'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Former Tufts University student Madie Nicpon, who recently graduated from New York High School, died after choking during a hot dog eating event on Sunday. Nicpon, known to her friends and family as Madelyn, participated in a contest during this tragic accident.
The 20-year-old star athlete passed away at a Boston hospital a day after she was admitted. Nicpon fell unconscious during the contest, which was a charity fundraiser held off-campus.
After news of her passing, several classmates gathered on Sunday night to pay tribute to the bio-psychology major and a talented lacrosse player.
A GoFundMe page was created for Madie Nicpon’s family to cover funeral expenses. The fundraising campaign had raised over $158 435 at the time of writing this article.
The university athlete was nicknamed “Scooter” in her team. Classmates placed candles around her jersey at a vigil which over 6,000 students attended.
Social media was flooded with tributes to Madie Nicpon
A popular student on campus, Nicpon was class president at Suffern High School. She was also part of the National Honor Society with an average 4.0 GPA.
In her statement, Tufts mentioned that Madie Nicpon was involved in an accident at a “private, rental property.” They added that first responders performed “extensive life-saving procedures” before Nicpon was taken to a hospital in Cambridge. She was later on admitted to Massachusetts General in Boston. The athlete, unfortunately, passed away on Sunday afternoon.
The lacrosse player was described as a true friend and teammate, as her classmates expressed that they were beyond heartbroken in a social media post. They added:
"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."
Lacrosse coach John Callanan from the Suffren girls lacrosse team described Madie Nicpon as:
"A sweetheart, just a really special kid.”
Her lacrosse teammate Kimberly Mahecha from Suffern High School wrote in a post:
"She was kind and caring (and) lit up every room and field she stepped on. She easily became everyone's friend and made an impact on everyone she met. She was the biggest cheerleader for all of her teammates and the biggest hype man during good and bad games."
A parent who knew Madie Nicpon described her as “fun to be around and very funny.”
Another post describing the ambitious woman read:
"She has and will continue to inspire us every day. We should all strive to live life a little more like Scooter did — a person that valued love, loyalty, compassion and friendship."
The post concluded:
"We love you, Scooter. Keep dancing from above.”
