Renee Rhodes (Roanoke) dies of meningitis

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.roanoke.com/sports/college/wb/252870

College sports notebook: Renee Rhodes remembered fondly by Roanoke College track and field teammates
By Mark Berman | The Roanoke Times
In April, Renee Rhodes took third place in the pole vault at the ODAC outdoor track and field championships.

On Tuesday, her funeral was held.

Rhodes, a Staunton River graduate who was a rising senior at Roanoke College, died last Friday of a bacterial infection that caused her to develop meningitis.

Rhodes, 21, died the same day she was taken via ambulance to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital from her doctor's office in Vinton. The cause of death was determined Saturday.

"I got the phone call Friday night [from a team member] and I couldn't believe it," Roanoke coach Finn Pincus said Wednesday. "I called Renee's cellphone, figuring, 'No, it just can't be.' It's so sad."

"It came as a big blow to everyone who knew her," said her mother, Diane Holland.

Pincus and Staunton River assistant track and field coach Joe Hubble were among the speakers at her funeral, which was attended by many of her college and high school teammates.

"She was a ray of sunshine every day," Hubble said.

"She was always willing to give someone a hug if they needed it," Pincus said.

Rhodes owns the outdoor (10 feet, 2 inches) and indoor (10-0) records in the pole vault at Roanoke College. She broke the school records as a freshman, and topped herself each year.

She was third at both the ODAC indoor and outdoor meets this year. She finished third a total of four times at the ODAC championships in her career, and was runner-up another time. Rhodes helped the Maroons win five ODAC team titles.

"She was very self-disciplined," Pincus said. "If you looked at all the vaulters in our conference, she was neither the fastest nor the strongest.

"But because her technique was so good, because she worked on the details, that's what made her as good as she was."

[HHSPVCoach]

This hits close to home. We (Alma College) just competed against them back in March. They were a great group of folks, and we had a wonderful time down there. I'm sorry to hear about their loss. She'll be missed.

Coach Phil