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From : nicluvio
Added: Sep 11, 2009
LA JOLLA -- A college pole vaulter has died after missing the landing pad during a practice session at the University of California San Diego campus. During Thursday's exercise, 19-year-old sophomore Leon Roach, of Huntington Beach, missed the landing pad and hit his head on concrete. Roach's sister says he was participating in a routine rope swing drill at the time of the accident. According to official reports, Roach was immediately unresponsive. Roach was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital in critical condition and was pronounced dead on Saturday. An autopsy is pending. "There were two spotters, and they had mats," said Roch's sister, Christyn Hendrick, 27, of Huntington Beach. "It was just the upper half of his body that didn't make it. His head hit the ground and he went straight to heaven. The doctors said he was gone instantly because of the brain damage." Hendrick added that the family doesn't blame anyone for the accident, saying pole vaulting carries inherent risks. Roach's father was a pole vaulter, and his older brother made it to state finals in pole vaulting in high school. In March, Roach placed fourth in the San Diego Collegiate Track and Field Championship as the only freshman in the top eight. A memorial for Roach will be held sometime in the upcoming week in Huntington Beach, where he graduated from Marina High School last year. "Words cannot begin to express our sorrow," U.C. San Diego officials said in a statement Friday. "Out hearts go out to the family and friends of this remarkable student." University officials were not available for further comment.
Category : Sports

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