The Rockingham County Sheriffs office in Virginia has said the death is an apparent suicide. James Madison University is canceling the rest of its softball season in the wake of the death of star player Lauren Bernett. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. We will use this time to continue healing and to honor Laurens memory while finishing the academic semester strong., LaPorte said the school recognizes the decision brings an abrupt end to the careers of seniors on the team, and we will make sure that they are honored for the commitment and dedication they have made as student-athletes.. WebJMU Cancels Rest of Softball Season After Player's Suicide James Madison has canceled the remainder of its softball season as the school tries to cope with the suicide of one of If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. In tribute to Bernett, teams including Liberty and Tennessee have worn purple ribbons in their hair during games. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)AP. Please try again. We are so grateful for the support of our fans all season and for the love from the softball community during the past week. James Madison University softball player from McDonald dies. Visitation is scheduled 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Monday, May 9, and Tuesday, May 10, in William G. Neal Funeral Homes, Ltd., 925 Allison Avenue, Washington, PA 15301. Authorities with the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office announced that Bernett's Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The series with the Blue Hens, as well as one with Elon, have been declared no contests, with no bearing on the conference standings. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Later that night, the pitcher wrote about Lauren on Twitter. JMU Athletics provided resources for mental health and counseling in their announcement of her death on Tuesday. The Medical Examiner for the Western District of Virginia ruled the death a suicide. 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4. The series with the Blue Hens, as well as one with Elon, have been declared no contests, with no bearing on the conference standings. James Madison (21-21, 10-5 CAA) was one game behind Delaware for the top spot in the league before Bernett's death. A stress fracture in his shin. JMU coach Loren LaPorte announced the decision to cancel the season on Monday. The second-year student was 20-years-old. On April 29, the team had said in a statement, Finding the words to describe what our team is going through right now feels nearly impossible. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited. There will be a permanent void our hearts and our hope is to live out her legacy and make her proud each and every day.. A "multi-function" face cream from the French brand Clarins that addresses skin concerns such as radiance, firmness and plumpness. HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) James Madison has canceled the remainder of its softball season as the school tries to cope with the suicide of one of its star players last week. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Some people are upset at the way iPhones charge. International Association for Suicide Prevention. Bernetts death came roughly a month after Stanford soccer captain Katie Meyer died by suicide months before graduation. The statement, however, pointed readers to text and phone contacts for people in crisis. James Madison catcher Lauren Bernett during a NCAA softball game on Friday, May 28, 2021 in Columbia, Mo. It was tough., Down to Business: Helping children learn to communicate empowers whole family, speech-language pathologist says, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. The Western Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Virginia said Thursday that Bernett had died by suicide. This was an extremely difficult decision and one that was not made lightly, JMU coach Loren LaPorte said in a news release of the cancellation. The school announced that Bernett, 20, who was a sophomore catcher and power hitter for the team, had died last Tuesday. Last season, she was part of the Dukes magical run to the Womens College World Series, The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. JMU canceled a doubleheader against Longwood on Wednesday. More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports, Tennessee softball players wear purple ribbons in their hair during a game against Liberty at Liberty Softball Stadium in Lynchburg, Va. on Wednesday, April 27, 2022 to honor James Madison University softball sophomore catcher Lauren Bernett who recently died. call the Suicide Prevention Line at 1-800-273-TALK. James Madison catcher Lauren Bernett during a NCAA softball game on Friday, May 28, 2021 in Columbia, Mo. We will use this time to continue healing and to honor Laurens memory while finishing the academic semester strong. She was a staple of our program who we all loved so much. We have enabled email notificationsyou will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Most importantly, were thinking about our graduating seniors whose careers have come to an abrupt conclusion. The JMU softball team has canceled the rest of its season following the death of Bernett, 20, on April 25, 2022. Bernett, a sophomore biology major from McDonald, Pennsylvania, just earned Colonial Athletic Association player of the week honors after a star performance against Drexel University over the weekend. Trump cowboy found not guilty of campaign finance, India urges G-20 ministers to look beyond East-West. The Rockingham