A Mingus Union High School long-distance runner was transported by paramedics Monday, Aug. 17, to the emergency room at Verde Valley Medical Center with a case of heat exhaustion.
“I just know that she ran a little bit, not too much,” said new cross-country head coach Tiffany Goettl, who was at practice with the runner. “She felt sick and dizzy and sat down. The next thing we knew, they took her up to the ice bath.
“She was, like, hyperventilating. I don’t know if she was scared or what, but she had a hard time getting her breathing under control.”
So at about 5 p.m., the Marauders cross-country runner was removed from a practice at which temperatures reached close to 105 degrees, a source close to the situation said.
The source classified the injury as not purely related to the heat but rather heat exhaustion, which is brought on by multiple factors such as not having eaten much before practice.
“That makes sense,” Goettl said. “As coaches, we harp on that with the kids constantly. They need to watch that — it’s so crucial.”
Medical precautions were taken upon initial treatment, but while the runner was not suffering from a purely athletic injury such as heatstroke, it could have played a role in the runner’s incapacitation, the source added.
“If it was related to food, water and sleep, it’s a good example for the other kids,” Goettl said. “I’m not a doctor, but she’s not going to run for a couple days.”
The runner was treated in the emergency room at VVMC and released after an hour, Goettl said. She is expected to return to practice Thursday, Aug. 20.
For the full story, please see the Wednesday, Aug. 19, issue of the Cottonwood Journal Extra.
