Photo: Southern Connecticut State University
A university in Southern Connecticut is mourning the loss of one of their student-athletes after she was involved in a freak accident while practicing her sport and tragically died two days later.
Melanie Coleman, a junior on Southern Connecticut State University’s gymnastics team, was training on Friday, Nov. 8 when she sustained a serious injury, theuniversity announced on their website.
The Milford native, 20, who was working towards a degree in nursing, sadly died just two days later at Yale-New Haven hospital on Sunday, Nov. 10.
Coleman reportedly slipped on the uneven bars at New Era Training Facility, a rented, off-campus gymnastics facility in Hamden, and suffered upper-body injuries, according to theHartford Courant.
Though her primary event was the balance beam, Coleman often practiced and performed on the uneven bars, university spokesman Patrick Dilger told the outlet.
“We’re looking into all aspects of this, obviously. At this stage, it looks like all protocols were followed,” Dilger explained, noting how the coaches always act as spotters for the gymnasts during practice.
Thomas Alberti, the owner of New Era who coached Coleman for close to 10 years, called her death “an unexpected accident with a tragic result.”
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Coleman was a graduate of Jonathan Law High School, where she also earned team captain, most valuable player, and all-state accolades. She joined the SCSU Owls in 2017-18 as a freshman and competed alongside her older sister Tiffany, until Tiffany’s graduation last year, according to the university.
She also gave back to her community, volunteering as a youth instructor at New Era Gymnastics in Hamden.
“Melanie was an extraordinary young lady that positively touched all that knew her,” Coleman’s former head coach Jerry Nelson said in a statement on the university’s website. “Melanie was a true team player, a hard worker and a true pleasure to coach. I’m extremely grateful that I had the opportunity to coach her.”
In the wake of her tragic death, a GoFundMe page andMealTrainhas been set up for Coleman’s family — including her parents and four siblings — to help them deal with this “unfathomable loss.”
Since the GoFundMe was created on Sunday, over $32,000 has been raised for the Coleman family.
source: people.com
