Colorado Teen Dies During Rugby Match

A Colorado teen died Saturday during a rugby match. According to reports, 17-year-old Fort Collins athlete Matthew Hammerdorfer collapsed after being hit in the chest during the game. He was airlifted to a hospital where he died.

Larimer County deputy coroner Kari Jones ruled Hammerdorfer died from cardiac arrest caused by a congenital heart defect. Hammerdorfer had undergone three heart surgeries in the past to fix the condition. Jones said the hit Hammerdorfer took before he collapsed was not a factor in his death.

Hammerdorfer’s death came just days after the death of another high school athlete. Fennville, Michigan basketball player Wes Leonard, 16, died Thursday after a game. He scored the winning shot before collapsing on court. The Ottawa County chief medical examiner ruled the cause of death as cardiac arrest due to an enlarged heart.

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