The official site of the Western Dakota Association
Mandan's Aaron Riopelle (left) and Alexis Dressler, Bismarck Legacy, were recipients of the 2019-20 WDA Senior Scholar Award. Presenting the awards was Mark Anderson, Farmers Union Insurance, CEO. Farmers Union Insurance is the premiere sponsor of the Western Dakota Association and provides a match in funds for the scholarships.
Photo by WDA SID
Year | Boy Scholar Winner | Girls Scholar Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Sam Aneson, Mandan | Mollie Fearing, Williston |
| 2010 | Tyler Eikens, Williston | Ashley Jahner, Dickinson |
| 2011 | Kasey Gengler, Jamestown | Anna Hruby, Bismarck High |
| 2012 | Devin Coyle, Mandan | Tessa Haussler, Bismarck High |
| 2013 | Austin Mack, Dickinson | Rachel Power, St. Mary's |
| 2014 | Ben Wanner, Mandan | Emily Lysne, Williston |
| 2015 | Waylon DeCoteau, TMCHS* | Rachel Lantz, Dickinson |
| 2016 | Ben Hanson, Jamestown | Ali Froehlich, Mandan |
| 2017 | Brian Swanberg, Legacy | Emily Bichler, St. Mary's |
| 2018 | Brody Armstrong, Minot* | Elizabeth Leingang, Mandan |
| 2019 | Will Madler, Bismarck High | Kailey Weigel, Legacy |
| 2020 | Aaron Riopelle, Mandan | Alexis Dressler, Legacy* |
WDA Senior Scholar Recipients
* State Scholar Recipient
Since 2009, the Western Dakota Association has recognized one boy and girl student-athlete annually through its WDA Senior Scholar Award.
The award, which is tied to the North Dakota Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NDIAAA) scholarship program, is open to all conference members.
Each member school can submit a completed application for one boy and one girl student-athlete to be considered for the WDA's $500 scholarship award. The WDA is proud to have its, premiere partner, Farmers Union Insurance, a contributor to this project.
The conference activities directors review the applications and select the recipients which are announced in March. The winners join the other region scholarship recipients from across the state who are then eligible for the state NDIAAA scholarship. The applications for the state winners are forwarded to a review panel at the sectional level. Sectional winners then qualify for the national award. The scholarships are paid directly to the higher education institution in which the recipient will attend. For more on the NDIAAA scholarship program, click here.