WHEATLAND — Lily Nichols, a remarkable, multi-sport athlete at Wheatland High School was recently recognized as the outstanding senior athlete by the Southeast Wyoming Athletic Association for the year 2024. This prestigious award honors both Nichols’ impressive athletic accomplishments but also her classroom acumen. The scholarship brings with it not only recognition, and a plaque, but also $300 in scholarship money. Nichols will soon be making her mark in the Division I world of track and field at the University of Wyoming next fall after signing an official letter of intent on November 8, 2023.
Nichols has maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout her high school career and is a respected student-athlete among coaches and teachers alike.
Brice McIntosh, General Manager of Meriwether Farms and former FFA leader and WHS Agriculture classroom teacher, had this to say in his letter of recommendation about Nichols. “On top of being an All-State volleyball, basketball, golf, cross country and track athlete, Lily is a 4.0 student. Not only did she play every sport she could and excel at them, but she made time to participate in the FFA as an officer and a teammate. It is still my humble opinion that we don’t emphasize the term ‘Student-Athlete’ enough in sports. Miss Nichols worked just as hard in the classroom and at other school activities as she did in sports. In fact, after sports practices, Lily would come to my room to meet up with her FFA teammates where she had goals of winning the state FFA agronomy contest. She would spend countless hours and even bring dinner into practices, so she had time to fit everything in. I am proud to say she was the second highest individual in the agronomy contest where she led her team to a State FFA Championship. [You will be selecting] an amazing young woman who I firmly believe future athletes should be using as the definition of exemplary athlete. I hope my daughter grows up to handler herself on the court like Miss Nichols.”
Wheatland High School Social Studies teacher and coach Brian Boaz praised Nichols for her leadership qualities outside the sports arena. “Lily Nichols is the finest young lady I have had the honor of teaching. She is responsible, dedicated, and dependable. She is intelligent and pushes herself to perform at the summit of her ability.” Nichols’ involvement in National Honor Society, FFA, and charitable activities in the community speaks to her wide range of interests and compassion. According to Boaz, she has worked on projects to replenish the local food bank, took initiative on campus cleanup, and helped with the Veteran’s Day Breakfast and Veteran’s Day Dinner, as well as being involved in the Mr. Bulldog program which supports Project Safe. “She is also an incredible artist. She is the most well-rounded young lady I know,” Boaz stated in his letter of recommendation.
Nichols’ athletic achievements span across these disciplines: 14 all-conference awards across golf, cross country, basketball, and track, 15 school records broken in all five sports, 12 all-state awards in golf, cross country, basketball, and track. 3A East Golfer of the Year during her junior and senior years.
Three-time 3A state champion golfer on the WHS golf teams, 3A conference golf team champion (four times). 3A East Conference champion in 1600 meters, 3200 meters, long jump, and 400 meters. 3A state champion in the 400 meters, 800 meters, and long jump.
Her dedication and talent will undoubtedly make her a valuable addition to the University of Wyoming’s track and field program and any other endeavor she pursues throughout life.
