(WWJ) -- The Michigan State University community is mourning after the captain of the women’s rowing team died following a crash along I-96 in the Lansing area last week.
University officials say Olivia Long, 20, a native of Lake Orion, Mich., succumbed to injuries Friday after a crash near Portland Township on Thursday.
The Ionia County Sheriff’s Office says Long’s vehicle rear-ended a box truck around 2:30 p.m. Thursday as traffic was slowing down, due to a back up caused by another crash in the area. Authorities are still investigating the crash.
Long had been voted as the rowing team’s captain ahead of her junior year at MSU.
“We have lost a young, promising life way too early, Michigan State rowing head coach Kim Chavers said. “Olivia was an excellent teammate who was invested in those around her and our program. As a captain, she connected with a lot of different people, and on a team as large as ours, team building is especially important.”
Chavers says the rowing family will miss Long “tremendously” and will find a way to honor her legacy as they lean on one another to process the loss.
“We send our love and prayers to her family and all who loved her, as this loss is hard to comprehend,” Chavers said.
Long enrolled at MSU ahead of the 2019-20 academic year, and despite having her freshman season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ascended into a spot in MSU's varsity eight boat for her sophomore season, where she earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Prior to her rowing career at MSU, Long was a standout volleyball player at Lake Orion High School, where she helped the Dragons win a Division I state championship as a senior. She also earned national attention through the Michigan Elite Volleyball Academy.
"Our prayers go out to Olivia Long's family and friends," Michigan State Athletic Director Bill Beekman said. "Olivia loved being a Spartan, and as a leader developed incredible connections with so many of her teammates. To lose her so soon seems especially cruel.”
Beekman says the school will provide support and resources to assist teammates and others who knew Long.
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