PHOTOS: From the vigil honoring Celia Barquin Arozamena

AMES — The sports world is no exception to tragedies but on Wednesday night, Celia Barquin Arozamena’s vigil was a celebration of the person the former championship golfer was.

The lawn in front of The Campanile flooded with teammates, coaches, former opponents, classmates, friends, her boyfriend, her professors and so many more.

The people who loved her cried and laughed together, while simply embracing one another as they shared the stories that embodied who Celia was.

As someone who never had the chance to meet her, I can tell you from what was shared that Celia was funny, quirky, passionate and made time for the people she loved – even if it meant eating pizza when she was trying out a new diet. She saw golf as a gift God gave her and poured her heart into it, even if it meant waking up before the sun came up to practice.

Celia will be remembered as the girl who lit up a room with her smile in lecture halls full of engineering students where a smile was rare. She loved the Cyclones, the color yellow and wanted to marry her boyfriend.

It’s a sad time but the people who loved her shared that the good in this world will outshine the bad.