Wesleyan College cross-country runner collapses, dies during competition, reports say

A collegiate cross-country runner collapsed and died during a competition in Georgia last weekend, according to reports.

Nefertari Holston, a 23-year-old woman from Dothan, Alabama, was a student at Wesleyan College in Georgia. While competing at the MGA/Julius Johnson Invitational at Middle Georgia State University in Macon, Georgia on Sept. 21, Holston reportedly collapsed and was pronounced dead after being rushed to a nearby hospital.

According to local Macon news stations WMGT and WMAZ , the Bibb County coroner stated that Holston suffered a cardiac arrest.

“The entire Wesleyan Community is deeply saddened by the death of one of our students,” Wesleyan College spokesperson Drew Davidson told WMGT and WMAZ in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends during this difficult time. This student has been a vibrant part of our campus, and this loss will no doubt impact us all. We are providing counseling services to our students, and we encourage anyone to reach out. We ask you to respect our students and our community’s privacy as we grieve and come to terms with this loss.”

Student-athlete deaths: Heat is killing student athletes far too often. Experts say we can reverse the trend.

Heat puts student-athletes at risk

Last month in Tennessee, 15-year-old Tristen Franklin , a cross-country athlete, died while running in his neighborhood.

At least 8 young student-athletes have died suddenly since August 5 while training during periods of intense heat, renewing concerns about high school and college athletes practicing and competing in sweltering conditions.

According to data compiled by the Louisville Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY network, at least 77 heat-related deaths have been reported among athletes since 2000.

Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at MHauptman@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wesleyan College cross-country runner collapses, dies during competition, reports say