A 20-year-old Tufts lacrosse player died on Sunday after participating at a charity hot dog eating contest with some of her fellow students. According to the Rockland/Westchester Journal News, Madelyn "Madie" Nicpon fell unconscious and choked on a hot dog during the contest, which took place on Saturday afternoon.
"We are beyond heartbroken to share the news of the passing of junior Madie Nicpon — "Scooter," the Tufts women's lacrosse program wrote in an Instagram post. "Scooter was a true friend and teammate. She truly valued her relationships with her teammates and coaches. Her reach was far beyond our team — she was a true connector on campus and touched every single person she met.
"She has and will continue to inspire us every day. We should all strive to live life a little bit more like Scooter did — a person that valued love, loyalty, compassion and friendship."
The accident took place at a "private, rental property" in Somerville, Mass. According to the Rockland/Westchester Journal News, first responders arrived at the scene and eventually took Nicpon to Massachusetts General in Boston, where she died a day later.
On Sunday evening, an estimated 3,000 students attended a vigil to honor Nicpon's life. Nicpon was a defender on the lacrosse squad and was majoring in biopsychology. She had appeared in four lacrosse games during her two seasons with the Division III school.
