Edina Competition Cheer finishes season in Orlando: The Edina Competition Cheer team has finished its season with a fifth-place finish at the UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship in Orlando, Fla. The team competed in its final competition from Feb. 7–10 and ended the season strong. There were a total of six seniors on the team this year—Alisha Kalair, Alisa Williams, Katie Huang, Maria Matysik, Ella Pofahl, and Emery Engelsma. The team’s captains were Matysik, Pofahl, and Engelsma. With a total of seven competitions this year, the Edina Competition Cheer team has had an extensive season. From cheering on the sidelines for soccer and football games in August to competing in a national tournament in February, the team never gave up. This year, the varsity team was coached by Kristen Zwieg and the junior varsity team was coached by Sami Lauer.
Boys’ Basketball section highlights: EHS Boys’ Basketball has recently wrapped up its 2024–25 season. On Friday, March 7, the Hornets fell to Wayzata 53–87 in the Class 4A, Section 6 semifinal game. However, with 16 upperclassmen, the experience and skill of the team led the Hornets to an overall successful season. The top players this season have been senior point guard and University of Minnesota-Duluth-commit Billy DeMars with a 17.3 points-per-game average, along with sophomore wing Vincent Cronin, who stands at six-foot-seven-inches and has averaged 13.3 points per game. The coaches are Head Coach Jon Bryant and Assistant Coaches Will DeBerg and Lernell James. As the third seed in Class 4A, Section 6, the Hornets defeated Minneapolis Southwest 81–70 in the Section 6 quarterfinal game on March 4. The Hornets finished their season with a record of 9–0–19, averaging 66.9 points per game.
Boys’ Hockey State Tournament appearance: EHS Boys’ Hockey has finished its 2024–25 season strong with a third-place finish at the Minnesota State High School League Boys’ State Hockey Tournament. On March 7, the team fell short to number-one seed Moorhead in a thrilling semifinal. In their third-place game on March 8, the Hornets defeated third-seed St. Thomas Academy 4–3, earning them a bronze medal. Sophomore forward Freddie Schneider and junior forward Mason West started off the scoring for the Hornets in the first period, while freshman defender Becker Wenkus and sophomore forward Bode McConnell netted two other goals later in the game, leaving the team with a victory to wrap up the season. The team’s captains this year were senior Robby Hoch, junior Sam Peckham, and junior Mason West. Overall, the Hornets finished with an impressive record of 22–2–7, averaging four goals per game.
Edina Boys’ Swim and Dive win state title: Defending their 2024 state championship title, the Edina Boys’ Swim and Dive team has recently won the Class AA segment of the 2025 Boys’ Swimming and Diving State meet. With a total of 348 points, the Hornets were able to defeat rival Minnetonka who came in second with a total of 322 points. The team captured their 16th overall state title in program history. Some highlights of the meet included senior and Princeton University commit, Jiarui Xue, who earned his third consecutive first-place title in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:26.68. The captains this year included senior Jiarui Xue, senior Reid McAllister, junior George Goepfrich, and junior Logan Bracken. The coaches this year were Head Coach Scott Johnson, Assistant Coach Jeff Mace, and Diving Head Coach John Dailey. Overall, the team won seven regular season meets and placed first at the MSHSCA 6AA True Team Section Invite.
This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on March 27, 2025