Thalia Chaverria, a rising junior defender for the New Mexico State women's soccer team, died Monday (July 10) just days after her 20th birthday, the university announced on its official athletics website Tuesday (July 11).
"The sudden loss of Thalia has completely rocked our Aggie soccer families' world," said head coach Rob Baarts. "T was an inspiration and rock to this team. She will be missed but not forgotten. Her spirit will be with us everyday, on and off the pitch. I will always love you T!"
"Yesterday, we lost an amazing young woman, and we are deeply saddened by the untimely passing of a member of our Aggie family," added director of athletics Mario Moccia. "Thalia had a vibrant personality and those who were fortunate enough to spend time with her knew she had a bright future ahead of her."
Local authorities found Chaverria unresponsive at a home in Las Cruces on Monday. Officials said there's no reason to believe the 20-year-old's death was the result of criminal activity amid an ongoing joint investigation conducted by the Las Cruces Police Department and Office of the Medical Investigator.
Chaverria, of Bakersfield, California, started 20 games and logged 1,787 total minutes -- the fourth-highest among New Mexico players -- during her sophomore season, which resulted in the Aggies' first WAC conference title in program history following three shutout wins in the WAC Tournament. A GoFundMe has been launched to help her family pay for medical expenses.
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