16-Year-Old Texas Athlete Suddenly Collapses, Dies At Cross Country Tournament

Earlier this month, 16-year-old Angel Hernandez of Chisholm Trail High School in Fort Worth, Texas, collapsed and subsequently passed away shortly after completing his race at a cross-country tournament in Haltom City on October 13th.

"He was the kind of student-athlete you wanted. He worked hard and cared about his teammates," Chisholm Trail coach Brent Brevard told KHOU-11. "But then he also acted right in school and took care of his grades."

Prior to his collapse, Hernandez had run his best time for his event at the 3-6A meet at The Buff in Tarrant County. Witnesses remember seeing Hernandez's friends helping him over to the water station following his collapse. At the water station, he fell again and was quickly rushed to Medical City Alliance. Despite doctors' best efforts, Hernandez passed away about an hour later.

"It was tragic, it was terrible news," Brevard said. "He's such a great kid, a likable kid, a good student, and it was awful news."

At his funeral on October 20th, the Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD athletic director Brent Barker presented Hernandez's family with a varsity jacket meant to honor the young athlete. His high school also held a moment of silence for him at the homecoming football game.

"A lot of people attended [the funeral], a lot of his teammates made it, and they encouraged everyone to wear [the school color] purple," his coach said about the funeral.

Hernandez's karate coach also told KHOU-11 that the homecoming game was extremely emotional. "Every one of us cried, every one of us has comforted each other," said karate coach Ashley Wood. "It's really hard. We'll never get over it. We'll never forget him. He's going to be missed here, but he's going to be loved always."

"He made you love him with his personality," she said about her formal pupil. "He had an infectious smile. The moment of silence, it helps us know that he was loved by everyone."

It is still unknown what exactly led to Hernandez's death. He reportedly did not show any symptoms prior to his collapse. You can donate to the family's GoFundMe here.

Watch WFAA's report about the tragedy below:

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