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A 19-year-old Air Force cadet died after she was found unconscious in a dormitory at the U.S. Air Force Academy, officials announced Thursday.
The cause of death of Avery Koonce, a cadet fourth class — or freshman — from the Williamson County city of Taylor, is under investigation, according to a statement from the academy. Koonce was on the track and field team and a member of the Class of 2028 at the academy, in Colorado Springs, Colo.
”We lost an incredible teammate last night,” academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind said in a news release posted to the academy’s Facebook page. “While only with us for a short time, Avery positively impacted her unit, her intercollegiate team, and her class — her loss will be felt across USAFA.”
Koonce’s parents, Eric and Kelly Koonce, called her “an incredible bright light in this broken world” and said she was “truly loved by so many” in a statement obtained by The Gazette, a newspaper in Colorado Springs.
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“Avery was not a perfect person but was a perfect daughter,” they wrote. “Loving on her brothers and learning how to live with Avery’s loss is our only focus right now. We are beyond blessed for the 19 amazing years we got to call Avery ours. We are praying for all of those that are bearing the incredible darkness of her loss.”
Koonce graduated this year from Thrall ISD, where she competed in cross country, powerlifting, track and field, and was a member of the cheerleading squad, the Taylor Press reported.
Taylor is about 170 miles south of Dallas and 35 miles northeast of Austin.