College Freshman Killed During Hammer Throw Event

Ethan Roser was volunteering at track and field competition at Wheaton College
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 23, 2017 2:36 PM CDT
Freak Track and Field Accident Kills College Freshman
Ethan Roser.   (Wheaton College press release)

A track and field event ended in tragedy Saturday afternoon in Illinois. A 19-year-old freshman volunteering at a competition held at Wheaton College was accidentally hit by a hammer during the hammer throw event. WCPO reports the "hammer" is actually a metal ball that's attached to a grip via a steel wire; it weighs 16 pounds for men and 8.8 pounds for women, though it hasn't been reported which size hammer hit Ethan Roser.

The Chicago Tribune reports Roser, who had transferred to the school in January and planned to become a minister, was pronounced dead at the hospital. "We are deeply grieved, but, because of our faith in Christ, not without hope," says Wheaton College President Philip Ryken in a statement. Roser's father, Rev. Mark Roser, echoed that faith-based reaction: "We know he's with Jesus, and the fact that he's in paradise is a great source of comfort to us." (More track and field stories.)

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