OGDEN—With the 2022-23 school year officially starting on Aug. 30, Weber State University and their athletic programs kicked off the new season of sports this fall with many athletes from the Davis County area competing at the NCAA Division I level not far from home.

Coming from cities like Woods Cross, Bountiful, Roy, South Weber, Kaysville, Layton and Farmington, 28 athletes have either competed already or look forward to suiting up for the first time as a Wildcat this season. 

WSU Director of Athletics Tim Crompton said that at the local level, the coaches of each program emphasize the importance of looking at athletes they can bring into the Weber State family.

“Our coaches have a great understanding of our local high schools and the talented student athletes attending these schools,” Crompton said.

Saane Katoa (volleyball), Nuu Sellesin (football), Jacob Stone (men’s track and field) and Lauren Olsen (women’s track and field) originally from Woods Cross, and Bountiful natives Trisha Thompson and Laurie Murphy (women’s track and field and cross country), Xakai Harry and Connor Draper (men’s track and field) and Sicely Ferreira (women’s tennis) all made the switch to WSU. 

From Layton, Hayden Meacham (football), Preston Wallace (men’s golf), Carson Smith (men’s track and field) and Jaclyn Gold (softball) will represent the purple this year. 

Kaysville natives at Weber State include Jordan Strate, Brayden Wilson and Alema Tupuola (football), Parker Sagers (men’s track and field), Olivia Tucker (women’s soccer) and Abby Lawrence (women's track and field and cross country). Colter Blanchard (men’s cross country and track and field), Samantha Kearns (women’s soccer) and Cheyenne Leatham (women’s track and field and cross country) are all from Farmington. 

When talking about the local athletes who are in their junior or senior years of high school and that they have to make a decision if their next step in life is college, Crompton said that Weber State offers a path to succeed in sports and out in the real world once they start their college tenure. 

“It's a tremendous institution, and when I see our local high school students deciding to come to Weber State, I know it will mean that they will have the opportunity to earn a degree and become functioning members of society,” Crompton said. “I believe that this institution provides a path to succeed in athletics at the collegiate level, while also learning important life skills.”

Weber State competes in the Big Sky Conference of the NCAA and the school will have football, volleyball, women’s soccer and cross country beginning their fall campaigns in the not-too-distant future. 

The Wildcat football program is a six-time conference championship winner while the volleyball team were back-to-back champs as well before last season. 

Crompton is excited about the upcoming season and invites members of the Davis County community to come out and enjoy the high-level sports that WSU has to offer. 

“Weber State University is a tremendous institution with great leadership, as well as an institution that our local community can be proud of,” Crompton said. “High school students from our surrounding communities are given an opportunity to earn a college degree and participate in a Division I sport at a university that represents the area they have grown up in, what could be better.” λ