Winthrop softball legend and Hall of Famer Janiva Willis died in a car accident Tuesday night, April 12, in the state of Texas. The vehicle she was traveling in was struck by a tractor-trailer, killing Willis and the driver of the vehicle she occupied.
Willis, a member of the Eagles' class of 2005, was in the midst of a 3,700+ mile journey across the United States, from San Diego to Charlotte, North Carolina. Biking the entire way cross-country, Willis was completing the journey as a fundraiser for the "I Dream in Colors Tour", a nonprofit endeavor raising money for mentoring initiatives in several cities. The journey was supposed to cover eleven states and sixty cities in fifty-seven days; Willis departed San Diego on March 26th, due to arrive in Charlotte in mid-June.
A four-time all-Big South selection, Willis is one of the finest female athletes to grace a Winthrop uniform. She holds four of the program's career records, including the Eagles' all-time home run mark.
In 2005, after her senior season, Willis was named the NCAA's Woman of the Year and was a top-ten finalist for the National Woman of the Year award. She was inducted into the Winthrop Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012.
Following her collegiate career, she was a member of the Canadian National Team in 2005 and 2007 and won a silver medal at the 2007 Pan Am Games.
Our thoughts, prayers, and best wishes are with her family and loved ones as they go through this tragic and difficult time.
No comments:
Post a Comment