Bleed Purple Magazine - Spring 2017 by Weber State Athletic Communications

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STARTING LINEUP

CONTENTS

FEATURES 16 ALWAYS BY MY SIDE

Being married presents some unique challenges for collegiate student-athletes, but many Wildcats have found it also very rewarding. BY CORIE HOLMES

24 SPEED DEMONS

Sprinters Alex Reece and Tawnie Moore have overcome different setbacks over the past year to regain glory on the track as Big Sky Conference champions. BY CHRIS J. MILLER

29 A PROMISE UNBROKEN

Through tragedy and triumph, two Wildcat softball players share a lifelong friendship. BY JUSTIN JOHNSON

34 THE BEST OF THE BEST ONCE AGAIN

The Weber State Cheer and Dance teams returned from Florida with a pair of national championship titles. BY CORIE HOLMES

43 ONCE A WILDCAT, ALWAYS A WILDCAT

Jadrian Clark has moved on from being a Wildcat on the Weber State football field to being a Wildcat on the gridiron in Germany. BY PAUL GRUA

DEPARTMENTS 4 FROM THE A.D. 6 SNAPSHOTS 14 PLAYIN’ ON PURPLE with Tatiana Su’esu’e

22 ‘CAT TALES 40 NAME GAME 42 TOP TWEETS

24 2

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THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF WEBER STATE ATHLETICS presented by

Volume 3, Issue 2 Editor in Chief....................................................................................... Darin Hogge Executive Editors................................................................................... Paul Grua ............................................................................................................ Chris J. Miller ............................................................................................................ Corie Holmes Creative Director.................................................................................... Darin Hogge Contributing Writers............................................................................... Chris J. Miller ............................................................................................................ Jim Burton ............................................................................................................ Corie Holmes ............................................................................................................ Darin Hogge ............................................................................................................ Paul Grua ............................................................................................................ Jerry Bovee ............................................................................................................ Julie Hansen ............................................................................................................ Justin Johnson ............................................................................................................ Will Pridemore Photography.......................................................................................... Robert Casey ............................................................................................................ Darin Hogge ............................................................................................................ Justin Johnson Ad Director............................................................................................ Dave Champlain

EMAIL: WEBERSTATESPORTS@GMAIL.COM WEBSITE: WEBERSTATESPORTS.COM FACEBOOK: facebook.com/WeberStateAthletics TWITTER: @WeberState INSTAGRAM: WSUWildcats

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From the A.D.

A Message from Jerry Bovee

s another school year comes to a close, I am again inspired by the accomplishments of our student-athletes. Entering my ninth year as Director of Athletics at Weber State, it’s meaningful to reflect on the accomplishments of our teams during the past year. Currently, women’s outdoor track and field is still in season as senior Ellie Child qualified to compete in the NCAA Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon. This will be Ellie’s second time competing at an NCAA Championship event and we wish her all the best. I am most impressed with the manner in which our student-athletes collectively conduct themselves on the field and courts of competition as well as in the classroom. The average GPA this year for Weber State student-athletes was 3.19, which is an amazing feat if you consider that includes over 350 student-athletes competing in our 16 NCAA sanctioned sports. The department graduation success rate, or GSR, reported to the NCAA this year topped out at 78% which not only reflects the dedication of our student-athletes but also the administration, coaches, athletic staff and Weber State faculty. Our studentathletes have access to the finest academic facilities, programs and support and it shows in how they performed this year in the classroom. Nearly half of our student-athletes received Big Sky Conference Academic 4

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honors and a total of 60 degrees were earned with more expected after summer semester. Nine of our teams finished in the top five in the Big Sky Conference

“I am most impressed with the manner in which our student-athletes collectively conduct themselves on the field and courts of competition as well as in the classroom.” standings in their respective sport. Women’s softball won the Big Sky regular season championship. The Weber State football team advanced to the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2009 and for only the fifth time in school history. A total of 13 student-athletes in track and field qualified for NCAA regionals this

year, the most in the last seven seasons. In addition, the Wildcat spirit squad claimed two national championships with cheer claiming the Division I Coed Cheer national title and the dance team claiming the Hip Hop Division I trophy. Interest in our program continues to grow as nearly 160,000 people attended home events this year in men’s and women’s basketball, football, soccer, softball and volleyball combined. In addition, nearly 67,000 followers utilizing six different social media platforms interacted with our programs this past season, a 28% increase from last year. As you can see, there certainly is much to be encouraged about as we move toward a new year! My hope is you will join us again this fall as a new crop of student-athletes join those returning. There will be plenty of stories to tell and new adventures to experience and it is more exhilarating when you are there to join us on the ride. Enjoy your summer we’ll see you this fall. We’ll see you at the games. Go Wildcats!

