Recent Stillwater Area High School graduate Dylan Riniker is this year’s recipient of the Jim McLaughlin Scholarship Award.
Recent SAHS graduate Casey Johnston, middle, is the 2025 recipient of the Jim McLaughlin Scholarship Award.

Recent Stillwater Area High School graduate Dylan Riniker is this year’s recipient of the Jim McLaughlin Scholarship Award.
Recent SAHS graduate Casey Johnston, middle, is the 2025 recipient of the Jim McLaughlin Scholarship Award.
Embracing each of the qualities sought for honorees of the award, Stillwater Area High School standouts Dylan Riniker and Casey Johnston are this year’s recipients of the Jim McLaughlin Scholarship Award.
The McLaughlin Scholarship, named in honor of the former Ponies athlete, fan, radio announcer and columnist whose “Jim’s Jabs” column was a weekly fixture in the Stillwater Gazette, is presented each year to a male and female senior-athlete at SAHS based on character, leadership, citizenship, scholarship and athletic ability.
To qualify as a finalist for the $2,500 scholarship, candidates must have been selected the Most Valuable Athlete for a Stillwater varsity team. Winners of the award are determined by the Jim McLaughlin Scholarship committee.
Riniker was a 12-time letterwinner for the Ponies who also served as a captain for the boys cross-country, alpine skiing, and track and field teams. The Marquette University recruit competed at state and earned all-state honors in all three sports. He earned all-conference honors 10 times.
An exceptional student as well, Riniker carried a weighted grade point average of 4.201 and was also earned three letters with the Stillwater Key Club, providing 244 hours of community service. He was a four-time varsity letter award recipient also served on the Student Council.
In his tenure with the alpine skiing program, Riniker received the Up and Coming Award, the Youth Leadership Award, the Hard Hat Award and was a two-time recipient of the Len McGuire Award. He was honored as the best sophomore, junior and senior as a member of the boys cross-country team, awards that are named after former Ponies state champions Luke Watson, Ben Blankenship and Wayde Hall.
Riniker contributed to teams that were regulars at state, including the boys track and field team that captured the True Team state title this past spring for the first time since 1997.
Johnston was a strong contributed for the Stillwater girls track and field team for five seasons and also ran cross-country for two seasons. She served as captain in both sports and was a three-time state qualifier who also earned all-conference honors six times. Johnston was chosen the cross-country team’s MVP her senior season.
In track and field, Johnston helped propel the Ponies to a fourth-place finish in the 4×400 relay as a junior and a fifth-place finish at state this past spring.
Johnston also played soccer for three years and was a member of the National Honor Society from 2023 through 2025. She was a member of the honor roll eight times and boasts a weighted grade point average of 4.332. Johnston was an AP Scholar Award recipient who also received an AP Scholar with Distinction Award.
In addition to the SAHS Chamber Orchestra, she was also active in a variety of clubs and activities, including BIZAA (Basic Institute for Zonal African Advancement) and as a volunteer math and science tutor. Johnston has also served as a kitchen volunteer for OpenArms Minnesota.
Johnston plans to continue her academic career at the University of Minnesota.
1981 — Laura Indereiden
1982 — Roger Roettger, Jr.
1983 — Dave Oden
1984 — Sara Howard
1985 — Kathy Jedrezek
1986 — Mike Brown
1987 — Kris Hansen
1988 — Danelle Zaspel and Sharm Scheuerman
1989 — Shannon Riley and Roger Coppa
1990 — Sara Hawkins and Rod Lundberg
1991 — Kellei Arkell and Glenn Harris
1992 — Holly Hargroder and Justen Seim
1993 — Renne Marie Kinney and Erik Bunce
1994 — Kelley Hudson and Chad Rogness
1995 — Carrie Palmer and Michael Schreifels
1996 — Kristine Scholz and Aaron Runk
1997 — Tai Thorsheim and Adam Runk
1998 — Jessica Kunz and Luke Watson
1999 — Molly Campbell and Andy Berg
2000 — Cally Stewart and Paul Dexter
2001 — Megan Fuches and Dain Larson
2002 — Jessie Preiner and Josh Matel
2003 — Katie Stalland and Mike Blythe
2004 — Paige Bromen and Andrew Schmiesing
2005 — Sara Stalland and Kevin Gullikson
2006 — Colleen Kopel and Connor Anderson
2007 — Maggie Lopac and Joe Stormont
2008 — Angie Wieden and Reid Gilbertson
2009 — Taylor Stippel and Luke Dewall
2010 — Jessie Diggins and Gabe Hanson
2011 — Kristin Sahr and Brett Ylonen
2012 — Allison Eder-Zdechlik and Tom Linner
2013 — Hannah Heacox and Sean Bjork
2014 — Sidnee Ronsberg and Nathan Purdie
2015 — Megan Weaver and Ethan Stanley
2016 — Ellie Hill and Sam Hanson
2017 — Claire Patterson and Patrick Allan
2018 — Hannah Beech and Robert Niemann
2019 — Samantha Chang and Lars Dewall
2020 — Catherine Monty and Trey Kruse
2021 — Ana Weaver and Matthew Folden
2022 — CJ Fredkove and Dylan Magistad
2023 — Sophia Chau and Max Shikenjanski
2024 — Brooke Nelson and Blaine Batchelor
2025 — Casey Johnston and Dylan Riniker
Contact Stuart Groskreutz at stuart.groskreutz@apgecm.com
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