INDIANAPOLIS – IUPUI students and staff are mourning the loss of a freshman student-athlete who died Wednesday, according to school officials.
The Cass County coroner said Jake Graf died of an accidental gunshot wound in his hometown of Logansport, Ind.
Graf was in his first year with the school’s cross country team and was studying pre-criminal justice, according to the IUPUI Athletic Department.
"We are shaken by this tragedy. It is always heartbreaking to see a young life cut short," said IUPUI Director of Athletics Roderick Perry. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Jake's family and friends in this time of need, and we will provide support and comfort to his teammates, friends, coaches and colleagues throughout the grieving process."
Graf redshirted the cross country team after he had a standout career at Logansport High School where he earned the 2015 North Central Conference crown in cross country. He also was given three straight all-NCC honors and three consecutive semi-state berths.
He made his debut with the IUPUI Jaguars at the Dec. 5 Mastodon Opener in Fort Wayne.
"Jake was a great, great kid. He truly was," Head Coach Chuck Koeppen said. "He was a tremendous teammate and a tremendous friend to all of our guys. He had big goals and an incredibly bright future ahead of him. It hurts to lose someone of his character and his caliber at such a young age, but we take comfort in knowing how huge of an impact he made in a short period of time. Our prayers most certainly go out to his family."
