June 8, 2004
UA Football Player McCollins Umeh passes away
Chris Bonney
GOAZCATS.com Staff Writer
Early this afternoon during a voluntary off-season conditioning session, incoming University of Arizona football player McCollins Umeh collapsed and was later pronounced dead at the University of Arizona Medical Center.
The time of death is listed as 2:24 pm.
Rivals.com
Umeh had just arrived in Tucson a few days earlier to get an early start on his Wildcat career.
Arizona Athletic Director Jim Livengood made the following statement about the incident earlier:
"All our thoughts and prayers are with McCollins' parents," Livengood said. "There is no easy way to describe how devastating this tragedy is to the family and to the entire university community."
Livengood also stated that those present did everything they could to help Umeh on the field and added, “Everyone on hand did exactly what they needed to,” Livengood said.
Umeh committed to Arizona in December after originally committing to Kansas State University.
In January Umeh told Rivals100 analyst Matt Malatesta that one of the reasons he switched his commitment was new head coach Mike Stoops.
“I trust him as a coach,” he said. “What he did at Oklahoma was wonderful and he is building a program that people want to be a part of. What better way to build a defense in the PAC 10 than to bring in a bunch of Texas boys to do it.”
A Memorial Fund in honor of Umeh has been set up at any Tucson area Wells Fargo Banks. Donations should be in the name of McCollins Umeh.
GOAZCATS.com will have more details as they become available.
http://arizona.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=303288
FSU Women's Basketball Player Ronalda Pierce Passes Away
June 8, 2004
Send your thoughts and prayers
Tallahassee, Fla. - Ronalda Pierce, a 6-5 women's basketball player from Florida State, died early Tuesday morning at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital at the age of 19.
Pierce, who would have been a sophomore on the Florida State team in 2004-05, played in all 29 of the Seminoles' games last season as a true freshman averaging 5.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. She was the Class AA Player of the Year in Georgia as a senior at Turner County High in 2003 and was a three-time Class AA all-state selection. She was from Ashburn, GA.
"Words cannot begin to express the loss we feel," said FSU head coach Sue Semrau. "Ronalda was a very special person and although she was with us for such a short time, she enriched our lives in many ways. She was a very important part of our Seminole family and we are going to miss her very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ronalda's family during this tragedy."
The Tallahassee Police Department released a statement that its investigators found no indications of foul play and included the medical examiner's preliminary autopsy report, which said results indicate that Pierce died due to a ruptured aorta resulting from an aneurysm that was possibly the result of Marfan Syndrome. Confirmation of these preliminary results is pending further tests. The final medical examiner's report will be issued in approximately two months.
Counseling and support assistance was immediately provided to the team members and basketball staff by FSU's Victim's Advocate Program, the Counseling Center and the Student Development and Life Skills program within the athletics department.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Pierce family and everyone associated with our women's basketball team," said FSU Director of Athletics Dave Hart. "We are fortunate to have a support group in place at FSU and we will make sure that the family, our student-athletes and the staff get the assistance they need. It is such a tragedy."
http://seminoles.collegesports.com/spor ... 04aaa.html
Memorial Page:
http://seminoles.collegesports.com/spor ... index.html
.
ey-Aid of the Redskins.