Jerry Bovee Weber State Director of Athletics

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Weber State football players and coaches join Athletics Director Jerry Bovee to honor longtime equipment manager Tom Shurtliff, who retired after 25 years in the position. (Photo by Robert Casey)

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Softball’s Tatiana Su’esu’e leads a cultural dance performance at the 2017 Waldo Awards, which celebrates the best of WSU Athletics. Get to know Su’esu’e on page 14 in our Playin’ on Purple segment. (Photo by Robert Casey)

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Weber Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sara Hingsberger slides in ahead of the tag to steal second base against Montana in WSUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Think Pink, Bleed Purple cancer awareness game on May 5th. (Photo by Robert Casey) WeberStateSports.com

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Weber State softball players and coaches lead fans in singing the WSU fight song following a win at Wildcat Softball Field. (Photo by Robert Casey)

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with Tatiana Su’esu’e Get to know Softball’s Tatiana Su’esu’e, a sophomore pitcher from Blanding, UT as Corie Holmes met up with her for the latest edition of Playin’ on Purple.

Playin’ On Purple: What is something that most people don’t know about you? Tatiana Su’esu’e: I like to binge watch scary movies. I think they’re all stupid but I would say my favorites would be all of the Saw movies.

P.O.P Take your phone out and scroll three times in your photo gallery, then explain the photo to us. T.S. This is a beautiful picture of me and my best friends. We were in California and we went paddle boarding and we saw a dolphin. It was a fun trip.

P.O.P. What does your perfect day look like? T.S. In the mountains with my family, my siblings and my

parents and grandparents. We just hang out, we’ll ride four wheelers, eat amazing food my grandma makes for us, we talk or go look for deer and elk.

P.O.P. If you could bring any musician back from the dead who would it be? T.S. Elvis Presley. I love him. He’s my husband, I mean he’s dead but it’s still a

thing. My entire room is Elvis Presley. I have Elvis posters on the wall, an Elvis blanket covering my window, Elvis blanket on my bed. I have all of his CDs and his movies. I just love him so much.

P.O.P. Who is your favorite person in the world? T.S. My mom, she’s my life and my role model. She’s my MVP. I wouldn’t be anywhere in this life without her so big shout out to my Mom.

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Weber State University

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ALWAYS B

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BY MY SIDE

Being married presents some unique challenges for collegiate student-athletes, but many Wildcats have found it also very rewarding.

By CORIE HOLMES

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eber State has over 20 married student athletes. Being married and a studentathlete presents it own sets of challenges and it’s own unique rewards. Studentathletes have to find a new life balance once married. It’s not always easy, but it’s usually worth it. Several of the Wildcats with nuptuials share the changes and challenges they’ve faced. Dusty Baker from the men’s basketball team proposed to his wife, Maddie Baker, after a Wildcat home game in 2015 and the couple was married in the spring of 2016. Maddie and Dusty both agreed that dating during the intensity of a sixmonth basketball season was beneficial to their marriage. “We dated for an entire year here in Utah before we got married,” Maddie said. “I’m so glad we did. I dipped my toes into it a little so I knew what I was getting into before we got married. It showed me exactly what I was getting into. “I definitely feel like I married Weber State basketball sometimes. I’m a part of that family now. There is no day that’s not basketball,” she said.

Dusty had similar feelings to dating during the season before getting married. “It was good for us to date that first year so we could know what to expect for the next year,” he said. “The biggest difference from being married and not is that she’s always by my side now. When we were dating I would only see her for a short period of time and then she’d go home. Now I see her through the ups and the downs. We don’t only see each other in the highlights and when we’re happy. We see everything. We also get to communicate on a better level now which I didn’t realize how much we needed.” McKay Murphy of the Wildcat football team married his wife Sarah in January of 2015, before transferring to Weber State from the University of Utah. After spending one year as a traditional student-athlete, Murphy said the change to a nontraditional student-athlete has been the best thing for both his schooling and football. “A lot changed when we got married, but it’s been for the better,” Murphy said. “I feel like it allowed me to focus more on what I was doing on the field. In any relationship, when dating, there is always this Fall 2016

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underlying stress that dominates the thoughts. But, when we got married it allowed me to relax and let me focus on football when I was at football. It helped me form relationships with my teammates when at football and let me commit to the relationship with my wife when I went home.” “It’s also motivated me to have more success,” he said. “I have people depending on me now with my wife and 15-month-old daughter. Now there’s an added stress, but it’s a good stress that makes me push myself in football and the weight room. It’s not just affecting me, it’s

affecting them.” The separation between sports, school and home life is something that Dusty didn’t see as being a benefit of being a married studentathlete but is now something he looks forward to each day. “An advantage is my life at home with her,” Dusty said. “I like that consistency. When I go home I like watching sports, and I love that she’s drawn into that and will sit and watch a game with me. It’s really nice to have something that’s consistent. I don’t have to go to my empty dorm room and be by myself, entertain myself and feed myself.

