In today’s world of prep sports, it’s common for someone to transfer schools for various reasons. Sometimes things aren’t going the way the student thinks they should be going, or some students just want to team with friends.
Back in the day, when a student athlete enrolled for their first year of high school that individual, for the most part, stayed in that school for their entire scholastic career. Others would be at a school one year and another the following season. This column is about an individual who chose to stay the duration—St. Paul Central football and basketball phenom Allan Lankfard Jr.
Whether it’s on the field or court, over the past four years senior Lankfard Jr. of St. Paul Central has developed into one of the top student athletes in the state of Minnesota.
As a junior last season, The 6’1” 200 pound senior averaged 19.1 points per game, leading the boys basketball team to the St. Paul City Conference Championship while capturing All-Conference and Player of the Year honors with Central finishing with a 20-7 overall record.
Playing quarterback and defensive back for the Minutemen, Lankfard Jr. was selected to the 2023 North Star and Skyway All-District Football Team while leading them to an overall record of 7-3.
After passing for two scores and running for another in a 21-13 victory over Minneapolis Southwest last Friday, he has accounted for 16 touchdowns in six games while leading Central to a 3-3 record.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree where Allan Lankfard Jr. is concerned. Older brother Mychel Stowers, a 2006 St. Paul Central graduate, was All-Conference in football and basketball as a guard and all-purpose player respectively.
Their father and 1984 St. Paul Central alum, Allan Lankfard Sr., excelled in both sports as well, leading the Minutemen to a third-place finish in the Class AA boys basketball tournament as a senior.
Lankfard Jr. is being recruited for both sports. When his career concludes he will have established himself as one of the greatest student athletes to come out St. Paul.
For some student athletes, transferring sometimes works, sometimes it doesn’t. Staying at one school works out for some, but not for others.
For Lankfard Jr., it appears he made the right choice.
Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald welcomes reader comments to mcdeezy05@gmail.com.