A Texas college runner was known for his “strong character and academic excellence,” but a race day tragedy ended up taking his life

College athletes are often considered idols by young aspiring students. Still, even in a seemingly perfect life, a small medical issue can cause a huge ripple in the lives of these athletes, and in some cases, it can even take their life. A similar incident took place in Louisiana, where a collegiate named Graycen Vargo, a distant runner, collapsed while competing in a meet and later died in the hospital.

According to People, 21-year-old Graycen Vargo suffered a health emergency during a competition hosted by Xavier University in New Orleans, as per Texas A&M University-Texarkana. He was taken to the hospital, where he died. Vargo was competing for the first time for the Eagles after transferring from Jacksonville, Texas, but his first competition turned out to be his last.

Vargo recently received the Eagle Excellence Award for cross-country performances in the annual awards ceremony. A&M-Texarkana stated that the award is not a regular one as it is “given to student athletes who made a positive impact on campus, within their teams, and in the community while exemplifying strong character and academic excellence. ‘” This suggests that Vargo was quite a talented and hardworking athlete who achieved a lot of success in his early college career. 

University pays tribute to Graycen Vargo’s achievements after his passing 

A&M-Texarkana President Dr. Ross Alexander stated, “Graycen was a respected member of the student body and a beloved member of the Cross Country and Track and Field Teams. His presence will be greatly missed by the entire university community. On behalf of the Eagle athletic department, I want to convey our heartfelt sorrow at the loss of Graycen Vargo. Our prayers are with the Vargo family and everyone who knew Graycen as they go through this difficult time.”

We have heard about an LSU star dying due to personal problems, but the reason for Graycen’s death has not been declared. Ben Nicholas, the coach of Vargo from Village Tech charter school in the Dallas area, also shared his admiration for Graycen Vargo. He remembered him for his tenacity and talent. He said in his Facebook post saying, “I first met Graycen as an 8th grader when I was looking for athletes to run. What I found, though, was the most fiercely competitive, determined, and loyal teammate.”

Even though the passing is shocking, this is not the first time a college athlete has died while performing. In 2025, a 20-year-old athlete named Gage Broomall at Odessa College collapsed during a training session and died. Even though the college athletics programs are quite supportive towards college athletes, incidents like these raise concerns about their health during sporting events.