It’s nice to have each other and do everything with each other. It’s an amazing opportunity to be a college student-athlete with basketball but it’s almost refreshing to go home and have my time with her.” Time is one of the biggest struggles for married student-athletes. Football players put in 15-hour days during the season between classes and football, while basketball goes on five-day-long road trips. Time is not something to be wasted or unappreciated. “The hardest thing is probably the time,” Murphy said. “I’ve missed a few trips with my family due to football. During the season the majority of my time spent in a regular day is at football and I only get a few hours each night with my daughter. “I know that it’s part of the nature of football. It requires a lot of time and that’s the hardest part when I need to dedicate my time to one thing but I want to dedicate it to another.” The perspective of the non-studentathlete spouse gives a new view to how time affects the relationship. “The time he spends traveling is definitely the hardest thing for me,” Maddie said. “He’s gone for five days every other week when he gets into the season. It’s not that I’m needy and have to have him by my side, but that first year of marriage a lot of people spend together. I’m used to him being gone now, but it’s made us appreciate our time together more.” “The guys on the basketball team are all really close, which is a nice McKay’s wife and daughter provide him extra motivation to succeed as a student-athlete.

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blessing in disguise. But when we spend the whole week with each other on the road we get sick of each other,” Dusty said. “I get to the point where I just want to go spend time with my wife. It’s hard to travel, but I like to do it and we just keep it in mind that this isn’t forever. It’s just a short time and a small part of our time together.” Splitting travel, practice, games, school and work between two studentathlete schedules is even more hectic. Track and field’s Michaella Hintze, and tennis’ Scott Hintze had to balance two athletic schedules, two school schedules and everything else in life, but still prioritized the time they spent together. “It’s definitely busy,” Michaella said. “One of the best ways for us to spend time together is to study together. We spend the time between

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classes, lunch, anytime we’re not practicing, we’re together. Sometimes it’s only 30 minutes or an hour. Both of us know that our schedules are busy, so we make sure we have time for each other in the midst of the chaos.” Scott added that it’s the little things in each day he looks forward to the most. “The thing we try to do is find the little things, the small things in each day to spend time together,” he said. “Sometimes it’s not ideal and it’s not the best, but at least we can see each other for a little bit and that’s what matters most.” The committed support each student-athlete gets from their significant other is something most student-athletes come to depend on in times of performances or competitions.

Former Wildcat volleyball player, Megan Thompson was married for her final two years at Weber State. “For some people it might be different, but for me having my husband, Luke, there as extra support has been so nice,” Thompson said. “Compared to my freshman year when he wasn’t a part of my life to now has made a huge difference. It’s definitely better to have that secure family life to lean on when I needed to.” The Hintze’s shared similar sentiments. “For me, it’s nice to know that whatever happens everything’s Scott and Michaella Hintze find bits of time throughout their hectic schedules each day to spend time together.

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going to be ok,” Scott said. “It makes life less stressful. If I have tennis, school and everything else on my plate, no matter how stressed out I might get, I know every night I can come home, win or lose, pass or fail, hard or easy days, and I know I still have the support. It’s a lot easier and manageable knowing I have that immediate support at all times.” “Even if I totally suck in a race, I will still have my husband,” Michaella said. “I love being married and a Dusty Baker proposed to his wife Maddie at midcourt following one of Weber State’s basketball games at the Dee Events Center.

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student-athlete. It’s just constant support all the time. He just understands more than anyone.” Dusty and Maddie are excited for their future together after Weber State basketball and feel that being a student athlete has left them with a bright future. “I’ve learned a lot through the really great experiences from basketball,” Dusty said. “It’s been a great time of learning and I’ve learned a lot of great lessons that I will take with me into the work field.” “Sometimes I gripe that it’s hard,” Maddie said. “We have to spend this time a part and Dustin can’t work

cause he doesn’t have the time, but I think the big picture is that we’re in a really good spot. Even though he can’t work, and we have to spend time away from each other and all the struggles we have with him being a student athlete pays off because of his scholarship. In the long run we won’t have to worry about those student debts. “A lot of people our age, especially married college students can’t say that they leave school debt free,” she said. “Financially we’re in a really good spot and I think that’s one of the long term benefits of being a student-athlete.” Scott and Michaella are excited to put the things they’ve learned in this hectic time of their life into their futures together. “Something I’ve learned from this is to relax,” Michaella said. “I will never get this time back in my life and it really is a lot of fun. We get to play sports in college, which not a lot of people can do. We need to enjoy where we’re at right now no matter how hard and time consuming and stressful it can be. If we can enjoy each stage in life when we’re in that stage we won’t look back and think we took any of it for granted.” “Make the most of the time you have,” Scott added. “Things will always work out you just have to be patient and truck through. Set a schedule and prioritize and you will end up having more time than you think. Stick with it even though it gets hard. Keep going and things will work out.” Despite being time demanding or stressful, the married studentathletes here at Weber State wouldn’t trade their crazy lives for anything as the support and strength they’ve found in marriage makes all of it worth it. WeberStateSports.com

