Wheaton College student dies in track and field accident

Student volunteering at event was struck in the head during the hammer throw competition.

A student at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill.,  was killed over the weekend at a school track and field event when he was struck in the head by a hammer during the hammer throw competition.

Ethan Roser
​WLS-TV reports that Ethan Roser, 19, a native of Cincinnati, was volunteering at the event Saturday afternoon when he was hit in the head. He was pronounced dead at an area hospital.

Roser was a member of the Wheaton College soccer team, the school says.

"We are deeply grieved, but, because of our faith in Christ, not without hope," Wheaton College President Philip Ryken said in a statement on the college web site. "We ask people to pray for Ethan's family, his friends, and our campus community.”

Video from WLS-TV:

About the Author

Mike Kennedy

Senior Editor

Mike Kennedy has been writing about education for American School & University since 1999. He also has reported on schools and other topics for The Chicago Tribune, The Kansas City Star, The Kansas City Times and City News Bureau of Chicago. He is a graduate of Michigan State University.

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