Cross Country – “Stronger” by Kanye West
The Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country teams kept their spirits high despite multiple injuries — including seven on the Girls’ Varsity team. “Harder, better, faster, stronger” might make a good motto for a team that pushed forward into a successful season. With the girls landing in fourth at state and the boys taking seventh, they made it clear: “that don’t kill me can only make me stronger.”
Football – “Started from the Bottom” by Drake
The Edina Football team truly started from the bottom with a losing streak in their first three games. However, they ended their season in the U.S. Bank Stadium and played in the state semifinal for the first time in over 30 years. After beating Farmington 42-0, the Varsity Football team upset previous state champion Maple Grove to win the section. Drake got it right when he rapped, “Started from the bottom, now my whole team here.”
Boys’ Soccer – “The Moment I Knew (Taylor’s Version)” by Taylor Swift
lines up to pass the ball.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNA ELLIOTT
The Boys’ Soccer season is reminiscent of “The Moment I Knew (Taylor’s Version)” by Taylor Swift, a song characterized by disappointment and missed opportunity. Despite an impressive 13-3 record in the regular season, the team didn’t get to play in the state tournament. In the section final, Edina fell to Minnetonka in a 1-0 game. “You should’ve been here,” the team might say to their missed state title. “And I would’ve been so… happy.”
Girls’ Soccer – “After The Storm (feat. Tyler, the Creator)” by Kali Uchis
The Girls’ Soccer team finished a perfect three-year run as they leapt from third place in 2021 to second in 2022 and finally first place in November. After years of hard work, the team certainly knows that “nothing good ever comes easy.” A loaded group featuring multiple Division I commits, the team moved through the section and state tournaments to achieve a victory against Wayzata. As Kali Uchis sings, “Winners don’t quit/So don’t you give up.”
a race.
PHOTO COURTESY OF WALTER HIPPS
Girls’ Swim and Dive – “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor
Members of the Girls’ Swim and Dive team have a strong legacy to carry after winning the state championship 18 times and taking home the title at five out of six of the most recent championships. After success in the Lake Conference and a strong performance at Sections, the team will embrace the “thrill of the fight.” Hopefully, the team is “rising up to the challenge of our rival” to beat out Minnetonka for their 19th title.
Girls’ Tennis – “The One That Got Away” by Katy Perry
After a strong regular season and victories in Sections, the Girls’ Tennis team snagged second place at state. Despite falling to top-seeded Rochester Mayo, the team had a successful season. They won a close victory over former state champions Minnetonka in the semifinals. You could say they “never planned that one day, [they’d] be losing” the title. Since the team is so young, it’s certain that they’ll be back next year to collect “the one that got away.”
after scoring a point.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NATALIE JOHNSON
Girls’ Volleyball – “Feel This Moment (feat. Christina Aguilera)” by Pitbull
The Girls’ Volleyball team defied the odds to advance to the state tournament, beating out the number one seed, Southwest, in five sets to snag a spot in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2018. The team got to “feel this moment” as they celebrated their successful Sections run. Just like Pitbull, they “lost a lot and learned a lot” through a season with ups and downs. Despite their loss to Wayzata in the quarterfinals, hopefully they could “stop time and enjoy” their victory.
This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on November 30, 2023.
