Jack Madison — a 20-year-old member of the Colorado College men’s tennis team — died in his sleep Jan. 2, the Colorado College Tigers website reported. He was at home in Ohio at the time of his death, the college said in an alert.
The Colorado Springs Gazette said Madison’s cause of death has not been announced.
Madison hailed from Bexley, Ohio, and was recruited to Colorado College from Columbus Academy where he was a four-year letter winner and team captain during his senior year, the college said. Madison was twice named a first-team all-state player and for three years was a first-team all-league player at Columbus Academy, the college added. He also was a state finalist during his sophomore and senior seasons at the Academy, the college said.
Columbus Academy boys tennis coach Marc Wurtzman told the Columbus Dispatch that Madison “always put a smile on your face. Everybody loved Jack. Players from other teams loved Jack. Jack will never be forgotten. He will be remembered by all his friends, family, and coaches, and everybody in the Academy community.”
The Dispatch said Madison was in his sophomore year at Colorado College.
“We are devastated by the tragic passing of Jack Madison,” Colorado College Vice President and Director of Athletics Lesley Irvine said, according the Tigers website. “Jack was a treasured member of our men’s tennis program and his loss will be profoundly felt throughout the athletics department and campus community.”
Tigers head coach Anthony Weber said “the tennis program is deeply saddened by the news of Jack Madison’s death. Jack was one of the most friendly and respectful student-athletes we have had in our program. We will miss his selflessness and positive influence. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family as they cope with this tragic news,” the college reported.
Madison’s family added that he was “fascinated by language and words; sound and music; and was crazy about art. He was a thoughtful writer, with his writing appearing in the Catalyst and the ‘Sounds of Colorado College’ blog, which he managed. Jack encouraged our community to reflect and think more deeply — not to mention to listen to new artists. He loved our CC community,” the college’s alert noted.
Here’s a clip of Madison — wearing a baseball cap and standing on the right — during a May 2019 interview with Columbus Academy tennis teammates:
A week after Madison’s death, an Air Force Academy cadet suddenly died after he collapsed while walking to class. The Air Force Academy is just north of Colorado Springs, and Colorado College is in Colorado Springs.
Officials have not yet determined a cause of death for 21-year-old Cadet 3rd Class Hunter Brown. He was a sophomore member of the Air Force Falcons football team for which he played on the offensive line and appeared in two games during the 2022 season.
