Justin Gatlin, Aleah Finnegan, and others pay heartfelt tributes as LSU Pole vaulter Dillon Reidenauer dies in car crash

LSU and the athletics community are mourning the loss of one of the top vaulters in the country, Dillon Reidenauer, who died in a campus car crash on Wednesday evening. Justin Gatlin and Aleah Finnegan, among others, paid heartfelt tributes to the athlete.

Reidenauer was a freshman at LSU and finished second at the Louisiana High School Athletic Association State Championships last year. Her Honda Civic was reported to have been struck by a motorcycle in Baton Rouge on Wednesday evening, leading to the demise of both.

"LSU Athletics is heartbroken to share the tragic news of the passing of freshman track and field student-athlete Dillon Reidenauer in a traffic incident Wednesday evening in Baton Rouge," the university said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Dillon’s family, friends, and teammates, as well as with those impacted by the loss of another individual who died as a result of the incident."

2004 Olympic 100m champion, Justin Gatlin, was heartbroken over Reidenauer's demise and commented:

"🙏🏾💔"

Reigning national gymnastics champion Aleah Finnegan shared her love for pole vaulter, commenting:

"❤️"

LSU sprinter Alia Armstrong sent her condolences to the Reidenauer family and prayed to God to take care of them in this tough time.

"May God have his hands on the hearts of this beautiful girl’s family and loved ones. 🙏🏾"

LSU football player Princeton Malbrue also reacted to the post, posting:

"🙏🏾"

Justin Gatlin, Aleah Finnegan and others mourn demise of LSU Pole Vaulter

Reidenauer committed to LSU as one of the best pole vaulters in the state of Louisiana, coming out of high school. She graduated from Fontainebleau High School in Mandeville, Louisiana, in May 2024 and had a high school personal best of 3.81m.

"We are devastated" - LSU head coach on Dillon Reidenauer's passing

LSU track and field head coach Dennis Shaver was devasted over the tragic death of Dillon Reidenauer in the car crash on Wednesday and shared his condolences for the pole vaulter's family.

"We are devastated by the tragic passing of Dillon Reidenauer, who was taken from us much too soon. Everyone in our LSU Track & Field family is keeping Dillon’s loved ones in our thoughts and prayers, as well as those of the other individual lost in the incident," he said, via nola.com

Meanwhile, Reidenauer's death took her high school by shock, and athletic director Elicia Ocmond revealed a lot of kids were upset on campus.

“There are a lot of kids upset [on campus]. If you asked the teachers, they would tell you that she was a sweet, kind kid," Ocmond said

The high school's track coach, Sam Sander, described Reidenauer as one of the most driven people she knew and revealed the pole vaulter had worked tirelessly to make it to the LSU.