FORT WORTH, TEXAS: A Texas teenager, Angel Hernandez, 16, collapsed and died moments after competing in a 5K race at the district cross-country meet at Haltom City in Tarrant County on October 13.
During the race, the Chisholm Trail High School sophomore broke his personal record time but collapsed shortly after crossing the finish line and was soon taken to the local hospital, where he died about an hour later, as per the New York Post.
Angel Hernandez was an ideal student-athlete
According to Brent Brevard, who coached Angel Hernandez at Chisholm Trail High School in 2022 before retiring, he "worked hard and cared about his teammates."
He added, "But then he also acted right in school and took care of his grades."
Notably, the school selected Angel as 'Athlete of the Week' after his death on October 20.
Besides running cross country, the teenager was also an experienced martial artist at the Texas School of Karate.
His karate coach, Ashley Wood, fondly remembered the teen, stating, "He made you love him with his personality."
"He had an infectious smile. The moment of silence, helps us know that he was loved by everyone," continued the coach.
On the night of his death, Angel's high school's homecoming football game had a moment of silence in the teen's memory.
The 16-year-old is survived by his parents, Antonio and Elsie Hernandez, and a younger brother, Mark Hernandez.
GoFundMe for Angel Hernandez raises over $12K
A GoFundMe campaign organized by Ashley Wood for Angel Hernandez's funeral and memorial services has raised over $12,000 at the time of writing.
The fundraiser aims to meet "the high cost of arrangements."
"We want to make sure the Hernandez family can give Angel the celebration he deserves, to honor his memory, and pay all our respects to an amazing young man," wrote Wood in the campaign's description.
