20-year-old college tennis player dies in his sleep; no cause of death announced



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:

Columbus Academy’s Drew Haffer, Arie Tuckerman and Jack Madisonyoutu.be

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.

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Ohio moms say private school 'retaliated against our children' over anti-critical race theory advocacy



Two Ohio mothers vocal against critical race theory from being taught at the private school their children attend are claiming school has retaliated against their children for speaking out about the school's alleged foray progressive ideologies.

What are the details?

Andrea Gross and Amy Gonzalez claim that Columbus Academy — which WSYX-TV called "one of the most well-known private schools in Ohio" — expelled their children after they began rallying other parents against far-left ideologies like CRT and anti-conservative bias.

Gross and Gonzalez reportedly lead the Pro-CA Coalition, a group of parents fighting back against curriculum and bias that amounts to "indoctrination" at Columbus Academy.

According to Fox News, the school responded to their activism by having "effectively expelled two of Gross' children and one of Gonzalez's." One of those children is a junior in high school who has attended the school for his entire academic life.

In a letter sent to Gross, the school's leaders claimed the women "have engaged in a campaign against Columbus Academy through a sustained, and increasingly inflammatory, series of false and misleading attacks on the School and its leadership."

A spokesman for the school, whose tuition ranges from $20,000 to nearly $31,000 per year, said in a statement:

No child has ever been denied re-enrollment to Columbus Academy because a parent raised questions, concerns or criticisms about a child's education. However, any parent who waged a public campaign of false and misleading statements and inflammatory attacks harmful to the employees, the reputation, or the financial stability of Columbus Academy would be in clear violation of the enrollment agreement.

What are the parents saying?

Gross told Fox News host Tucker Carlson this week the school is retaliating against them for their advocacy.

"I would say we were very surprised that the school decided to retaliate against our children," Gross said. "Unfortunately, just asking questions has resulted in our children being punished."

In a separate interview with WSYX, Gross said, "I believe they are trying to send a message to the other members of our coalition that if you speak out and you ask questions that they will punish your innocent children, and our members are afraid. Separating people by the color of their skin is regressive, we are not just anti-racist, we are also pro-human."

Gross explained both families requested an appeal, but the school said they were not "entitled" to an appeal. Instead, the school retained two law firms, Gross said.