Excelsior Springs graduate Mason Wartner exceeded his expectations in his first season of men’s soccer at Park University.

Wartner, who graduated high school in May, had a goal of making the traveling squad with the Parkville-based, NAIAaffiliated university, he said. He not only achieved that goal; he became a starter, too.

“I felt shaky in the beginning of the season, being a freshman; but that slowly went away and I was able to get into a rhythm and felt great, in terms of playing at this level,” he said.

Wartner got into enough of a rhythm to help Park go 7-7-2 this season. The Pirates’ campaign ended Nov. 6 in Marshall with a 2-1 loss to Missouri Valley College in the semifinals of the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament. Wartner – who was credited with playing in 14 games, including two starts – did not play in the season finale.

Becoming a starter was challenging, Wartner acknowledged.

“I wasn’t able to just walk in and get playing time, but I was able to prove that I bel…