Minneapolis Edison's program on track

Becoming the first Minneapolis public school girls' track and field program to win a state championship earned coach Ernest Sutton and sisters Jada and Jia Lewis plenty of attention. Sutton recalled being "amazed to find out how many track officials went to Edison. They would say, 'It's great to see you competing at this level.' "

Word of Edison's championship spread slowly, even in a community with a growing interest in the sport at the park and recreation level. "The reaction is often, 'I didn't know that.' Somehow they missed that memo," said Jenny Arneson, Minneapolis school board chairwoman and a 1993 Edison graduate. "But there is a lot of pride and excitement."

Jada Lewis said Jia is all about track and field. Jada's first love is basketball, but sports trail her passion for academics. She hopes to enroll in Postsecondary Enrollment Options next year and take college courses for credit as a junior in high school. "My scores from my pre-SAT said that I'm ready for college-level English, so I want to do that," said Jada, who dreams of becoming a social studies teacher.

David La Vaque