Former Iowa State golfer Celia Barquin Arozamena was found dead on Monday at a golf course in Ames, Iowa, the victim of an apparent murder.
Barquin Arozamena was the 2018 Big 12 champion in golf, and was Iowa State’s 2018 female athlete of the year. She was still attending the school in order to complete her civil engineering degree after having exhausted her athletic eligibility earlier this year.
Barquin Beloved by Iowa State Community
Barquin Arozamena was originally from Puente San Miguel, a small town in northern Spain. The 22-year-old had become a standout golfer in her time at Iowa State, and had plans to turn pro next year. During her time at the school, she was a three-time all-conference selection, and qualified for the NCAA regionals in all four years in which she was eligible. She was only the third player in school history to compete in the US Women’s Open, and had won the European Ladies Amateur Championship.
Barquin Arozamena was set to be honored as the Iowa State female athlete of the year during the school’s football game against Akron this Saturday. Players will now wear helmet decals bearing her initials in her honor.
“Celia was a beautiful person who was loved by all her teammates and friends,” Iowa State women’s golf coach Christie Martens said in a statement. “She loved Iowa State and was an outstanding representative for our school. We will never forget her competitive drive to be the best and her passion for life.”
Police were summoned to Coldwater Golf Course on Monday morning after golfers reported finding a golf bag with no one around it. Barquin Arozamena’s body was found in a pond near the ninth hole of the course. Ames police say she suffered stab wounds to the torso, head and neck in what officials have called “a random act of violence.”
On Monday evening, police announced that Collin Daniel Richards had been charged with her murder. In a brief appearance at the Story County Courthouse in Nevada, Iowa on Tuesday morning, bond was set at $5 million. If convicted of first-degree murder, Richards could face life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Hometown Shocked by Local Hero’s Murder
Barquin’s hometown of Puente San Miguel is observing three days of mourning in her honor.
“I bragged about Celia,” Mayor Pablo Diestro told El Pais. “I am a road engineer and I was so proud of her, who said that when she finished her degree, she would return home and work here.”
Barquin’s death sent shockwaves through the golf community as well. As one of the rising stars of Spanish golf, she had already interacted with some of the country’s best players, including Sergio Garcia, who paid tribute to her on Twitter.
Heartbroken over what happened to #CeliaBarquinArozamena I had the pleasure of meeting her and I know she was a special person. Sending my thoughts and prayers to her family and loved ones in this difficult time
— Sergio Garcia (@TheSergioGarcia) September 18, 2018
Based on her European Amateur Championship win, Barquin was guaranteed an invitation to next year’s Women’s British Open. She was also a member of the Spanish national team that placed highly at both the 2015 and 2016 European Amateur Team Championships.
“She was a player who was heading for the very top, without a doubt,” Spanish Golf Federation technical director Nacho Gervas told El Pais.
