by Trevor Hass and Jim Boyle
ECM Publishers
In 2014 Elk River High School’s Student Council championed the Legacy Project, an effort to increase the recognition of high school seniors who have significantly contributed to the school.
Seven awards for excellence have been created to recognize the remarkable accomplishments of select seniors. The winners each received a Legacy Wall Certificate and a plaque displayed on the pillars at the entrance of the school.
Here’s a rundown of this year’s winners.
Elk Award
Morgan Simmons deserves the Elk Award because she is an outstanding student and an incredible young woman. Right before Christmas, Morgan lost her mother suddenly and unexpectedly. Her father passed away when Morgan was in elementary school, so this left her without any parents. She showed great perseverance and strength during a time when most would have felt defeated or given up.
She has a positive attitude and a strong motivation to make a difference in this world.
She is also a talented artist, writer and avid reader. Next year, she plans to attend Anoka Ramsey Community College to begin her first steps toward becoming a teacher.
One of her greatest dreams would be to someday return to Elk River High School as a teacher and give back to the students in this community.
Valedictorian
Jennifer Koehler was a standout on the tennis team and speech team while also maintaining a GPA of 4.191. She plans to play tennis at Macalester College next year and will likely major in something science-related.
Class president
Andrew Elmquist was the 2016 Senior Class President.
He has been very active in his Elk River High School career. He has been in Choir, Student Council, DECA and many other programs. He is a very hard worker and shows great promise as a leader.
Esteemed female athlete
Abi Scheid was named a recipient of the Athena Award, which is given to 55 top female athletes around the state.
Scheid earned a total of nine varsity letters. She was Most Valuable Player on the basketball team all four years and finished as the school’s all-time leading scorer (boys or girls).
She was named to the All-Metro and All-State first team and was nominated for the McDonald’s All-American game, among other achievements. Scheid will play basketball for Northwestern University next year.
She was also on the varsity volleyball team for three years, varsity track team for two years and played soccer for one season. Scheid was a member of the National Honor Society, and she’ll start on the premed track next year.
Esteemed male athlete
Lucas Trapp has been a varsity athlete in multiple sports since seventh grade. His main sports are track and cross-country, and he played basketball through his sophomore year.
Throughout his career, Trapp has amassed 13 varsity letters and has been named all-conference 12 times. At the section level, he has multiple medals, including seven section championships. He has been all-state at least three times (state track is this week) and is the defending Class AA 800-meter state champion. Next year, he will attend the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities on an athletic scholarship.
Distinguished performing artist
Grayson Ziegler has been in Speech for the past four years. He is a captain and a peer coach. His talent has taken in to the MSHSL State Tournament for the past two years, and this year, he placed third in the state in his chosen category — a category that demanded he not only write a short original play, but that he perform it solo.
He has dedicated himself to really building up the Speech team, and thanks to his peer coaching for the past two years, he has truly left a legacy behind him at Elk River High School.
Younger students look up to him, and thanks to his help, two first-year speakers qualified for the state tournament this year. Along with speech, Grayson has also participated in drama for the past four years, landing the lead roles in many plays (“Once Upon a Mattress,” “Charley’s Aunt,” “1984”); he has been in choir (frequently receiving solos); he plays guitar, anchors the ERHS News and is a part of an a cappella group that has performed at the Minnesota State Fair.
Distinguished visual artist
What separates Ally Harris from her peers is her range and the quality of her artwork. She has outstanding technical skill. She has pushed herself as an artist to try a range of mediums. She works in both 2-D and 3-D materials.
Ally has made the most of her time at Elk River High continually improving herself. She values the feedback of her instructors and peers and does the same for fellow artists. She is an exceptional and passionate artist.
The following awards have been created as
part of the Legacy Project by the Elk River
High School Student Council. They are:
•Elk Award – Outstanding character and integrity.
•Valedictorian – Highest academic achievements.
•Class President – Student leader and representative.
•Esteemed Male Athlete – Young man displaying athletic excellence.
•Esteemed Female Athlete – Young woman displaying athletic excellence.
•Distinguished Performing Artist – Great accomplishment in performing arts.
•Distinguished Visual Artist – Great accomplishment in visual arts.