Five young men are lined up, getting their feet set in the blocks. Their gaze is fixated on the finish line 100 meters in front of them. Once the gun goes off, each explode out of their stance but quickly a tall, lean, and muscular athlete jumps to the front of the pack.
That was Pusch Ridge Christian junior Edwin Lovett, a defending state champion in the event. Months later, after his performance at the Division IV state meet, he helped the Lions make and improbable run to winning a football state title in the fall.
Edwin Lovett was not expected to win a track championship last May but he was able to pull off the upset. His father, former Arizona Wildcats football player Lamar Lovett, still remembers the joy he felt.
“Any parent is happy for their kid when they are successful; it was a great joy to see him step up,” Lamar Lovett said. “We felt if he ran a good race on that day he could do it. So when he did it, it was sweet joy.”
Edwin began playing football and running track in the seventh grade, but has no issue with telling people what is his first love is.
“I’m a football guy that runs track,” Edwin said. “I really do like track, I love it, but I really want to play football in college.”
Football is a family affair for Edwin: His uncle, Lamont, also played the UA during the “Desert Swarm” era. But Edwin is open to taking advantage of whatever opportunities come in football or track.
“If someone one recruits me for football, I will be so happy,” he said. “If I get recruited for track I will be happy with that as well. I just definitely want to play something in college.”
Edwin’s recent success on the track and on the football field did not happen overnight. It can be attributed to a combination of several different things.
“What separates him is his physical make up, his biological make up the high percent of fast twitch muscle he has and then his desire to work hard,” said Elmer Yazzie, Pusch Ridge’s boys track coach. “He knows he has a gift and he wants to build and strengthen it to the fullest potential he has.”
Edwin captured the boys Division IV 100 state crown as a sophomore with a winning time of 11.38 seconds. Even though he has competed for several years, winning a state championship was not the original goal – it was simply running a faster time each race.
One thing Edwin has learned since last year is that for him to be at his best, he needs to compete with himself and not become overly concerned with his opponents. The idea remains the same for Edwin, who will be competing in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and as part of the 400 relay team.
“I feel like when I’m focusing on trying to beat other people I run slower,” Edwin said. “When I’m doing it just to do it, I run crazy times.”
One thing Edwin is well aware of is the confidence he feels after winning a state championship and the pitfall of becoming too confident.
“I feel like I am more confident than I was last year, but I always have to keep that confidence in check,” he said. “If I do get too confident, then pride comes before the fall, and I definitely don’t want to get too cocky with anything I have done.”
