# Stillwater Area High School

Stillwater Area High School (SAHS) is a public school located in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota, United States. It serves as the primary high school for the Stillwater Area Public School District (834), the oldest public school district in Minnesota.
The current campus was built in 1993 thanks to a 28 million dollar bond that was approved by the citizens of District 834. The previous location is now Stillwater Middle School. (SMS). Students from both SMS and Oakland Middle School attend Stillwater Area High School. Newsweek ranked the school #326 in their "List of the 500 Top High Schools in America in 2015."
Stillwater was designed by the architecture firm ATS&R. In 2017, the school completed a $97 million dollar renovation, involving the construction of a new 9th grade wing, a new gym and Pony Activity Center (PAC).

## Athletics

The 2016 boys' soccer team finished the season ranked fourth in the nation by USA Today on its final Super 25 Expert Rankings.
State championships :
| Season | Sport | Number of championships |
| Fall | Girls Swim and Dive | 3 State Championships 7 True Team State Championships |
| Fall | Football | 4 State Championships |
| Fall | Soccer, Boys | 3 State Championships |
| Fall | Soccer, Girls | 2 State Championships |
| Fall | Cross Country, Boys | 5 State Championships 1 National Championship 1997 |
| Fall | Adapted Soccer | 2 State Championships |
| Winter | Basketball, Boys | 1 State Championship |
| Winter | Nordic Skiing, Girls | 8 State Championships |
| Winter | Nordic Skiing, Boys | 6 State Championships |
| Winter | Alpine Skiing, Boys | 1 State Championship |
| Winter | Alpine Skiing, Girls | 9 State Championships |
| Winter | Hockey, Girls | 2 State Championships |
| Spring | Baseball | 2 State Championships |
| Spring | Softball | 3 State Championships |
| Spring | Synchronised swimming | 18 State Championships |
| Spring | Golf, Girls | 2 State Championships |
| Spring | Lacrosse, Girls | 0 State Championships |
| Spring | Lacrosse, Boys | 0 State Championships |
| Spring | Track and Field, Boys | 3 State Championships 3 True Team State Championships |
| Spring | Track and Field, Girls | 1 True Team State Championship |
| Spring | Tennis, Boys | 1 State Championship |
| Total | Total | 75 State Championships 11 True Team State Championships 1 National Championship |

## Notable alumni

* Thomas J. Abercrombie — photographer, first journalist to reach South Pole
* Glen Perkins — pitcher for Minnesota Twins
* Butch Thompson — jazz pianist and clarinetist
* E. E. Knight — science fiction and fantasy writer
* Denis McDonough — White House Chief of Staff 2013–17 Current United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
* Gordon Klatt — colorectal specialist, founder of Relay For Life
* Jessie Diggins — Olympic cross-country skier
* Sydney Peterson - Olympic cross-country skier
* Patrick Hicks — novelist, poet, and essayist
* Shura Baryshnikov, dancer/actress
* Anne La Berge — flutist, composer
* Ben Blankenship — Olympic distance runner
* Rich Sommer — actor (Mad Men)
* Chris Maddock, stand-up comedian
* Zach Sobiech, singer/songwriter of "Clouds"
* Chris Engler, former NBA player
* Drew Gilbert, MLB outfielder for Houston Astros
* Noah Cates, NHL winger for Philadelphia Flyers

## Notable staff

* Chris Engler – former NBA player; history teacher
* Phil Housley – former NHL player; former head coach of Stillwater boys' hockey team
* Mira Jalosuo – Olympic medalist; head coach of Stillwater girls' hockey team, 2019–2022

## Impostor

In 2005, Stillwater Area High School was visited three times by somebody calling himself Caspian James Crichton-Stuart IV, the Fifth Duke of Cleveland and 27th in line for the British throne. He claimed he was seventeen years old and interested in attending the school. Student journalists from the school newspaper The Pony Express received national attention after uncovering the potential student was actually Joshua Adam Gardner, a 22 year old registered sex offender. The journalists who helped uncover the true identity of Gardner were interviewed on Fox News, CNN, Good Morning America, MSNBC, and participated in a number of radio and newspaper interviews.