CLEVELAND — Family and friends are mourning the loss of a 22-year-old woman who collapsed and died during the Cleveland Marathon on Sunday.
Taylor Ceepo, from Medina, was a star soccer player and recent graduate of Walsh University.
“She was extremely fit. So, none of it makes sense other than something that’s undetected," Ed Sutter, a friend of the family said.
Sutter was watching the race with his daughter when he heard about a woman collapsing. When he found out who it was, he was in disbelief.
Ceepo was running the Cleveland Marathon when she collapsed, according to marathon officials. She was transported to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead.
— Cleveland Marathon (@clevemarathon) May 19, 2019
Ceepo was a biology major at Walsh University where she played midfield on the Walsh Cavaliers women’s soccer team.
Ceepo earned three letters while playing at Walsh. Before attending college, Ceepo played soccer at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron where she was ranked fourth in the state. She also played soccer for International ECNL where she won four State Cup Championships, a Regional Championship and finished in fourth place at Nationals.
Walsh University issue the following statement regarding Ceepo's death:
Taylor graduated just a few weeks ago from Walsh University, with a biology - pre professional major, and minors in both psychology and chemistry. Taylor was a member of the Women’s Soccer Team, and hailed from Medina. Her mother, dear friends, and her boyfriend (also a Walsh student) were with her. Our love and deepest sympathies go to her family and loved ones. Your Walsh family will keep you all in prayer.
Walsh University is planning a campus wide memorial at a future date.
St. Vincent-St. Mary High School had a special mass at 7:15 a.m. on Monday in Ceepo's honor.
The medical examiner said they did not find a definitive cause of death and will have further testing to try and find the cause.
Temperatures were in the 70s throughout the race.
Hospital officials said they treated 60 to 70 racers along the course for such things as heat illnesses, dehydration, muscle strain and ortho injuries.
Note: The woman's age was previously reported by officials as 23 but was corrected to 22 by University Hospitals.
