High School Basketball Player Dies After Winning Shot

In Fennville, Mich., Wes Leonard, a mere 16-year-old boy, fell to the floor of the gymnasium after scoring the winning basket for his team. One moment he was cheering; the next his enlarged heart was failing.
  

His basketball skills were legendary in his small town. Coaches had a hard time believing someone so young could be packed with so much talent. On occassion, his birth certificate had to be shown in order to let him play.
   
On Thursday evening of last week, Wes Leonard sent the ball through the hoop from close range with less than 30 seconds left in overtime. This final shot gave Fennville High a 57-55 victory over their rivalry, Bridgman High, along with a 20-0 regular season. Shortly after shaking hands with the opposing players and cheering for their victory, a team portrait was attempted to be put together. However, it was a failed attempt, because 6'2" player Leonard had collapsed to the ground.
   
CPR was performed by the paramedics on the way to nearby Holland Hospital just before they announced his death. Shortly after, an autopsy was done and determined that Leonard had died of cardiac arrest due to an enlarged heart.
  
Medical examiners could not place an exact reason as to why this happened. Some said it was largely in part of Leonard's athletic career.
   
The wake for young Wes was yesterday afternoon. The funeral for him will be tomorrow at Christ Memorial Church in Holland.

By: Becky Welc
Photo courtesy of AP