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‘Cat Tales

In Memorium

eber State University and WSU Athletics mourn the passing of a pair of former Wildcats over the past few months. Former Weber State basketball standout and Hall of Fame member Allen Holmes passed away March 30, at the age of 78. On May 23, former WSU football player Harry Diavatis passed away at the age of 73. Holmes was born January 14, 1939, in McComb, Mississippi. He starred for the Weber State Junior College basketball teams in the early years. Holmes, nicknamed “Stretch”, played for the 1958 and 1959 teams and helped the Wildcats reach the pinnacle of success by winning the NJCAA National Championship in 1959. He was a two-time first-team NJCAA All-American selection in 1958 and 1959. The 6-foot-5 guard led the Wildcats to the national title game, scoring in double figures as Weber State went 34-4 and defeated Bethany Lutheran Junior College 57-47 for the championship. Under Coach Bruce Larson, Holmes was named Most Valuable Player of the 1959 National Championships, averaging 28.8 points per game. He was a two-time ICAC All-Conference selection in 1958 and 1959. Following his Weber State career, Holmes went on to the University of Utah and enjoyed more success before a leg injury cut his career short. Holmes’ son, Byron Scott, was born in Ogden and went on to a long NBA career where he won three NBA Championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980’s. Holmes worked for many years 22

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as a counselor in the Utah state prison system. Weber State’s Allen Holmes Diversity Symposium is named in his honor. He was part of the first class inducted into the Weber State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1989. The entire 1959 Junior College National Championship team was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012. Diavatis came to Weber State from Vallejos Junior College and played two seasons as a tackle and linebacker under head coach Sark Arslanian. Once back in California, he went to work at Cal Maritime Academy. There he laid the groundwork for the school’s athletic program, which has since grown from a single basketball club to an NAIA Division II member that includes 13 intercollegiate sports. Diavatis spent 34 years at the school as the athletic director and public information officer. He also helped with the Vallejo School Board and was very active in theatre in the Vallejo area. Diavatis was a driving force behind the “Sark’s Boys” reunions of former Wildcats who played under Arslanian. These players, from the late 60’s to the early 70’s

are bonded as a group to this day. Each Fall, the group convenes to attend a Wildcat football game, reminisce about days gone by, and enjoy each other’s company for a weekend reunion. “Harry was the playwright, director, and always played the lead, as he was accustomed to from his

days in the theatre,” said Associate Athletic Director Jerry Graybeal. “Harry will be missed by his teammates, coaches, and staff, but will live forever through the legacy of the Sark’s Boys.” WeberStateSports.com

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SPEED D

Sprinters Alex Reece and Tawnie Moore have overcome different setbacks over the past year to regain glory on the track as Big Sky Conference champions.

By CHRIS J. MILLER

he best is yet to come. Weber State sprinters Alex Reece and Tawnie Moore capped unforgettable seasons at the 2017 NCAA Regionals, each setting school records in impressive 24

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fashion. And for both Reece, a senior from Houston, Texas, and Moore, a junior from nearby Marriott-Slaterville, the best truly is yet to come. While the pair come from different backgrounds and experiences, both

display the tenacity of a recordbreaker. “They are all-in when they compete,” Weber State Director Track and Field Dan Walker said. “They are all business in practice and on meet day.” Reece ran down the school’s WeberStateSports.com

DEMONS

200-meter record of 20.79 seconds on May 27 at Austin, Texas, in his NCAA Regional quarterfinal heat. Though he did not advance to the finals in June in Eugene, Oregon, his effort capped a remarkable month of speed. At the Big Sky Conference Championships in early May in Sacramento, California, Reece swept both the 100- and 200-meter races to earn meet co-MVP honors. He won the 100 in a school-record time of 10.21 seconds, winning the 200 in 20.86. WeberStateSports.com

Meanwhile, Moore established a new WSU record in the women’s 100-meter hurdles, crossing the line in 13.32 to earn the record. Her effort came in the May 26 regional quarterfinals. Two weeks earlier, Moore won her third conference title in her specialty, running in 13.37, and also finished seventh in the 200 meters in 25.16. Sprinting through Ogden Reece came to Weber State for

just one year, a talented runner with some personal baggage slowing him down. After a pair of solid seasons at Baylor University, Reece’s junior season ended with a poorly-chosen prank that got him kicked out of school. “Things weren’t going that well for me as an athlete. I wasn’t progressing the way I wanted, and I made some bad decisions,” Reece said. “I had an off-the-field setback, but fortunately I was able to grow from it, humble myself, be clear-headed Fall 2016

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“Bringing Alex here for a year was a tough decision. Without being too dramatic, I was putting my reputation on the line with his. But I believe in second chances. I took a chance on him, he took a chance on me, and it worked out.’’

