File photo by Ari Selvey Cedar Mountain junior Aubrey Steffl drives to the cup during a Tomahawk Division girls basketball game on Dec. 19 against Sleepy Eye at Cedar Mountain High School. Steffl is the first-ever Cedar Mountain basketball player to surpass 2,000 career points.

MORGAN — Last season, Cedar Mountain’s Aubrey Steffl broke Shannon Dallenbach’s school record for girls basketball career scoring, hitting 1,631 points.

Earlier this season, Steffl surpassed Tyler Pendleton to become the all-time leading scorer at Cedar Mountain with 1,860 career points.

And on Tuesday, Jan. 6, Steffl became the first player in school history to score 2,000 career points.

“I was really excited,” Steffl said. “I knew it was coming — the game before [I got close] so I knew it was coming. My teammates asked what I wanted it to be, because the first one [the 1,000-point milestone] was a couple of layups, I just wanted to get it, I was anxious. For this one … my goal was a 3, and I hit it, and I was very excited and I was confident. It was what I had planned, so it was fun.”

And the junior still has over a season to go.

“It’s definitely been my teammates,” Steffl said. “I feel like they always get the credit. Without them — my seventh-grade year, definitely the seniors then — I know they were five years older than me, but everyone leading up to this has been important to me. My community has been important to me, my parents continuing to give me rides to the clinics as I continue to grow. I really improved my eighth-grade year and continue to work out and lift and do agility, which helps.”

Currently sitting at 2,057 career points, Steffl is 17th all-time in The Journal’s coverage area. Steffl said hitting the milestone was something she didn’t think she could achieve when she first set her goals.

“I feel like it’s a great accomplishment,” she said. “I obviously never thought I was going to be the only one on Cedar Mountain [to hit 2,000 career points]. My dad went to Cedar Mountain, and I feel it’s a very big accomplishment. I have a lot of younger girls looking up to me, and I’ve got to keep the bar high for them. I’m just trying to show everyone that basketball is meant to be fun. I’m just a normal person, and doing well, it takes hard work. It was a great accomplishment and I’m very happy.

Steffl said one skill that she has been working on improving on is her leadership.

“It’s been my goal since last year,” she said. “I need to step up and show these girls what we can do. I’ve been like, ‘Oh, I have enough years left,’ but it’s getting down there, and if I want something to happen, I have to do it. But it’s been great. Our younger girls have the dedication and the want to win.

“But also improving my 3-point game, that’s getting better, but continuing to finish and rebounding as well.”

That leadership, along with some key players stepping up for the Cougars, have led them to a 10-2 record so far this season.

“Kendra Erickson, our junior, she’s been doing very well,” Steffl said. “We’ve been together since we were little, so it’s been great to see her [do well]. She’s been scoring her points. We have three starters almost every game in double digits, and that’s been very helpful. It opens me up, it opens Kendra up, it opens Kendra Lueck up, who is our freshman guard, she’s been doing very well and stepping up. She was kind of shy last year, so it’s been great to see her come up.

We’re all combining as a team, so its been very nice. We’ve been bonding as a team and growing as a team, so I think that really helps us connect with relationships, and we all have one goal. Our goal is to get far in the section and continue growing as a team.”

Steffl continues to work on her game as she looks to keep climbing the record books.

“I definitely want to become a more accurate 3-point shooter, so I can become more all-around,” Steffl said. “I want to continue being a threat from out there. Then continue growing my teammates. We want to go far, we have high goals. Coach Brook [Christensen] has been doing a very good job of pushing us, and we all have a goal to get. Just continuing my game and getting to get the girls in the gym and having that dedication.

“I also want to continue to improve my defense. I can slack some times, so I want to continue that being one of my main threats.”

Steffl also is closing in on 1,000 career rebounds and wants to surpass her brother, Blake, for the school record for career assists, which he set last season with 596. Steffl currently sits at 936 rebounds and 567 assists.

As of the start of the 2025-26 season, 28 girls have surpassed 3,000 career points in the state of Minnesota. That milestone is well within reach for Steffl as well.

“I have the confidence [I can reach it],” Steffl said. “But I’m not going to worry about it too much. I’m just going to keep playing my game. It would be a great accomplishment my senior year, it would just be amazing and set the bar high for others, and there’s not many that do it. So it would be a great thing, but I’m not going to worry about it too much. Just continue playing my game.”