By Eric Erickson,
Sports analysis
The 2024–25 school year flew by, as did the seasons for hundreds of student athletes in dozens of sports at Como Park High School.
While some Cougar teams cherish titles and trophies, others made memories to last a lifetime through special moments.
Often, it’s the pleasant surprises sprinkled into the grind of a season that get remembered forever. That can happen in an upset victory, a valiant effort in a loss, a personal record, a team goal that’s realized or any other unique circumstance.
Here’s a chronological review of some significant Como sports moments from the past school year. These are not all the stories, and a mere mention leaves much untold. But for the participants, their supporters and Bugle readers, we provide a glimpse of Cougar Pride.
Fall: The Kathy and Dick Dumas tennis courts were dedicated in September.
Kathy Dumas, the beloved former teacher and coach whose donation made the complete construction of new courts possible, came back to campus for the ribbon cutting ceremony.
The perfect evening was a celebration of Como past and present with alumni and their children playing tennis on the new courts with current players from the boys and girls Cougar teams.
The girls team entered a new partnership in forming a co-op team with Harding, which improved depth and allowed for a full junior varsity roster. The Como-Harding varsity squad bonded quickly, posted a 14–9 record, and won a section playoff match.
Boys soccer had a resurgent year with a 12–5–1 record that included a thrilling section semifinal playoff victory over Mahtomedi en route to their first section championship game since 2017.
While Mahtomedi was the higher seed, the Cougars put forth exceptional effort and executed their game plan to secure the win on their opponent’s field.
Both boys and girls Como Park cross country runners qualified for the state meet. State has become an annual meet for the Cougars, with improved results every year.
After wrapping up conference and section titles, the 2024 boys team finished fourth in the state.
Girls swimming continued to seamlessly blend novice and experienced swimmers with a focus on improvement and personal bests. For junior Aleia Lueck, she made her third straight state meet and fourth place on the podium—an accomplishment celebrated by the whole team.
Winter: Girls basketball did what they always do and won the St. Paul City Conference. Their 11th straight city crown was noteworthy, but a more memorable moment took place in the Twin Cities Title Game in a close loss at Minneapolis North. A packed and energetic gym provided an electric atmosphere celebrating city basketball.
Boys basketball made their mark in January when they beat Johnson. The Como Gym was electric that night as fans from both sides cheered on their respective teams. The Cougars came through in the clutch, snapping a losing streak against the perennial St. Paul power that dated back to 2003.
Como wrestler Makiya May made it to the state finals of her weight class at the Xcel Energy Center, earning the second-place medal. What may have been even more fun was the overnight trip to Redwood Valley High School for the girls’ section tournament and team bonding at the hotel.
Nordic skier Henry Simmons finished in the top tier of elite skiers at state. The Como Nordic program continues to thrive as one of three in the St. Paul Public Schools.
Spring: The baseball team got a big-league experience when it played at CHS Field, the home of the St. Paul Saints, in a city conference game against Johnson. The Cougars made the most of the opportunity, defeating the Governors 13–10.
Meanwhile, the softball team combined with Johnson this spring to form a co-op team. The former rivals are enjoying their new camaraderie and have posted an overall record of 9–6.
Much of the spring sport season is still being written. As the Bugle went to press, the badminton team was amid a historic season with hopes of a deep run through to the state tournament. The regular season concluded with Como emerging as the St. Paul City Conference Champions.
Check next month’s issue for a full summary of all Como’s spring sports.
Eric Erickson is a social studies teacher at Como Park High School and a longtime coach of school and youth sports in St. Paul.
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Photo credit: The Como girls’ badminton team won the St. Paul City Conference Championship for the first time since 2002. Photo submitted by Eric Erickson.