-- Dan Walker

and get back to the sport I love.” Still, he had to find a home. He reached out to Weber State. “Bringing Alex here for a year was a tough decision. Without being too dramatic, I was putting my reputation on the line with his,” Walker remembers. “But I believe in second chances. I took a chance on him, he took a chance on me, and it worked out.” In several ways. “Alex is on track to graduate in human performance management in December. His parents want him to succeed and stay focused and get the job done. And getting the job done is his degree,” Walker said. “The sprinting is nice, but he’s going to succeed in life because of his

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education.” Reece joined the Wildcats and went to work during the indoor season. His indoor efforts amounted to just the conference championships in February in Pocatello, Idaho. “Basically showing up at conference with no times, but I had the top time going into the 200 finals,” Reece said. “Then I slipped coming off the curve in the final and that ended my season.” Reece did finish fourth in the 60 meters at the conference meet. Reece went to work with WSU Reece overcame a deficit in the final leg of the 4x100 Meter Relay to score a win for the Wildcat relay team at the WSU Twilight Meet on May 2.

sprinters coach Tiffany Lott Hogan discussing where he could improve. “I knew I needed to improve my start,” he added. “It’s been really exciting to see him continue to improve,” Hogan said. “His work ethic is great. He’s out there every day, working on his warm-up, taking care of his body after workouts. I think quite a few guys will be looking at his back side in future races.” How true that prediction was, as Reece advanced to the regional quarterfinals with his parents looking on. “This year has turned out really well for me,” Reece said of his stay in Ogden. I had a great experience with the athletes, and a great expe-

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rience with the coaches. The weather is crazy here, though,” he smiled. What’s next for Reece? “I’d love to see where track and field takes me, but I’m also excited to finish my career and pursue coaching as well. It’s my passion.” Walker summed up Reece’s impact on the Wildcats program. “A member of the team told me in a private conversation that no matter how the season turned out, he was a better person because of having Alex as a teammate,” Walker said. He was willing to help everyone with their starts, their focus and their mental approach, and that’s good.” Steady progress Moore thrives in the big races, chasing down competitors and outworking the competition. She, too, had to work through some adversity, hers being a tough hamstring injury. “I felt a really good connection here at Weber, and it’s been a great experience,” Moore said. “I see our WeberStateSports.com

Moore has consistently hit personal-best marks throughout the year, culminating with a school-record in the 100-meter hurdles at the NCAA Regional meet.

sprinters and hurdlers as a little colony within the team, and we’re all working on the same things day in and day out. My goal is always to just get better each year.” Which is exactly what the former Fremont High star has done. After impressive freshman and sophomore seasons with Weber, where she started lowering the school marks in the hurdles in both indoor and outdoor competitions, Moore was forced to shut things down in the 2016 outdoor season with a serious hamstring injury. “I felt lost in a way,” Moore remembers. “All I wanted to do was come back stronger and not let it hold me back.” “Typically the more advanced you get, you don’t often hit personal records, but week after week, Tawnie has been hitting personal marks,”

Hogans said. “She loves to run with the big dogs. At conference she had one competitor with her, but at regionals she had eight. “The great thing about Tawnie is she is a great leader,” Hogan added. “Her work ethic stands out to all who see her.” Moore is looking to finish her degree in organizational communications, but still has one year of outdoor track ahead of her. “I’m really excited to be around people better than me, as they push me and help me get better,” Moore said. “That’s why Coach Hogan is a great inspiration for me. She is an Olympian, with a great background, and I get to work with her. “I absolutely thrive on those challenges. I love to chase someone down.” “And she’s courageous,” Walker adds. “Tawnie has been unbelievable as a person and as a teammate and an example of how to work,” he said. “She’s a pleasant and happy person, but is all business when she gets out here.” Fall 2016

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A PROMISE UNBROKEN Through tragedy and triumph, two Wildcat softball players share a lifelong friendship.

By JUSTIN JOHNSON t started with a promise unbroken by two young friends, who swore to their parents that they would play college softball together one day. That day arrived in the fall of 2013, when Sara Hingsberger and Mackenzi Corta, a pair of Eagle, Idaho, natives took that step in their journey together as they WeberStateSports.com

arrived in Ogden to play for the Weber State University softball team. “We told our parents we were going to play D1 softball together when we were little,” Corta said. “No one thought it would happen, but we proved them wrong. We accomplish whatever we put our minds to.” The list of those accomplish-

ments reads like a complex novel, as the duo helped power the Wildcats to back-to-back Big Sky Conference tournament titles, back-to-back Big Sky regular season titles, three straight national postseason appearances, and 134 wins, while etching their respective names across the Wildcats’ record book. “Z and I have been playing together since we swung bats that Fall 2016

