#428WallSitChallenge Spreads to UMD, CSS Softball Programs

The challenge is in honor of a Mississippi softball player who lost her life to ovarian cancer.

DULUTH, Minn.- Mississippi State softball player Alex Wilcox held a wall sit for 4 minutes and 28 seconds just days after undergoing chemotherapy treatment.

Wilcox was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2015 but continued to play softball and committed Mississippi State a year later. This past June Wilcox lost her battle to this grueling disease at 18 years of age.

The MSU Bulldogs decided to honor her memory and spread awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer by creating the #428wWallSitChallenge, a movement encouraging NCAA softball teams to channel Wilcox’s strength and hold a wall sit for 4 minutes and 28 seconds. Upon completion of the challenge, the team then must post the video to twitter using #NoOneFightsAlone and nominating three more teams.

While it started down south in the high division one ranks this movement has made its way up north to right here in Duluth where the UMD Bulldogs completed the challenge.

“It was painful but it’s 4 minutes 28 seconds and Alex was able to do it so why shouldn’t we be able to?” said senior Kalynn Tilton.

“It’s great perspective for us. Sometimes we get in the middle of the grind of practice and lifting and school. We forget that this is really kind of about life,” said head coach Jen Walter.

The Bulldogs then nominated the St. Scholastica softball team.

“It’s important for our team to continue doing this because it shows us unifying as NCAA or as women for ovarian support and just being able to get the word out there because it’s not a very known cancer and so i think it’s very important for us to be there and support her and our community through this,” said junior Toni Bishop.

This unity between all divisions in all parts of the country shows the power the NCAA community.

“It’s absolutely amazing that we can all connect and actually show whether we’re DI to DIII we’re all a part of a team together. It is great to have support together and make sure that we’re all just one team. We’re just people and to support other people is amazing to me,” said Bishop.

This movement is far from being over, if anything it’s just the beginning of something truly incredible.