Edina told to forfeit six football wins

Last update: July 2, 2009 - 12:45 AM

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Edina High School has been ordered to forfeit six football victories from last season, as well as the results of one track meet this spring, because an ineligible athlete participated in those contests. The Minnesota State High School League, which became aware of the situation in April, informed Edina of its decision on Wednesday.

The Hornets finished 6-4 last season with victories over Fargo South, Minneapolis Washburn, Armstrong, Mahtomedi, Stillwater and Minneapolis Southwest. School officials were not aware of the ineligible athlete, who has not been named, until this spring. They immediately filed a report with the MSHSL.

According to the school district, the error happened because the athletic department mistakenly failed to identify a transfer student as being ineligible. The student disclosed everything correctly during the registration process, said assistant principal Jenny Johnson.

"The district regrets making the error and the impact our mistake had on the individual student and involved teams," Johnson said. "We have enhanced our athletic-registration process to ensure such a situation does not occur again for our program."

The situation is similar to what happened at Mahtomedi in the midst of last football season, when administrators learned that a transfer student should have been ruled ineligible before the season began. The Zephyrs had to forfeit five victories (they were 6-1 at the time).

In the first game after the ineligible Mahtomedi player's status was discovered, Edina beat Mahtomedi 29-26. That game will now be recorded as a victory for Mahtomedi.

Edina's 2008 record will now be changed from 6-4 to 0-10. Mahtomedi's record goes from 5-7 to 6-6.

JOHN MILLEA

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