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were half the size of our bodies,” Hingsberger said. “To be able to end my career of softball with her by my side through it all is not something a lot of people can say. We once had a dream to play college ball together when we were 12, and that dream came true. She’s not just a teammate to me, she’s a sister, and her whole family is, and will always be, family to me.” The softball journey for Corta and Hingsberger began when they were 10 years old as they played for a travel ball team called Sliders, with Corta’s father, Doug, as the team’s head coach. It progressed from there to high school, where both attended Eagle High School in Eagle, Idaho, and played both softball and basketball. “I remember our freshman year at Eagle like it was yesterday,” Hingsberger said. “Z and I were beyond happy that we both made the varsity team as freshman. I remember we rode back with each other after and blasted music with all the windows rolled down, we were the happiest girls in the world. From there on, we made some unforgettable memories on and off the field. “On the field, we had our favorite songs to warm up to (Ain’t No Mountain High), our same handshake that we carried all through college, and so much more. Off the field, we knew that if either of us needed anything, the other would be there in a heartbeat. We were sisters, and will always be. High

school was full of so many amazing memories, and having Z and her family there through it all is honestly one of the reasons that I am who I am today.” Packing up everything you know and moving 500 miles away for college can be a daunting experience for an 18-year-old, but for Corta and Hingsberger, it only strengthened their friendship, giving each

someone to lean on and a familiar face to see. “I had a great friend I could lean on from day one,” Corta said about her first year in Ogden. “It also made the drives home not as bad because you didn’t have to drive by yourself.” “Having Z there throughout the transition made me feel like no matter where I went, I still had a piece of home standing right next

Hingsberger finished her four-year career as Weber State’s career leader in games played, home runs, RBI, and stolen base percentage and earned a pair of All-Big Sky Conference First Team selections. 30

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to me,” Hingsberger said. “We helped each other move in, find our classes, meeting new people, and all the firsts that a college freshman has to experience. Having Z with me made a world of difference.” Both players established themselves early on in their respective careers, Hingsberger as a starting outfielder and Corta as a starting second basemen, and Weber State would go on to win a then-program record 22 games. That year was also the most challenging in both their lives. Corta’s father, Doug, was diagnosed with Gioblastoma, a high-grade brain tumor with a grim outlook in March of 2014. “Sara is family. It affected both of us. Our bond got stronger because that’s what happens when a family goes through a trial,” Corta said. “It was extremely hard to go through such a hard trial at such a young age, but I had about 35 sisters, if you count all of the girls over the years, that loved me and supported me. I had a family away from home that kept me going.” After speaking with her father, Corta elected to stay at Weber State and finish her freshman season before going home for the summer. As sophomores, both were starters and .300 hitters on a team that won a Weber State school record 38 games, a Big Sky Conference tournament title, and played in the program’s first-ever NCAA Regionals in Lafayette, Louisiana. While both players were excelling on the field, Doug Corta’s battle was never far from their mind. Doug

attended Weber State’s games that season when possible, while continuing to coach Eagle’s softball team, and was in attendance as the Wildcats stormed through the 2015 Big Sky tournament, winning the Big Sky title game 13-1 over Sacramento State. “The Cortas have always been family to me. It was Doug who taught Z and I everything we know about

the game,” Hingsberger said. “He was honestly another father to me, not just a coach. It was an extremely hard time for everyone, but I knew that I had to be there for the family, we all did. I’ve never met anyone as strong as the Corta family was and continues to be.” Doug’s valiant battle against cancer ended on Nov. 5, 2015. “With Z coming back to Weber

Corta hit over .300 in each of her final three seasons with the Wildcats, including a career-high .330 mark in 2016. WeberStateSports.com

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after losing Doug, all I wanted to do was be a rock for her to lean on. We had moments where we cried together and laughed about good memories. On the field, we played for him, for everything he ever taught us. I see so much of Doug’s passion and heart in Z and that’s a part of why I admire the way that she plays. She never gave up and is

one of the strongest women to ever step on the field in my book.” Their junior season began just a few weeks after Doug’s funeral, and Wildcats rallied around Corta, as Weber State won 37 games, won its first Big Sky Conference regular season title, a second Big Sky tournament title, and an NCAA Regionals berth in Seattle, Washington.

A few short weeks ago, after another 37-win season, another Big Sky Conference regular season title, Corta and Hingsberger helped the Wildcats become the first team in Big Sky history to win a national postseason game when they defeated Boise State, and went on to win the Ogden Regional of the National Invitational Softball Championship, and advance to the championship round in Lynchburg, Virginia. Virginia would be where their collegiate softball careers came to a close, careers that will dot the Wildcat record books for many years to come. “These past four years have been the greatest, hardest, most rewarding years of my life,” Corta said. “I had no idea I would grow as much as I did on the field and off the field. My experience at Weber exceeded all of my expectations and will always hold a special place in my heart.” As for the future, the bond and the friendship is as strong as ever. “I hope to open a couple businesses and positively impact as many people as possible,” Corta said. “There might have been a handshake after our last softball game that we would open up our own training facility. “It will be fun to see where life takes each of us! We have been friends since we were little, and we will be friends for the rest of our lives.”

