An Arizona State college athlete has been hospitalized after he collapsed at a practice session. As reported by the New York Post, 21-year-old Matthew Mayich was having a normal day before collapsing.
The college athlete was a part of Arizona State's hockey team. On Thursday, August 20, Tempe Fire Medical Rescue reportedly received a report of a "heat-related illness". They were dispatched to the Sun Angel Stadium, which is an open track and field facility.
They also explained that "a patient was treated at the site and then transported to a local hospital." However, they did not name the specific affected patient.
The college also did not name Mayich specifically. Chris Fiscus, the vice president of ASU media relations, said that they were looking into the "circumstances surrounding the workout". An Arizona State spokesperson added that, "The university offers its support for the student-athlete, their family and all our student-athletes during this difficult time."
It is uncertain whether the practice was officially sanctioned by ASU's hockey team.
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The College Athlete Was Training in Extreme Heat
This comes after there was an extreme heat warning on the day he was taken into hospital. Per AZCentral, the extreme heat warning on August 20 showed "Highs of 106F to 113F".
The warning also explained that there was a "high risk of heat stress or illnesses for anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration".
However, despite this warning, the hockey team reportedly still trained anyway. This is because NCAA rules allow for formal activities for teams to begin "when classes start". ASU started their fall semester on Thursday.
The heat in Arizona has been devastating for communities. Per Yahoo!News, there have been a tragic 113 confirmed heat-related deaths in Maricopa County alone. As well as this, there are an additional 584 deaths whose causes are still being investigated.
Cooling centers have been set up throughout Arizona to try and tackle the impact of the heatwave. The heat warning even explained, "In Maricopa County, if you lack access to air conditioning, free transportation to cooling centers is available 8am-5pm daily through Arizona 211."
We hope that the college athlete, and everyone else suffering from this tragedy, will recover soon.
