Iowa State mourns student-athlete, "We're devastated"

AMES, Iowa-  An emotional Iowa State University Athletic Director Jamie Pollard is reacting to the death of Celia Barquin Arosamena, a highly accomplished, student-athlete at ISU.   

Barquin Arosamena's body was found Monday at the Coldwater Golf Links near campus Monday morning.   

A 22-year-old man who Ames Police say was living in a tent near the golf course, is charged with First Degree Murder in Arosamena's death.

"We're all devastated, and heartbroken.  Celia was a victim of a senseless random act by a stranger in broad daylight, while playing something she loved, golf." said Pollard during a news conference in Ames this afternoon.

Pollard says the campus is just beginning the grieving process.  He says members of both the Women's and Men's golf teams have met together and with counselors.

Pollard says Barquin Arosamena could not get enough of being a Cyclone, "She was a passionate, caring young lady who probably embraced being a Cyclone just about more than anyone we've ever had.  She loved being a Cyclone, even though she was done being a student-athlete, you saw her at everything.  She embraced anything and everything she could get out of her time here."

Cyclone Women's Golf Coach Christie Martens says Barqwin Arosamena, a native of Spain, loved competing for Iowa State. 

"Iowa State was a really, really, really special place to her.  It meant so much to her every time that she went out on the course for us, it meant the world to her.  Winning the Big 12 Championship for our team meant so much to her, because of doing it for Iowa State," said Martens.   

Barquin Arosamena, who was the 2018 Big 12 Women's Golf champion,  was going to be honored this weekend at the ISU football game, because she had been named the 2018 ISU female athlete of the year. Instead there will be a video tribute and moment of silence in her honor, before the game.