Doug Corta, who coached Mackenzi and Sara as youngsters, was able to see the Wildcats win their first-ever Big Sky title in 2015 before passing away after a battle with cancer. 32

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;My scholarship means a lot to me because not a lot of people get the chance to play at the collegiate level. So I thank God every day.â&#x20AC;?

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Richaud Gittens - Basketball Tempe, AZ Fall 2016 Bleed Purple 33 Class of 2017

THE BEST OF THE B

The Weber State Cheer and Dance teams returned from Florida with a pair of national championship titles.

By CORIE HOLMES he Weber State spirit squad is back on top as the Wildcats claimed two national championships at the 2017 NCA and NDA Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championships last week in Daytona Beach, Florida. “It was such a big accomplishment,” said Summer Willis, spirit squad director. “This was the first 34

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year we had both cheer and dance win championships together. One win was great but two was just amazing. A lot of hard work has gone into it. Going into the biggest NCAA competition in the country and coming out with two wins was just unbelievable.” Both the cheer and dance squads came out of the preliminary competition as the No. 1 seed for the

finals competition the next day. “We’re really proud of our athletes and how well they performed under pressure,” Willis said. “They were both No. 1 after prelims. A lot of times that’s hard to keep because you go into prelims and do well and then you really see it change in finals. There’s a lot of pressure when you have to repeat performances and hold your ground for the win.” WeberStateSports.com

BEST ONCE AGAIN

On Friday, the Wildcat cheer squad won the Division I Coed Cheer national title. The squad had a score of 97.80 in the routine with no deductions to claim the title, their third national title in the last six years. “We were happy to hit zero deductions and go out and do what we’ve been practicing on the national stage,” Willis said. Watching the Wildcats execute each move as the routine went on was Willis favorite part of the experience. WeberStateSports.com

“As the routine went on and they just started hitting all the big moments,” Willis said. As we hit every single one and the next, and the next, I started getting more animated. As soon as we hit the home stretch and I knew that we had this. I jumped into my assistants arms like a crazy person. Being a part of their moment and knowing that they did it was my favorite moment of the competition, even if I looked like a crazy person.” On Saturday, the Wildcat dance team claimed its first national title,

winning the Hip Hop Division I trophy. “The cheer team didn’t get to watch the dancers for prelims and when we found out the dancers were in first everyone erupted into cheers,” Willis said. “We were out there as Weber State and we were supporting each other. We have to do our separate things but the feeling of unity and bond was really incredible.” The NCA/NDA Championships is the largest collegiate championships in the world. Fall 2016

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WEBER STATE ATHLETICS FOOTBALL, VOLLEYBALL & SOCCER SEASON TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW! 801-626-8500 WeberStateSports.com

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ONCE A WILDCAT, ALWAYS A WILDCAT Jadrian Clark has moved on from being a Wildcat on the Weber State football field to being a Wildcat on the gridiron in Germany.

by PAUL GRUA

adrian Clark spent four years as a Wildcat with the Weber State football team. Now he is a Wildcat on another team on the other side of the world. Clark recently signed to play quarterback with the Kirchdorf Wildcats of the German Football League 2. Clark has already played two games with Kirchdorf, a city outside of Munich in the southeast corner of Germany along the GermanyAustria border. He is one of three Americans listed on this year’s roster. Clark’s top wide receiver is Madison Mangum, who was an All-Big Sky first team player at Idaho State and is the brother of BYU quarterback Tanner Mangum. Living and playing football in another part of the world has been an amazing experience for Clark, a native of Lakeland, Florida. “The lifestyle here is considerably different but it has been life-changing to be exposed to so many different cultures,” he said. “Most people are hard-working and very intelligent and most speak English, so the language barrier is less than I expected. It has been great to just focus on football and enjoying life.” After two games, Clark has already made an impact with the

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Wildcats. He has thrown for 547 yards and six touchdowns in the first two games and rushed for 76 yards and two more scores. Before he started with the team, Clark spent some time traveling in Europe and plans to do more while he’s there. “I’m thankful to be living in Bavaria, which is the most prosperous state of Germany,” he said. “BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Audi, and Siemens all have their headquarters close by. I have already been able to travel to Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Austria and I plan on going to France, Ireland, Croatia, and England in the next couple months.” Clark finished his four-year career at Weber State in 2016, as he

helped lead the Wildcats to a 7-5 record and a trip to the FCS Playoffs. While serving as one of the team captains, he earned Third Team All-Big Sky Conference honors as a senior. He started all 12 games for the Wildcats and threw for 3,028 yards and 23 touchdowns and finished third in the Big Sky in passing average at 252.3 yards per game. He appeared in 33 career games at Weber State and finished his career with 6,568 yards of total offense, the third most in school history. He also ranks fourth in career passing yards with 5,810 and threw for 40 career touchdowns. He graduated from Weber State in April with a degree in Business Administration.

