Division II gymnast dies from spinal cord injury suffered in training accident

An NCAA Division II gymnast died Sunday as a result of a training accident. 

Melanie Coleman, a 20-year-old junior athlete at Southern Connecticut State University, suffered a serious spinal cord injury while practicing on the uneven bars on Friday before being pronounced dead Sunday at Yale New Haven Hospital, the university announced in a public statement. 

"We are heartbroken and stunned by Melanie's passing," Owls coach Mary Fredericks said. "She was an incredibly hard worker and a sweet-spirited young woman. Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to her family at this time. The SCSU Gymnastics team will miss her greatly though she will always be with us."

Coleman, from Milford, Connecticut, was an all-state athlete for Jonathan Law High School. In 2018, she honored by USA Gymnastics as an All-America Scholar-Athlete and was also recognized by Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association as a Scholastic All-American. She was pursuing a degree in nursing from Southern Connecticut.

Her sister, Tiffany, was also a gymnast at the university.

A GoFundMe page was created for the Coleman family when Melanie was still in critical condition. As of Monday afternoon it had reached around $30,000. The page's author, Anna Andrich, wrote: "Melanie gained her angel wings tonight and was able to give life to others."