Wisconsin track, cross-country star Sarah Shulze dead at 21

MADISON, Wis. — Editor’s note: If you or someone you know needs help or has suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

A University of Wisconsin track star has died at age 21.

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According to The Associated Press, Sarah Shulze, a junior known for competing in cross-country and track events, died April 13, her family wrote in an online post April 15. The runner from Oak Park, California, “took her own life,” the post said.

“Balancing athletics, academics and the demands of every day life overwhelmed her in a single, desperate moment,” Shulze’s family wrote. “Like you, we are shocked and grief stricken while holding on tightly to all that Sarah was.”

In an update Friday, the Shulze family said it has created a charitable foundation “to continue to support the causes most important to Sarah,” who had served as a Wisconsin State Legislature intern and developed a passion for politics.

“The Sarah Shulze Foundation will seek to advance and support women’s rights, student athletes and mental health,” the family wrote on SarahShulze.com. “It is our wish that in lieu of flowers, family and friends offer support to the Foundation, in various ways, in the weeks and months ahead.”

In a separate statement Friday, the Wisconsin Badgers said they were “heartbroken” by the death of Shulze, whom they described as “a beloved daughter, sister, granddaughter, friend, teammate and Badger student-athlete.”

A memorial for Shulze was held Sunday at the university, according to SarahShulze.com. Another service is set for 3 p.m. Monday at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village, California, her family said.

– The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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