Last week Chad and I were doing our regular route around the lake in Laguna Niguel Regional Park, which is partially on the same 3-mile trail the local high school cross country teams use for competition, when I pointed out the track meet. There were nearly a 100 kids milling about under one of the larger shelters – maybe a little on the quiet side – but it looked like a normal track meet and I just refrained myself from shouting out and asking who had won.
Then we passed the ambulance and police cars.
Nervously, I turned towards Chad and puffed out, “I hope everything’s okay.”
It wasn’t.
Last Wednesday an apparently healthy high school freshman collapsed during her race and died. On the same course my own freshman was going to run the next day. That Wednesday Megan’s parents sent Megan to school without knowing they would never see her alive again.
An emotional shock wave of sympathy has rippled through the community.
I feel like I should DO something – today is the fourth morning Megan’s mother woke up without Megan. It hurts my chest even to think about it.
There is no known cause of death at this time. You can read the short article in the OC Register here.