2021 Cambridge-Isanti graduate Ashton Parnell has acquired an impressive knack for being a two-sport athlete at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.
She participates in both the women’s hockey and golf programs as a member of the Yellowjackets, a school that is a member of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference.
She even wishes she could participate in three sports.
“I wanted to do cross country too – but I can’t do three, because the seasons will overlap,” Parnell said. “I wish I could do them forever.”
Parnell, who seemingly just switched the color of her “jacket” attire, racked up a series of notable accolades during her four-year tenure as a Bluejacket. A four-sport athlete, Parnell earned a whopping five varsity letters in hockey, with four in cross country, three in golf and one in track and field.
The current sophomore at Wisconsin-Superior also took home three consecutive Mississippi 8 All-Conference selections in hockey, as well as cross country.
Upon graduating, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the overall unknown surrounding the virus, Parnell knew there were some possible complications and uncertainties revolving around the world of sports. As a result, she was unsure on whether some would continue to actively participate in their respective seasons because of quarantine and distancing restrictions.
Because of that, Parnell decided to have a gap year after graduating from Cambridge-Isanti in the summer of 2021 to wait and see how the cards unfolded. Prior to joining UW-Superior, Parnell had a small stint as a student-athlete at Hamline University starting in the fall of 2022.
“I was going to Hamline, but with COVID and all that, I would’ve had to potentially sit out of things had I gotten it. I was doing cross country there at Hamline because they didn’t have a golf team there,” Parnell said. “So I did cross country and hockey there. They wanted me to run my first race with a mask on, and I thought, ‘I cannot do this.’
“I didn’t know what was going to happen, so I ended up playing for a Tier 1 hockey team for that gap year after being there for two weeks of classes.”
Parnell was a member of the Minnesota Ice Cougars prior to eventually joining the UW-Superior family in the fall of 2023.
“I got a second chance here and I wouldn’t wish for anything else. I love it here, and it’s close to home and I’ve made so many best friends,” Parnell said.
Parnell recently played for the golf team in the UW-Stout Spring Invite, where she led the way for her Yellowjackets by shooting an 88, tying her for 31st place. At the MLC Invite on Thursday, April 25, Parnell tied for sixth place with another score of 88.
In the past winter season, Parnell added seven goals on nine assists for the year on 66 shots, with two of the scores coming from the power play. Parnell details what’s motivated her to be involved in two different sports and notes the overall challenges that come with being a two-sport athlete.
“Obviously being gone from classes and having to balance two sports is tough, but time management is key. I just love sports. Freshman year here I didn’t do golf because I feel like it’s rare to be in two sports — not many people even play one college sport, let alone two,” she said. “It scared me at first, but what you hear is not as scary as it actually is.
“Obviously golf is a time-consuming sport, so switching from one to two [sports] was definitely a challenge for me. Also being at a house now where you have to clean and cook for yourself, where you can’t just walk up into the cafeteria, that was also another big change.”
Parnell is currently majoring in business administration, and hopes to open up and establish her very own hockey camp in the future.
“I think a hockey camp would be super cool. If that got big, then I could run it and give more opportunities for younger girls up north. It’s growing up there, and there’s going to be a need for those younger girls wanting to participate in those camps,” she said.
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