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Name Game

Equipped for Retirement

By CHRIS J. MILLER

he Weber State spring football scrimmage served as the going-away party for longtime head equipment manager Tom Shurtliff (right), who retired from Weber State after 25 action-packed years. Tom’s involvement in the Wildcat programs included milking cows. According to a great story by Standard-Examiner writer Brandon Garside, Shurtliff began helping his father-in-law Ron Flygare, who held the equipment manager job for many years before him. Shurtliff first got interested in the Wildcats when Flygare traded him WSU game tickets in exchange for milking cows. After a decade of volunteering, Shurtliff was hired to replace his father-in-law. Through the years, he’s drive thousands of miles, visited many countries, completed thousands of loads of laundry, and worked with an estimated 5,000 student-athletes from a dozen countries. He is planning now to fill his time

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with camping, fishing, biking and grandkids. To see Garside’s full story, visit http://www.standard. net/Weber-State/2017/04/14/ Weber-State-equipment-managerShurtliff-hanging-up-screwdriverafter-25-years. Hard to top The Weber State softball squad

just keeps climbing the hill. The Wildcats capped the 2017 season with a 37-22-1 overall record, the most wins and best winning percentage of any team in the Big Sky Conference for the third consecutive year and finished fifth in the National Invitation Softball Championship tournament in Lynchburg, Virginia. The ‘Cats were led by senior Sara Hingsberger and freshman Takesha Saltern, who earned NFCA All-Midwest Team honors along with junior Kirtlyn Bohling. In all, 10 Wildcats earned postseason honors. Coaching collection Former Weber State track and field head coach Chick Hislop (left) has compiled a book on motivation and coaching, called “On Track For A Life of Excellence.” The legendary coach shares 15 stories of athletes he coached and the lessons he and those competitors learned that WeberStateSports.com

helped them in life. To learn more or get a copy, visit coachhislop.com. Gridiron greats Clark and two other seniors earned spots in the prestigious National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society. Clark, Tre’von Johnson and Cameron Livingston -- all team captains -were among the 1,089 Division I players named to the society. To qualify, an athlete must be a significant contributor, keep a 3.2 GPA throughout their career and meet all graduation requirements. D.O.L.L.A. Damian Lillard (at right) continues to make his mark in the world. He was recently named No. 61 on the ESPN list of the most famous athletes on the planet. The former ‘Cat checked in at No. 45 a year ago. Lillard is listed as earning $10M in endorsements and has 3.3 million Instagram followers, 2.7 million Facebook followers and 1.2 million followers on Twitter. His 2016-17 highlights with the Portland Trail Blazers had to be a team-record 59-point outburst against the Utah Jazz in early April that helped the Blazers earn an NBA playoff spot. Wasatch Front will represent Count the Wasatch Front as one of the best storylines going into this year’s The Basketball Tournament, a $2 million tourney that usually includes a bunch of former college athletes. Lillard will coach the Wasatch Front squad, which includes mostly WSU players like David Patten, Kellen McCoy, Scott Bamforth, Davion Berry, Daviin Davis, Brody Van Brocklin, Steve Panos and Kyle Tresnak. Play begins in mid-July. WeberStateSports.com

Hall of Famers Weber State Athletic Director Jerry Bovee and longtime WSU Women’s Track and Field head coach Jim Blaisdell were honored by the Utah Sports Hall of Fame on April 11 in Salt Lake City. Bovee received the Distinguished Service Award and Blaisdell was honored as a Coach of Merit. Tidbits In addition to Allen Holmes and Harry Diavatis (see page 22), we also note the passing former Weber State football standout Terry Bulych, who died on April 23 at age 66. Bulych went on from his WSC career to play for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL, and was an all-star in the mid-1970s. ... A pair of Weber State football players signed NFL free agent contracts last month. Linebacker Tre’von Johnson inked as a free agent with the Arizona Cardinals, while offensive lineman Calvin Steyn signed with the Seattle Seahawks. ...WSU basketball star Kyndahl Hill also just turned pro, signing a deal with a team in Denmark. ... All 14 Weber State athletic

programs reached the NCAA required minimum score of 930 or better for the 2015-16 academic year in the Academic Progress rate, announced this spring. Along the way, 60 current or former studentathletes graduated, and 155 student-athletes earned Big Sky Academic All-Conference honors. ... Following a strong showing at the Portsmouth Invitational last month, ex-WSU sharpshooter Jeremy Senglin is making the rounds of NBA pre-draft workouts. Recently, Senglin had workouts with the Detroit Pistons and Philadelphia 76ers. The NBA draft is June 22. ... And finally, congrats to Weber State broadcaster Steve Klauke, who was been named the 2016 Utah Sportscaster of the Year. Klauke received the honor from the National Sports Media Association. Handshakes and high-fives all-around for the Wildcats’ play-by-play voice.

Chris J. Miller, a 1986 graduate of Weber State, is a former Weber State Signpost sports editor and editor in chief, as well as a former longtime sports editor at the Standard-Examiner. He can be reached at cjmiller62@outook.com. Follow him on Twitter at cjmsports. Fall 2016

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