Fla. H.S. Athlete Collapses At Track Practice, Dies

March 10, 2011 /

Bleacher Report, Sam Westmoreland

Florida high school girl’s soccer player Sarah Landauer died yesterday after collapsing at practice on Monday, according to a report from Fox Sports. 

Landauer, 17, was a soccer and track star at Eastside High School in Gainesville, Florida. According to Florida’s Star-Banner, she collapsed at a track practice on Monday, and coaches and trainers administered CPR and attempted to revive her with an artificial defibrillator. 

She was taken to the ICU of Shands at the University of Florida, but she passed on late Wednesday night. 

Eastside boys’ soccer coach Ron Messick confirmed to the Star Banner that the faculty at Eastside had been notified of Landauer’s death.

“Sarah was an unbelievable athlete, but she was an unbelievable person and she set the bar high for all of us to compete and be a model person,” Messick said, according to the Star-Banner.

The girl’s soccer standout is the second prep star to die suddenly this week, joining Michigan basketball star Wes Leonard, who collapsed moments after sinking the game-winning layup in his team’s regular season finale. 

However, unlike Leonard, Landauer had a prior history of medical issues. According to Fox Sports, she had collapsed while training at the University of Florida in February, although in that instance, she was treated and eventually cleared to resume athletic activities. 

Officials have yet to release a cause of death, and an autopsy is still pending.


Leave a Reply