Alex Rovello drowns, A college tennis star who was among the top players in the country has died after diving from a cliff during a day out with friends and failing to resurface.
Alex Rovello, who played for the University of Oregon and was once No. 24 in national high school rankings, jumped from a 60-foot cliff at Tamolitch Falls in the Willamette National Forest on Saturday.
Witnesses, who included including football players and other athletes from the university, told emergency responders that Rovello hit the water with his face and upper chest.
When he failed to resurface, friends and bystanders tried to save him but were hampered by the depth of the pool and its 37-degree water.
There was no phone service at the cliff, so a witness had to run two miles before he had enough signal to alert 911.
Authorities received a call around 2pm on Saturday.
Rescue teams worked until midnight and eventually recovered Rovello's body 30 to 40 feet beneath the surface of the water, and his body was taken to a funeral home in Albany.
Police told The Oregonian that they do not believe alcohol played a factor in the death.
A memorial service for Rovello, a popular journalism student at the University of Oregon and an accomplished tennis player, will be held on Saturday May 18.
Rovello's Facebook page shows numerous photographs of him competing in tennis tournaments, alongside other images of him grinning beside friends and his girlfriend, Holly.
'Everyone loved him and he was just always so nice,' friend Lauren James told The Oregonian. 'He could light up a room with his smile.'
In June 2010, Rovello, who was an only child and grew up in Portland, Oregon, was featured in Sports Illustrated 'Faces in the Crowd', a section featuring the top young athletes across the country.
It listed his achievements, including how finished his career at Cleveland High School with a staggering 50-0 singles record.
He became the first high school player in state history to win four singles state titles and ranked as high as No.24 in the nation and won two Pacific Cup titles, The Oregonian reported.
Rovello had a 21-8 match record this past season as a No. 3 and No. 4 singles player. He and partner Daan Maasland also won 16 doubles matches - the eighth most in school history.
'The Oregon tennis family is devastated by the loss of Alex,' UO tennis coach Nils Schyllander said in a statement.
'He was an amazing person and teammate and his spirit will live on forever with all of us who were fortunate enough to have known him. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his parents, Geri and Jim Rovello, and to the entire family.'
Director of Athletics Rob Mullens added: 'Alex was so much more than a dedicated and exemplary student-athlete at the University of Oregon.
'He was a son, a brother, a friend, a teammate, a leader, whose warm personality brought everyone together and whose contributions to the extended Oregon community will resonate long after today.
'On behalf of the UO family, we extend our sympathies to Alex’s family, and we will honor his memory each and every day.'
Monday, May 13, 2013
Alex Rovello drowns
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