Angel Hernandez, a 16-year-old runner for Chisholm Trail High School in Fort Worth, Texas, died shortly after crossing the finish line at a cross-country meet earlier this month.
According to local reports, Hernandez collapsed moments after completing a 5k race at a district track meet in Haltom City in Tarrant County on Oct. 13. The teenager reportedly broke his personal time record in the race.
“He worked hard and cared about his teammates,” said Brent Brevard, who coached Hernandez at Chisholm Trail until last year.
“But then he also acted right in school and took care of his grades.”
Witnesses state that Hernandez’s friends rushed to his aide after his initial collapse and helped him to his feet. The group brought Hernandez to a nearby water fountain, but once there, he fell again. Hernandez was then taken to a local hospital but died shortly after arriving.
Hernandez is also remembered as a dedicated martial artist.
“He made you love him with his personality,” Hernandez’s karate coach, Ashley Wood, told KHOU. “He had an infectious smile. The moment of silence it helps us know that he was loved by everyone.”
The Hernandez family held a funeral for Angel on Friday, and the school observed a moment of silence in his memory at Chisholm Trail’s homecoming football game. The school also presented Hernandez’s family with a varsity letter jacket.
“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,” Wood added.
The family still does not know what caused Angel’s death. Wood states that he showed no signs of illness before his untimely death. The family has set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses.
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