Former Iowa State golfer Celia Barquin Arozamena was found dead Monday after police said she was fatally assaulted at Coldwater Golf Links in Ames, Iowa. She was 22.
Police said that 22-year-old Collin Daniel Richards has been charged with first-degree murder. Richards was booked early Tuesday morning in the Story County Jail and held without bond.
In a statement, police said that they were called to the course at about 10:20 a.m. Monday after golfers found a golf bag with no one near it. Officers discovered Barquin Arozamena’s body “some distance away” and determined that she had been “assaulted and died as a result.”
Barquin Arozamena, who exhausted her college eligibility in June, was finishing her civil engineering degree this semester. The native of Puente San Miguel, Spain, was one of the most accomplished players in program history – the reigning Big 12 individual champion, Iowa State’s Female Athlete of the Year and a three-time All-Big 12 honoree. This summer, she qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open and captured the Ladies European Amateur Championship.
“Celia had an infectious smile, a bubbly personality and anyone fortunate enough to know her was blessed. Our Cyclone family mourns the tragic loss of Celia, a spectacular student-athlete and ISU ambassador.” – ISU Athletics Director Jamie Pollard
https://t.co/NmFiYlvvOV pic.twitter.com/qHVaqFE2jS
— Iowa State WGolf (@CycloneWGOLF) September 18, 2018
“We are all devastated,” Iowa State women’s coach Christie Martens said in a release. “Celia was a beautiful person who was loved by all her teammates and friends. She loved Iowa State and was an outstanding representative for our school. We will never forget her competitive drive to be the best and her passion for life.”
Iowa State will honor Barquin Arozamena’s memory during Saturday’s football game against Akron.
