Catamount softball seniors ‘leave big cleats to fill’

Being an NCAA Division 1 athlete is a dream for most. Being able to say that someone has been one for four years is a major accomplishment.

Unfortunately some athletes careers end after college, because some sports do not have a professional level to continue playing or its not a widely known option with a large number of teams. Come May, Catamount softball is losing three important seniors: pitcher Courtney Buchanan, center fielder Courtney Price and third basemen Kara Salvo.

Western Carolina University softball head coach Jim Clift looks back at the three seniors on this years team, and the legacy they leave behind. Not just for the rest of the team, but for the incoming freshmen.

“From a softball perspective, my three seniors will be missed very much and leave big cleats to fill. They are incredible young women who I have enjoyed growing into people who will go out and make a difference in our world,” Clift said in an email. “We are so proud to have had such quality people be a part of Catamount softball for the past four years. I will personally miss each one of them.”

Each senior has left an individual mark and a collective mark on the program and they would love for their athletic careers to go out with a bang by winning the SoCon tournament in Chattanooga, Tennessee, from May 10 to 13.

The next home series on the schedule for the Catamounts is on Saturday, April 22, when Western takes on SoCon opponent ETSU at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. and the series finale on Sunday, April 23, at 2 p.m.

Read the feature stories in our Senior Spotlight:
Courtney Buchanan- example for other pitchers
Courtney Price one of the best hitters on our team
Kara Salvo a fiery competitor