The Wilford Mower Award is the most prestigious honor a high school student can receive for outstanding achievement in athletics, academics, and community involvement. The award is given each year to an outstanding boy and girl from the Big Horn Basin and is presented in small school, (Class 1-A and 2-A) and big school (Class 3-A and 4-A) classifications.
Having two students receive the award from the same high school is extremely rare, but this year’s winners were Hailey Donelson and Alex Mills of Shoshoni High School.
Donelson earned varsity letters four times in volleyball and basketball and two years in track. She is a two-time all-conference selection in volleyball and basketball and earned all-state her senior year in both sports. She has also been named to the all-county team. Donelson has a 4.04 GPA and has taken 12 college classes. She was a student aid for the Shoshoni Athletic Director for the past two years which included setting up and tearing down all home events and working track meets. She was also active in FFA, working on the family farm, and irrigating for neighbors. Donelson will attend Gillette College to play volleyball and pursue a degree in the Ag Industry.
Mills has earned varsity letters four times in football and basketball and two years in track. He is a three-time all-conference selection in football, led all classes in interceptions his junior year, and led 9-man football in interceptions his senior year. Mills was named twice to the all-conference and all-state teams in basketball. He led all classes in assists his junior and senior years. Mills finished his career with over 1,000 points, 500 assists, and 500 rebounds. He has a 4.29 GPA and is just six credits shy of an associate degree. Mills was also a student aid for the Shoshoni Athletic Director for the past two years. Mills will attend the University of Central Oklahoma to pursue a degree in occupational therapy.
The Mower Award was established in 1960 in memory of Riverton coach Wilford Mower who was tragically killed in a car crash in 1959. The old track near Rendezvous School bears his name.