Iowa State football to honor murdered Cyclones golfer at Saturday’s game
The Iowa State Cyclones football program has announced the team will honor the memory of Celia Barquín Arozamena, a former standout golfer at the university who was found murdered earlier this week, at Saturday’s game.
The Iowa State football program is at a loss of words on the tragic news of Celia. Our hearts are broken.
All of our thoughts & prayers are with her family, friends, and the entire Iowa State Community.
— Cyclone Football (@CycloneFB) September 18, 2018
Among the tributes to Arozamena planned for Saturday will include the Cyclones affixing a decal to their helmets bearing the initials CBA for the game against Akron at Jack Trice Stadium.
We, among other Cyclone sport teams, will honor the life of Celia Barquin Arozamena with this decal. We continue to send our thoughts and prayers to family, friends and teammates. #CycloneFamily pic.twitter.com/JCMLtkfZ93
— Cyclone Football (@CycloneFB) September 18, 2018
A moment of silence is also planned approximately 10 minutes before kickoff.
Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell opened his weekly press conference this week emotionally addressing the “act of violence” that resulted in Arozamena’s death.
Here is head coach Matt Campbell's statement from his weekly newsconference – on the loss of Celia Barquin Arozamena pic.twitter.com/cUPop0UmgD
— Cyclone Football (@CycloneFB) September 18, 2018
“We’ll get through this tragedy together,” Campbell said Tuesday, via the Des Moines Register. “What’s special about being at Iowa State is the unity that our student-athletes carry.
“… Obviously it’s a really hard day at Iowa State University.”
Arozamena, 22, a 2018 Big 12 champion and Iowa State Female Athlete of the Year, was a three-time All-Big 12 golfer for the Cyclones.
Adding additional heartbreak to the already senseless tragedy was how plans were already in place to honor Arozamena at Saturday’s game, according to Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard.
Pollard said Celia Barquin Arozamena was already set to be honored at Saturday’s football game as the student-athlete to the year. Added “she broke down in tears” when she was told she’d be honored in such a way. There will be a moment of silence 10 minutes before kickoff.
— CycloneFanatic.com (@cyclonefanatic) September 18, 2018
Arozamena’s body, having suffered numerous stab wounds, was found Monday in a pond on a golf course near the campus in Ames. A 22-year-old homeless man, Collin Daniel Richards, has been arrested and charged in Arozamena’s murder.