Late Friday night, while most panthers were sleeping, one was dancing his way into his girlfriend's heart.

We had a big marriage proposal in Holland a couple of weeks ago.  Now another at Davenport University.

On Friday, October 12, Davenport University held a Midnight Madness event for their men's and women's basketball teams.

A dance-off between Davenport dance coach Linaya Hass and Davenport mascot Pounce took a surprise turn when Pounce asked Hass to take his paw in marriage.

Men's basketball assistant coach Craig Heatherly proposed to Hass as friends and family were gathered in the stands.

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"When he took off the head and I saw it was him I thought, 'OK, alright, the joke's on me,'" Hass said. "Then when he took the microphone, and I saw the (ring) box, I thought, 'Oh my gosh, this is about to happen.'"

Family members for both were in on the secret and came to the gym to witness the proposal.

Hass, 25, said she had no idea it was her boyfriend in the mascot costume.

"It was dark except for the spotlight, so I didn't even think in a million years it would be him out there," she said. "I had friends going, 'Didn't you know it was him dancing?' I had no idea, but looking at it later, I was like, 'Yeah, he's a pretty good dancer.'"

Heatherly, 24, said his heart was pounding when he proposed.

“It really couldn’t have gone any better,” he said. "It's everything I hoped it would be."

The couple, who have been dating just over a year, plan to get married – more traditionally, Heatherly said – sometime in August.

Congratulations to Linaya Hass and Craig Heatherly!

 

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