Wes Leonard of the Fennville High Blackhawks
In a bizarre coincidence, a Michigan high school basketball player collapsed after making a game-winning layup that guaranteed an undefeated season for his team. According to ESPN:
Holland Hospital spokeswoman Deb Patterson says 16-year-old Fennville High School basketball player Wes Leonard died Thursday night. An autopsy will be conducted to determine a cause of death.
Patterson says paramedics performed CPR on Leonard before he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The Holland Sentinel reported that Leonard had scored the game-winning layup in a 57-55 win over Bridgman in overtime to cap Fennville’s 20-0 season. Leonard fell to the ground after teammates and fans rushed the court.
Often, when a tragedy like this occurs, it’s the result of an undiagnosed heart condition. The athlete has no symptoms, so they rarely even know that anything is wrong.
Our hearts and thoughts go out to Wes’ family and the players and students at Fennville High.
