Athlete Lauren Bernett’s death was deemed a suicide.

The rest of the softball season at James Madison University has been cancelled after student athlete Lauren Bernett’s death was deemed a suicide.

Lauren Bernett: Because the death of student athlete Lauren Bernett was deemed a suicide, James Madison University has decided to postpone the rest of the softball season.
Bernett, 20, was a key player in the Women’s College World Series in 2021. She committed suicide, according to the Western District Medical Examiner’s Office in Virginia, on April 25.

JMU head coach Loren LaPorte stated in a statement on Monday that suspending the rest of the season was “an extraordinarily tough choice that was not made lightly.” “We’ll utilise this time to continue recovering and honour Lauren’s memory while completing the semester strong,” said the family.
Bernett was a sophomore who wanted to major in biology with a focus in pre-veterinary medicine, according to her JMU profile.

The Colonial Athletic Association had recently awarded the catcher “Player of the Week.”

Bernett and her colleagues shone last season as the Dukes created history by making their first-ever run to the Women’s College World Series national semifinals. With a 41-4 record, JMU had its finest season ever.
According to the statement, five games were cancelled as a result of Bernett’s death, including a doubleheader at Longwood University and a weekend series with Delaware.
A game against Virginia on Tuesday and a three-game league series versus Elon on May 6 and 7 were among the remaining games cancelled.

LaPorte acknowledged the cancellation’s impact on graduating students “whose careers have come to an abrupt end,” but promised the university will celebrate them for their accomplishments to JMU as student athletes as well.
“JMU finishes the season with a 21-21 overall record and a 10-5 conference record,” according to the statement.