After both achieving multiple NXN All-America honors at Minnesota’s Winona Cotter, Ping sisters now enrolled at Arizona power, along with Florida transfer Gregory; Messer also back coaching Thunder girls varsity for first time since 2016 after two years with boys team

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Grace Ping and Lauren Ping are on the move again, transferring from Minnesota’s Winona Cotter, but the sisters won’t be the only new faces competing on the girls cross country team this fall after enrolling at Arizona power Desert Vista.

Josephine Gregory, a senior from Pace High in Florida, has also joined the five-time state champion Thunder, which also has Dr. Jeff Messer returning to coach the girls varsity team after he guided Desert Vista to three Division 1 titles in 2013, 2014, and 2016.

Messer will work along with Desert Vista girls head coach Michael Bucci in a similar capacity to his role with the Thunder boys team the past two seasons, collaborating with program director Chris Hanson to help the group extend its streak to five consecutive Division 1 state championships.

Messer also contributed to six consecutive Class 5A or Division 1 girls state titles from 2006-12 coaching with Dave Van Sickle at Xavier College Prep.

Messer, who earned his Ph.D. in exercise physiology at Arizona State, will remain the chair and faculty in the Exercise Science Department at Mesa Community College.

“My return to the Desert Vista program this fall is focused on coaching the girls varsity group. I could not and would not re-assume the heading coaching role for the girls program,” Messer said. “My ongoing professional leadership pursuits simply preclude a head coaching commitment. I do, however, have the time and desire to coach the Desert Vista girls varsity group for the upcoming season.”

Since they are all transferring from another state, Gregory and the Ping sisters are all eligible to compete immediately for the cross country team, per Arizona Interscholastic Association rules. The Ping family already moved from Minnesota to Park City, Utah in 2016, before returning to have Grace and Lauren attend Winona Cotter the past two years.

Grace Ping, a junior, has been a two-time Minnesota Class A state champion, along with a two-time All-American at Nike Cross Nationals. She also represented the U.S. in March at the IAAF World U-20 Cross Country Championships, placing 60th in Denmark.

Lauren Ping, a freshman, was a two-time Class A state runner-up, in addition to earning NXN All-America honors in seventh and eighth grade representing Cotter.

Gregory, who attended Pace the past three years, finished in the top 50 at the Florida 3A state final in each of the past two seasons.

“As she continues to assimilate a very structured, progressive and consistent approach to her training, we anticipate that she will be not only a wonderful teammate and student, but also a substantive contributor to our varsity girls group,” Messer said. “Josey is a wonderful young lady.”

With the arrival of the three newcomers, combined with the return of seniors Katy Clausen, Madeline Shoemaker and Brooklyn Christofis, in addition to juniors Olivia Thatcher, Quinn Boardman and Eve Boardman, Desert Vista is not only expected to improve from its fourth-place Division 1 finish last season to join the boys team in contending for a state championship this year, but also compete for its first NXN berth since 2016.

“I continue to support the boys varsity group at Coach Hanson’s discretion. I emphasize, however, that my defining, current commitment is to the girls varsity group,” Messer said. “I construct their training plan. I lead and facilitate varsity girls practices. I will make decisions regarding the girls varsity roster. I will be accountable for the girls varsity performances.”

Desert Vista, which placed second at the Nike Southwest Regional and sixth at NXN in 2016, will compete against Colorado powers Mountain Vista, Niwot, Cherry Creek and Battle Mountain, along with Lone Peak, Utah for automatic and potential at-large berths at the Nov. 23 Nike Southwest Regional at Grande Sports Complex in Casa Grande, Ariz.