2008 Woodie Awards
Death of Wabash swimmer postpones meet
By: Liesl Goecker
Issue date: 10/30/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
A Wabash College student died early Sunday from injuries sustained after falling from the roof of an academic building.
Patrick Woehnker, 19, was found during a routine patrol by campus security personnel as the four students who accompanied him to the roof emerged from the building, said Jim Amidon, Wabash's director of public affairs and marketing. Wabash officials believe the students, all members of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, accessed the roof of Goodrich Hall by a little-known system of utility tunnels. While on the roof, Amidon said, the four others became separated from Woehnker; no one saw or heard him fall.
According to the college's Web site, "authorities believe Patrick climbed over the security railing on the west side of the building, scaled the roof's steep pitch, and fell from the east side of Goodrich Hall."
Wabash officials are unsure whether or not alcohol was involved. An autopsy was performed Monday; the results were not available by press time.
Woehnker, of Kendallville, Ind., was a freshman member of Wabash's swim team, and a meet scheduled for Wednesday against DePauw has been postponed indefinitely in the wake of his death.
"We're not worried about rescheduling the meet; they need to take care of their stuff," said Adam Cohen, men's swimming and diving coach. "Despite the rivalry ... a lot of our guys have swum with the Wabash student athletes. Swimming's a small world; they know each other."
Although sophomore DePauw swimmer Alex Troxel didn't know Woehnker personally, he has many close friends on the Wabash swim team and has called them to offer his sympathy and support.
"This is just something extremely, extremely sudden and tragic," he said. "I didn't know him personally, but we were scheduled to swim against them this Wednesday; we were really excited to swim them. It really just put the rivalry between DePauw and Wabash into perspective."
Troxel said many of his teammates feel similarly and have discussed attending a memorial service for Woehnker if one is held, in order to show the Wabash team "that despite this rivalry, we care about them, too."
That same rivalry normally sparks a festive mood at Wabash this time of year, as the date of the Monon football game approaches. But that sort of atmosphere is noticeably absent at the 917-student college.
"So many wonderful things are happening," Amidon said, "but I can't remember campus being more somber."
The Wabash swim team and the Wabash chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity did not respond to requests for comment.
-Courtney Hime contributed to this story.
Patrick Woehnker, 19, was found during a routine patrol by campus security personnel as the four students who accompanied him to the roof emerged from the building, said Jim Amidon, Wabash's director of public affairs and marketing. Wabash officials believe the students, all members of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, accessed the roof of Goodrich Hall by a little-known system of utility tunnels. While on the roof, Amidon said, the four others became separated from Woehnker; no one saw or heard him fall.
According to the college's Web site, "authorities believe Patrick climbed over the security railing on the west side of the building, scaled the roof's steep pitch, and fell from the east side of Goodrich Hall."
Wabash officials are unsure whether or not alcohol was involved. An autopsy was performed Monday; the results were not available by press time.
Woehnker, of Kendallville, Ind., was a freshman member of Wabash's swim team, and a meet scheduled for Wednesday against DePauw has been postponed indefinitely in the wake of his death.
"We're not worried about rescheduling the meet; they need to take care of their stuff," said Adam Cohen, men's swimming and diving coach. "Despite the rivalry ... a lot of our guys have swum with the Wabash student athletes. Swimming's a small world; they know each other."
Although sophomore DePauw swimmer Alex Troxel didn't know Woehnker personally, he has many close friends on the Wabash swim team and has called them to offer his sympathy and support.
"This is just something extremely, extremely sudden and tragic," he said. "I didn't know him personally, but we were scheduled to swim against them this Wednesday; we were really excited to swim them. It really just put the rivalry between DePauw and Wabash into perspective."
Troxel said many of his teammates feel similarly and have discussed attending a memorial service for Woehnker if one is held, in order to show the Wabash team "that despite this rivalry, we care about them, too."
That same rivalry normally sparks a festive mood at Wabash this time of year, as the date of the Monon football game approaches. But that sort of atmosphere is noticeably absent at the 917-student college.
"So many wonderful things are happening," Amidon said, "but I can't remember campus being more somber."
The Wabash swim team and the Wabash chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity did not respond to requests for comment.
-Courtney Hime contributed to this story.
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