2026 Star News Spring Sports Previews | Page 8

Elk River Star News Saturday, April 4, 2026 | 19

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Levi Harris caps off high school basketball career with 1,000th point

ERIK NELSON Sports Reporter
On Thursday, March 5, Elks senior guard Levi Harris joined an elite group of about only a dozen players to score 1,000 points in Elk River boys basketball history.
Harris achieved this milestone in his final game for the Elks in their 64-58 loss to Alexandria in the Section 8-4A championship game. The Elks came within one win of the program’ s first state tournament appearance since 2006.
“ I was excited to get 1,000,” Harris said.“ I wasn’ t sure if I was going to get it or not because I

Athlete

OF THE Week

Levi Harris • Boys basketball • Elk River
missed the first six games of the season. It meant a lot.”
Harris said he will remember the 2025-26 Elks as a team that caught fire in the second half after a slow start to the season. Harris led all players with 356 points this season, averaging 18.7 per game.
“ I think our team played our hearts out in the last game,” he said.“ We left our hearts in the game. We’ re not always the top team, but it’ s great to be the underdog.”
Harris was the starting quarterback for Elk River football’ s Team 133 as the Elks captured the 2024
state championship, which was the program’ s third since 2016.
After he graduates from ERHS on Thursday, June 5, Harris will attend the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, South Dakota, and play football for the Coyotes.“ I’ m excited for the summer,” he said.
FILE PHOTO
Elk River senior Levi Harris scored 17 points in the Elks’ loss to Champlin Park on Thursday, Jan. 29.

For Elk River boys lacrosse, culture matters

ERIK NELSON Sports Reporter
Spring Sports Preview 2026
Head coach Alex Stull, a 2014 alumnus of ERHS, wants to develop great athletes and young men
Head coach Alex Stull enters his second season as Elk River’ s sideline
boss. Stull is a 2014 graduate of ERHS and played under former head coach Thomas Haugen from 2010-14, his eighth grade through senior seasons.
The Elks finished the 2025 season with a record of 6-9 and 3-5 in the Northwest Suburban Conference.
Stull was previously a football coach and held titles such as Elk River High School offensive
coordinator and offensive coordinator for the University of Georgia Bulldogs. He has about 15 years of coaching experience.
Key returning players: Senior attacker Jack Risse, senior midfielders Gavin Anderson and Xander Schmig will be Elk River’ s captains this spring. Junior midfielder Braedon Becker scored 22 goals, the most of any returning Elk. Junior attacker Easton Ege scored 17 goals last season.
Key departures: The Elks’ leading scorer in 2025, midfielder Max Nordquist( 26 goals, 39 points), graduated.
Important games: Thursday, April 9 @ Big Lake / Princeton; Monday, April 13 vs. Centennial; Monday, April 20 vs. Blaine; Wednesday, April 22 @ Rogers; Monday, April 27 vs. Robbinsdale Armstrong; Wednesday, April 29 @ Spring Lake Park / Coon Rapids; Wednesday, May 6 vs.
Anoka; Thursday, May 14 vs. Totino-Grace; Friday, May 15 vs. Moorhead; Wednesday, May 20 @ Champlin Park
Coach Stull’ s expectations for 2026:“ We’ ve got some good players. We’ ve got some good talent coming up, but we’ re looking to build the best culture we can have and grow these guys on a personal level. I want to make sure that not only we’ re building a good team, but we’ re building good people also.
We’ re coming in day in and day out looking to compete and be the best we can be. That all starts with making sure that we trust each other and by building those good relationships on the team, we tend to take criticism better from people that know have our best interests in mind. If the guys grow with each other, like we’ re planning on doing with team bonding events and overall culture building, we’ ll be able to accomplish that.”
Expires 5 / 31 / 26