#WildcatLove is in the Air!

Chris (’94) and Anita Witt (’95)

“Although we grew up in the same hometown and Chris was one of my brother’s friends, our love story didn’t begin until one rainy day in March 1993 when we ran into each other behind Memorial Coliseum. After seeing one another in the parking lot, Chris offered to hold the umbrella over both of us while we talked. The conversation quickly turned to school and how I was struggling with calculus, which Chris so kindly offered to help me with. Before long, we were meeting to study, grabbing dinner and hanging out. I successfully passed the class, but more importantly, I fell in love with the man of my dreams! Now we have been married for 28 years and visit UK often to see our daughter who will graduate this spring!”

Victoria (’24) and Zachary Edwards (‘24)

“We met our freshman year at the 2022 Citrus Bowl while participating in the Wildcat Marching Band. Zachary played snare drum and Victoria played piccolo. While no longer in marching band, we continue to support UK by attending football, basketball and hockey games. Zachary is studying computer engineering and Victoria is studying equine science & management, both with plans to graduate in 2024. We got married on September 3, 2023, and are enjoying life together. Our Wildcat Love continues as we finish our bachelor’s degrees and continue our education at UK.”

Isaiah Turner (’22) and Ashley Davis (’22)

“Isaiah and I met on Bumble while both attending UK back in 2021. We hit it off immediately and recently got engaged in Utah! We are thankful we both chose UK. Otherwise, we may have never crossed paths.”

Evan Sawyer (’20) and Miley (Nikirk) Sawyer (’20)

“We met at the start of pharmacy school at the University of Kentucky in August 2016. We developed a friendship over the years that grew stronger when we were lab partners in spring 2019. After Miley returned from studying abroad that June, we hit it off and have been together ever since. We got married on May 20, 2023.”

Brad (’13) and Kalib Elliott (’17)

“We met as next door neighbors when we were both students at UK. Brad’s dog jumped the back fence to get to Kalib’s yard, so he was the real matchmaker. After dating for four years, we got married back where our story began — on UK’s campus at the Hilary J. Boone Center in 2019.”

Kaleb McDonald (’18) and Jackie Thompson (’18)

“Jackie and Kaleb did not know each other throughout most of their time at UK, but luckily found each other right before graduating in May 2018. Through a mutual friend, who was Jackie’s neighbor in Blanding Tower and Kaleb’s colleague as an RA, they credit UK for the friendships they made, which ultimately led to them finding each other. They are now married and love to call Lexington and UK home.”

Taylor Williams (’23) and Jacob Esters (’19)

“We were introduced in fall 2018 during a long night studying in the William T. Young Library. We were both in undergrad at the time. Jacob graduated and went off to law school while Taylor stayed at UK for pharmacy school. We reconnected during Taylor’s last year at UKCOP, went to lunch and on a walk at the Arboretum on our first date. We have been in the happiest relationship for over a year and a half. We still love to go for walks on campus and go to UK games together.”

Katie (’22) and Ryan Martin (’21)

Ryan and I met in the Wildcat Marching Band. He played percussion and I was a drum major and clarinet player. We met on a band trip in spring 2019, but didn’t start dating until the next academic year. Some of our favorite memories together are cheering on the Cats from football and basketball games while being in the band together.

We stayed together throughout college (and COVID-19!) and Ryan proposed in downtown Lexington in December 2021 at the ice rink where we had one of our favorite dates.

We continued the party when we got married in Kentucky in July 2022. We’re so thankful for UK and the Wildcat Marching Band for bringing us together and being the setting to our #WildcatLove story!

Tom (’85) and Kay Harris (’88)

“Tom and I met on a blind date in 1981 while we were students at UK. I wanted a date one weekend and I called my cousin, who said he had the perfect person in mind. Boy was he right! Tom and I had our first date at Hall’s on the River, then back to campus for a party at the Sigma Chi house. I’ll be forever grateful to my cousin for introducing me to my #WildcatLove!”

Ash and Heather (Hampton) Mason (’01)

“In 2014, I was working as a traveling speech language pathologist and moved to San Francisco area for a job. I looked up the local UK Alumni Club and found out they got together to watch all the UK games. So, I went to the bar that Saturday to watch a UK football game hoping to make some friends. I would never have imagined I’d meet my future husband that day.

We only talked for a few minutes that day, but I returned for the next game watch party and we hit it off. I just had a feeling that this might be something special. We began spending lots of time together and, of course, cheering on the CATS in football and basketball.

I moved back to Kentucky three months after we met, but we stayed together and he came to visit several times. We were able to go to the senior day basketball game that year as well as the Final Four in Indianapolis. We made long-distance work and I moved back to San Francisco later that year.

We got married in 2019 in San Francisco and had our reception at the bar where we met. We even did a C-A-T-S cheer since we had so many Kentucky fans in attendance. We are now living in Lexington and could not be happier. It’s crazy that a Western Kentucky girl and a boy from Eastern Kentucky met at a UK game watch party all the way out in San Francisco. GO CATS!”