Minnetonka High School Senior Spotlight: Lizzy Crist

Lizzy Crist thrives on rigorous academics and athletics. A straight-A student and AP Scholar with Honor, Crist is National Honor Society secretary, an ardent Quiz Bowl participant, and a big fan of calculus. Math teacher Dave Surver says, “She has a fantastic positive attitude, a willingness to help others, and she’s eager to learn.”

As for her skills as a standout soccer goalkeeper, Crist gives some credit to years of playing football with the boys in elementary school. Skippers soccer coach Jeff Hopkins says her passion for the game, along with her skill set of “shot stopping, great hands and tremendous athleticism” make her one of the best goalies in the state. Crist was named All-Conference for three years, made 2nd team All-State her junior year, and as a senior, her fourth year as varsity goalie, she reached a pinnacle with ten shutouts and 1st team All-State designation.

Crist says her parents inspire her to aim high yet stay grounded in what’s important. “I truly love studying,” she says, but also enjoys time with friends, volunteering at her church and playing piano. Thoreau and Twain rank high on her list of favorite authors. Next year, she will play soccer at Washington University in St. Louis, where she plans to major in math and psychology. “It looks like Disney World mixed with Hogwarts,” she says of a campus she knows well: her older sister Katie (MHS ’10) is a sophomore on the swim team at Wash U.

Though she is well known for her goalkeeping prowess, Crist is also an accomplished discus thrower, placing twelfth in state as a sophomore. This year, she’s trading the discus for a new spring sport: rugby.