County Sheriffs office in Virginia has said the death is an apparent suicide. Wake up to the day's most important news. WebHARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) James Madison has canceled the remainder of its softball season as the school tries to cope with the suicide of one of its star players last week. This was an extremely difficult decision and one that was not made lightly, JMU coach Loren LaPorte said in a news release. We will make sure that they are honored for the commitment and dedication they have made as student-athletes.. Bernett was 20. You really never know what someone is going through, a former teammate tweeted. All rights reserved. WebU.S. 2022 The Associated Press. HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - James Madison University is mourning the loss of one of their own, softball player and sophomore Lauren Bernett. She was mature beyond her years and always put others before herself, wanting everyone around her to be happy. Reuters. 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Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account and fewer ads, Get exclusive access to the National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on, Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists, Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists, Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword, Access articles from across Canada with one account, Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments, Get email updates from your favourite authors. Wednesdays home softball doubleheader vs. Longwood has been canceled. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Courtesy of JMU Athletics On Tuesday, Humphrey was the last softball player on the team to leave the flower drop; her cries could be heard across the otherwise hushed VMP. Lauren Bernett was a high-achieving member of our softball team and a great ambassador of JMU and our athletics program.. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. In 2021, she helped the Dukes reach the Womens College World Series for the first time. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Many members of our team found comfort in knowing Lauren would always be there for them on a tough day. WebApril 27, 2022 / 5:56 PM / AP HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) The death of a James Madison softball star has been classified as an apparent suicide, but Rockingham County Sheriff The team had previously already canceled five games. The announcement of Bernetts death came a day after she was named the CAA player of the week for batting .778 with seven RBIs and four runs in a three-game weekend sweep of Drexel that pulled JMU within a game of league-leading Delaware. Both died by suicide. All rights reserved. We are so grateful for the support of our fans all season and for the love from the softball community during the past week. 26, 2022 at 5:09 PM PDT. News of Bernetts passing came in the wake of notable deaths of two other NCAA athletes, Wisconsin distance runner Sarah Shulze and Stanford goalkeeper Katie Meyer. The death of a 20-year-old James Madison University softball player earlier this week has been ruled a suicide, USA Today reported Thursday. In tribute to Bernett, teams including Liberty and Tennessee have worn purple ribbons in their hair during games. The Rockingham County Sheriffs office in Virginia has said the death is an apparent suicide. "The official report from the medical examiner's office is pending, and out of respect for her family and friends, there is no other information to release at this time," Hutcheson said in an email. WebWhen Kym Hilinski found out JMU softball player Lauren Bernett died by suicide last April, it hit her in a different type of way. This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The cancellations include a May 3 game against Virginia and a three-game league series May 6-7 against Elon. We are a tight family. All rights reserved (About Us). College athletics is great because of the people with whom we get to interact every day. The Dukes finish their 2022 season 21-21 overall with a 10-5 record in CAA play. You really never know what someone is going through, former teammate Odicci Alexander tweeted earlier, per CNN and ESPN. Lauren Bernett, a sophomore catcher and cleanup hitter for the Dukes, died April 25 following a stellar weekend series against Drexel, for which she was named the Colonial Athletic Associations player of the week. Access all of our expanded, online-only, subscriber exclusive opinion writing. The official report from the Medical Examiners Office is pending, and out of respect for her family and friends, there is no other information to release at this time. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Lauren Bernett, a sophomore catcher and cleanup hitter for the Dukes, died April 25 following a stellar weekend series against Drexel, for which she was named the Colonial Athletic Associations player of the week. The cancellations include a May 3 game against Virginia and a three-game league series May 6-7 against Elon. Biden surveys Ida cleanup in, Ship tragically lost in 1894 found in Lake Huron, House passes bill to require inflation estimates, NCDOT seeking public input on Green Transportation, Watchdog faults agencies for inadequate intelligence, Youngkin to take part in CNN town hall amid 2024, Man dead, officers injured after Kansas City standoff. The school announced that Bernett had died by suicide months before graduation coach Loren LaPorte said in a news.... 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