Iowa called Morningside College,” Nordstrom said. “Then I came back up to Minneapolis about four years ago, and was part of the coaching staff for both track and cross country at the middle and high school.”

Athletic Director Andy Ewald said he knew a new coach would need to be hired this year.

“Going into the year I knew that this was going to be (current coach Rachel Hoffman’s) last year. She was ready to turn (the cross country program) over to somebody else,” Ewald said. “She has done a really really great job with it, and now it’s time for Chris to take it and see where he can grow it.”

Ewald said  the athletic department interviewed two people for the position.

“We interviewed two people,” Ewald said. “Of the two we just felt like (Nordstrom) was the best fit for our program to take what (Hoffman) has done really well for the past couple years and really build off of it and bring fresh and new ideas.”

Junior girls’ cross country captain Megan Perkins said she feels the team will benefit from a new perspective on the sport.

“I think it will change the dynamic because the coach from the last years is older,” Perkins said. “I think having a younger coach will give us better technique in running and keep us up to date with the most recent technology and techniques of running.”

Perkins said Hoffman has been a major influence in students’ running careers.

“She had been my coach since seventh grade, so being able to run for her I guess learning everything she had to teach us, her wisdom, it will be hard not having her there,” Perkins said.

Nordstrom said he hopes to push the team to accomplish their goal of making it further in their conference.

“(My goal for the team is) to continue to grow the numbers and the continue to grow the passions for the student athletes, for them to really start falling in love with running more,” Nordstrom said.  “My hope is that in the near future we continue to improve in our conference.”

Perkins said she feels this season will go well, despite a short time of transition.

“I think it will get off to a little bit of a rocky start, as with every new coach,” Perkins said. “I think that it will go well overall though, because the new coach is really excited to coach everyone, and loves running.”

Nordstrom said he looks forward to coaching the team because of the the diversity of students participating.

“It’s really nice to have a group of kids who are from all walks of life and all athletic backgrounds,” Nordstrom said. “They all come together and work very well in our cross country family.”

The cross country team starts practices in August and the formal season will begin in the fall.