BAYLEE STAFFORD IS THE LATEST CODY HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE TO WIN THE WILFORD MOWER AWARD. THE WILFORD MOWER AWARD IS PRESENTED TO THE MOST OUTSTANDING MALE AND FEMALE SENIOR STUDENT-ATHLETE IN CLASS 3A/4A WITHIN THE NORTHWEST QUADRANT. ATHLETIC DIRECTORS FROM ALL THE 3A AND 4A SCHOOLS IN THE QUADRANT NOMINATE THEIR BEST ATHLETES. AFTER A PRESENTATION OF ALL NOMINEES, THE AD’S VOTE FOR THEIR TOP SELECTION. I SAT DOWN WITH CODY ATHLETIC DIRECTOR TONY HULT AND HE SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON STAFFORD WINNING THE AWARD.
“I CAN’T THINK OF A BETTER REPRESENTATIVE TO WIN THAT MOWER AWARD. TO ME, SHE ENCOMPASSES EVERYTHING THAT’S ABOUT WHICH IS CHARACTER, ACADEMICS, YOUR ATHLETIC ABILITY AND JUST BEING WHAT YOU WANT ATHLETES TO BE.”
STAFFORD WAS A MEMBER OF THE FILLIES SOCCER TEAM AND ALSO RAN TRACK AND CROSS COUNTRY FOR CODY. SHE’S A FOUR TIME ALL-STATE SELECTION IN CROSS COUNTRY AND WILL BE HEADING TO LARAMIE NEXT FALL TO RUN BOTH CROSS COUNTRY AND TRACK FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING. MR. HULT TOUCHES ON THE TYPE OF PERSON THE UNIVERSITY IS ACQUIRING.
“THERE’S ALWAYS SPORTSMANSHIP. SHE SEEMS LIKE A GREAT TEAMMATE, A GREAT LEADER. DOES ANYTHING THAT WE WOULD WANT FROM ONE OF OUR STUDENT ATHLETES, WORKS EXTREMELY HARD. I MEAN BEING A CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER, YOU HAVE TO WORK A LITTLE BIT AT THAT, YOU KNOW? AND SHE JUST BUSTS HER TAIL AT THAT.”
AND THIS MAY NOT BE THE END OF THE AWARDS BAYLEE RECEIVES AS SHE IS UP FOR CONSIDERATION FOR THE MILWARD SIMPSON AWARD WHICH IS CONSIDERED THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS HONOR A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT-ATHLETE CAN WIN IN WYOMING.
“WE’LL NOMINATE HER FOR THE SIMPSON AWARD AS WELL. THE SIMPSON AWARD IS THE STATE FEMALE AND MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD. MILWARD SIMPSON AWARD, AFTER SENATOR SIMPSONS FATHER. WE WILL NOMINATE HER FOR THAT. WE HAVE TO FILL OUT THE RESUME FOR THAT. THEN WE’LL SEE, SHE’S GOING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING TO RUN NEXT YEAR, SO HOPEFULLY SHE HAS MORE AWARDS TO COME, WE’LL SEE.”
WORLAND’S LUKE MORTIMER WAS ANNOUNCED AS THE MALE ATHLETE TO WIN THE MOWER AWARD.
MORTIMER WAS A FOUR-SPORT STAR FOR THE WARRIORS IN FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL, SOCCER, AND TRACK AND FIELD DURING HIS PREP CAREER. MORTIMER EARNED TWO ALL-STATE AWARDS IN BASKETBALL AND ONE IN FOOTBALL. ON THE HARDWOOD, MORTIMER LED WORLAND TO A 24-1 RECORD AND A BERTH IN THE CLASS 3A STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT DURING HIS SENIOR SEASON. HE AVERAGED 13.9 POINTS, THREE ASSISTS, AND 2.8 STEALS PER GAME. MORTIMER SHOT 48 PERCENT FROM THE FIELD AND 34 PERCENT FROM 3-POINT RANGE. ON THE GRIDIRON, MORTIMER HELPED THE WARRIORS TO A 3-6 RECORD AND A PLAYOFF APPEARANCE IN 2019. HE FINISHED WITH 32 CATCHES FOR 441 YARDS RECEIVING AND FOUR TOUCHDOWNS. MORTIMER ADDED SIX CARRIES FOR 175 YARDS ON THE GROUND AND TWO MORE TOUCHDOWNS. HE RETURNED TWO KICKOFFS FOR TOUCHDOWNS AND ALSO TOOK A PUNT BACK FOR A TD IN THE 2019 SEASON. MORTIMER FINISHED SECOND ON THE WORLAND DEFENSE WITH 116 POINTS. HE HAD 41 TOTAL TACKLES WITH THREE FUMBLE RECOVERIES, FOUR INTERCEPTIONS, AND 11 PASS BREAKUPS. IN SOCCER, AS A JUNIOR, MORTIMER SCORED EIGHT GOALS AND HAD SIX ASSISTS FOR THE 3A STATE CHAMPION WARRIORS. AS A SOPHOMORE IN 2018, HE QUALIFIED AND COMPETED AT THE 3A STATE TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THE 110 AND 300 HURDLES, PLUS THE HIGH JUMP.
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