Unexpected tragedy at Cornell hits home

Collegiate athletes across the country share a common bond -- they all work as hard as they can in an attempt to push their bodies as far as they can go. They train day and night, hit the weight room in their spare time and watch game-tapes with their coaches and teammates. They do everything they can in pursuit of a championship, in pursuit of greatness. Nothing can get in their way. But at approximately 5 p.m. this past Saturday, a young athlete's dreams were forever shattered. Cornell freshman wrestler Graham Morin tragically passed away during a light practice. The 19-year-old suffered from Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, a rare heart disease that affects only about one out of every 1,000. Morin was not aware of this disease, and there were never any prior signs of heart trouble. A memorial service was held for the Cornell freshman yesterday at Sage Chapel in Ithaca, N.Y. Morin was a highly touted recruit from Washington state. The three-time state champion and two-time All-America selection placed second in his collegiate debut for the Big Red in the 165-pound weight class at the Cornell Invitational just a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, his first collegiate meet would also turn out to be his last. "He was a highly recruited wrestler out of high school," Penn senior wrestler Mike Fickell said. "It's a devastating blow to their team." Fickell, along with the rest of the Quakers wrestling squad, was shocked upon hearing of the death. "I think it's a tragic situation," Penn wrestling coach Roger Reina said. "Our condolences go out to Morin's family, the Cornell wrestling team and everyone at Cornell." "It really makes you step back and appreciate what you've got," Fickell added. The senior Quakers wrestler noted, however, that death, or even serious injury for that matter, is not something that usually crosses an athlete's mind. "My biggest fear is about my upcoming match," Fickell said. "Health conditions have never really entered myself or my teammate's minds." Morin's pre-existing heart condition was not typical for a wrestler. In fact, there are only 10 to 25 deaths a year due to cardiac causes in athletes. Morin's death was simply an extremely unfortunate incident that took away a very talented and dedicated young athlete. "Graham lost his life doing what he loved, and that was wrestling," Cornell wrestling coach Rob Koll told the Cornell Daily Sun.

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