A 2013 Edina High School graduate, MC McGrory was recently named head girls basketball coach at Edina High School. MC was a Minnesota Miss Basketball Finalist in 2013 and the MVP of the Minnesota Coaches All-Star Game. At Creighton University, MC was a three-year starter, earning two All-Big East selections and helping her team to a Big East regular season championship and a second-round NCAA Tournament appearance. MC joined us for a conversation about her basketball career and how she is looking forward to leading the Hornet girls basketball team.

A 2018 graduate of Edina High School, Emily Kompelien competed in cross country, track & field and Nordic skiing at Edina High School. She was a two-time team state champion in cross country , 2018 state champion in track for 1600m and 800m events and was named the 2018 Gatorade Track & Field Player of the Year as well as the ExCEL Award Winner-Scholar with Distinction. After attending Brown University and competing on their cross country and track and field teams, Emily moved to New York City and is currently employed by lululemon where she works in Loyalty Strategy. Emily talks to us about the evolution of her cross country and track career and her psychological approach to competing.

We begin Season 3 of Always A Hornet with a home run! A 1996 Edina High School grad, Dan Fitzgerald has established himself as one of the top college baseball coaches in the country. He is currently the head baseball coach at the University of Kansas and was recently named the Big 12 coach of the year. His teams have been successful everywhere he’s been and he is known for his outstanding recruiting and his ability to develop his players. During his years at Edina High School, Dan played football, hockey and baseball. Dan shares with us his experience as a young athlete in Edina, the mentors he had through high school, and the long and winding coaching road that led him to KU.

In this episode, we catch up with 1984 grad Lea Blackwell Favor. Lea won eight letters in soccer, tennis and basketball while at Edina High School and led the Hornets to a state Class AA runner-up finish in basketball her junior year. After Katie shares her fangirl moment, we talk to Lea about her experiences growing up in Edina, her college years that included her two All-Big Ten seasons in basketball at the University of Minnesota, the continuing role of competitive sports in her life and the evolution of her career as a life long educator dedicated to community engagement.

Troy Stein is the Assistant Principal in charge of Activities and Athletics at Edina High School. Troy has led the EHS athletic department for 12 years overseeing 34 varsity sports and numerous other independent and intramural opportunities for students. He started his career in education as a math teacher and coach in Edina and, after a brief detour, was hired to be the AD in Edina in May of 2013. Troy gets very high marks from his coaches for being engaged and supportive of coaches and athletes. In this episode, Troy shares with us the responsibilities his job entails, what he is looking for when hiring coaches, and what he enjoys the most about being an activities director.

A 1996 graduate of Edina High School, Katie (Ryerse) Aafedt excelled in soccer in both high school and college at Gustavus Adolphus. As Edina High School Girls' Soccer Coach for 11 years, Katie led the Hornets to a state championship in 2023. In this episode, recorded as part of the Hornet Buzz podcast in June of 2024, Katie shares her experience growing up in Edina as the daughter and granddaughter of coaches who inspired her love of sports and, in particular, of soccer. Katie also talks about the evolution of her coaching philosophy and the difficult decision to retire after the championship season. Hornet Buzz Podcast producer Pete Waggoner gets the assist on this interview.

A 2022 Edina High School graduate, where she was a team captain in basketball and soccer, Dorothy (Dottie) went on to play basketball at the Coast Guard Academy. Dorothy is experiencing quite a bit of success in basketball at the academy. In January, she became only the 12th player in Bears women’s basketball history to break the 1,000 point scoring mark. Dorothy was also named to the First Team All Conference Team in the New England Men and Women’s Athletic Conference. Dorothy talks about the role of her family in her athletic success, shares her experiences at the service academy and lays out her post-graduation options. Most importantly, Dorothy relates her real moment of fame when she was on an ESPN highlight video. (Thanks Paige Bueckers!)

A 2018 Edina High School graduate who played both football and basketball for the Hornets, Luke Glenna went on to the University of St. Thomas where he became the first ever Tommie Division I All-American football player in 2022. Luke is entering his 3rd season in the European League of Football and has signed a contract with the Nordic Storm based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Luke shares his favorite memories of playing football and basketball growing up in Edina, his experience at the University of St. Thomas as the program moved from NCAA Division III to Division I, and what playing professional football in Europe has to offer. Hang with the episode to hear Luke’s story about playing in a Johnnie-Tommie game with a broken collar bone.