The slogan “Defining Excellence” is one that every Edina student comes to know all too well before they graduate. While Edina teachers and staff emphasize this message heavily in an academic sphere, the aspiration to succeed within the world of athletics at Edina High School is equally as prominent. This has allowed EHS to win 200 championships in just under 100 years, the first high school in the state of Minnesota to do so.
In celebration of 200 championships, Edina hosted a tailgate and banner unveiling by the EHS Varsity Boys Golf Team on Sept. 14 preceding the first home football game. “[The Golf Team] did know [they would be the 200th win],” senior Ben Sanderson, Varsity Golf Captain and D1 commit, said. “We saw that badminton won the 199th [championship] and were all joking we should write handwritten thank you cards [to them] because it was such a fun experience winning the 200th.” The tailgate also served as a way to honor the core values of the EHS athletics program—such as being creative, innovative thinkers, effective collaborators, and well-rounded students—which have helped achieve not only 200 championships, but also produce the student-athletes who earn these titles. “This felt like an opportunity for us to recognize all of our state champions that were on teams that accomplished so much and give a recognition for the accomplishments, not only of our recent [first place wins], but the historic ones over the years [too],” Troy Stein, assistant principal and director of activities at EHS, said.
Many parents and alumni who attended the event shared their adoration for the EHS sports programs and the teams that their kids had been a part of, believing it helped to raise them into the people they are today. “Speaking for my kids, they get leadership opportunities and a chance to [be a part of something] that isn’t just academic,” Jess Olson, EHS parent, said.
EHS’s first championship was won in 1954 by the EHS Boys Golf Team. Over the next 50 years, EHS underwent huge changes including the division of the high school into East and West—followed by their reunification less than 10 years later—and the addition of many girls’ sports to the varsity level. Through expanding the program to include ever more student-athletes, Edina constantly found new ways to expand students’ education outside the classroom.
Not only did this shift in diversifying the EHS athletics program allow more opportunities for a wider variety of students, but it also led to Edina winning even more championships as the years went on. This includes the Edina Girls’ Tennis Team, who won 37 state championships in just over 40 years, a monumental success as many of these victories were consecutive over a 20-year period. Through all these shifts and changes, Edina’s goals for their student-athletes remained the same: to create a well-rounded student.
With 100 championships being won since 2000, EHS demonstrated the exponential trajectory of their athletic programs, starting from the first time a child puts on their cleats, skates, or sneakers, all the way to the point when they raise the first place plaque above their head. But these championships don’t serve as just another achievement to be boasted about. Rather, they bring the community together, showing how every child can achieve greatness if they put their mind to it. “We strive to provide opportunities for all of our kids to be successful. And, in doing so, we work hard to embrace our community in that process,” Stein said.
While the Edina community seeks to foster growth and opportunities for every kid they can, this also bears a certain added pressure concerning achieving the excellence that is valued so highly within the community. “I always tell people that growing up in Edina, and now raising my kids in Edina, it is extremely competitive. Competitive socially, athletically, and academically, and so to even ever play a high school sport at Edina High School is very difficult,” varsity soccer alumni and parent Angella McGarvey said. “But what makes [EHS] great is the people, the parents, and the community, and people who are like, ‘I will do what it takes to get our kids to the next match.’”
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The overwhelming support found in the high school for its athletic participants shapes their lives long after they leave the walls of EHS. “[Playing sports at EHS] is really important to me because it’s how I make a ton of my friends and I think just the camaraderie of playing a sport [is important]. Also, it teaches you good habits of working hard and repetition and constantly trying to get better,” Sanderson said. “I think it’s just something that has been a big part of my life.”
200 championship wins not only shows EHS’s incredible athletic legacy but also provides hope and expectations for a continued future of further successes. “We want to make sure that our kids are well-rounded. … It just speaks to my pride as superintendent that more than anything we want to make sure that our kids are able to engage in things that really truly allow them to thrive and discover new possibilities,” Dr. Stacey Stanley, Edina Public Schools Superintendent, said.
This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on October 12, 2023.
