Wildcats Impress on Pro Day
On the football practice field in the Marquardt Field House, several ex-Wildcats made the next step towards potentially playing in the NFL on April 6. In front of scouts from over a dozen NFL and CFL teams, six of the players from the Weber State University football team were tasked with performing several different drills focused on evaluating the different draft prospects.
Two Wildcats solidified themselves as names to follow when the NFL Draft rolls around. Joe Hawkins, who was the center for the team the prior season, lead the team with 34 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. Devonte Johnson also impressed scouts with a team-high, 41-inch vertical jump, as well as the 40-yard dash with the best time of the day at 4.54 seconds in his second run through.
Injuries are always possible, though, as Hawkins went down with a hamstring injury during his second run at the 40-yard dash after completing his first attempt in 5.54 seconds. Hawkins was one of two hamstring injuries on the day with former defensive lineman Jonathan Carlson going down with a hamstring injury of his own.
“If you had good senior film and you have a good pro day, you’ve got a chance,” coach Jay Hill said of his players during the pro day.
WSU Softball sweeps Utah Valley University
During a two game home stand on April 5, the Wildcats outlasted the Wolverines of UVU by a combined score of 13-9.
In the first game, the team was able to take a 2-0 lead after an RBI from sophomore catcher Molly Horne in the first was followed by an RBI from junior catcher Riana Splinter. UVU was able to erase that lead after a two-out, three-run third inning to give them a 3-2 lead going into the fourth.
The Wildcat quickly regained the lead when a solid inning at bat gave them a 5-3 lead that they didn’t relinquish. Sophomore pitcher Kirtlyn Bohling pitched the whole game and moved on to 14-3 on the season. This helped move her closer to the 16-game win record for a pitcher at WSU.
The bats of the Wildcats lit up early in the second game with the team taking a 5-0 lead off of RBI’s from Alyson Kulp, Sara Hingsberger and catcher Molly Horne. The Wolverines were able to add a run, but the Wildcats responded with three more runs to take a commanding 8-1 lead.
The Wolverines tried to mount a rally in the final inning of the game but fell short when junior infielder McKinley Brinkerhoff caught a fly ball to end the game.
The team now sits at 23-12 on the season and are currently 5-1 in conference play. The team will take to the road this weekend to face off against in-state conference opponent Southern Utah University April 8 and 9. They will then return home for a three-game home stand against Idaho State April 15-16.
