The MSU swimming program was struck with tragedy April 30, when team members learned that standout swimmer John Munley had died during a morning jog near campus.

Munley, 22, was an accomplished swimmer who was named MSU’s most valuable men’s swimmer in 1999 and 2000 and was a four-year letter-winner.

The athlete was jogging about 11:30 a.m. when he collapsed near the Harrison Avenue and Oak Street intersection. Paramedics attempted to resuscitate him and transported him to Lansing’s Sparrow Hospital. Munley was pronounced dead at 12:10 p.m.

It was believed Munley was running to the IM-Sports West pool when he collapsed. A memorial, lined with flowers, a balloon and chalk-written messages, marks the site where Munley fell.

Autopsy results showed Munley had an enlarged heart. His condition had been previously unknown to family, coaches and teammates.

Both the men’s and women’s teams were told of the news in a special meeting April 30 before MSU officials made a public statement.

“Some of the players just had blank stares of disbelief,” swimming and diving coach Jim Lutz said of the teams’ reaction during the meeting. “Some had extreme outbursts of pain. And for a couple, it will be awhile before they’ll talk about this.”

Lutz said it’s ironic a man in such great physical shape as Munley would suffer from heart problems: “It defies all logic,” he said.

Because of the close nature of the two squads - the men’s and women’s teams often practice together - some say it feels as though a family member has passed away.

“It was pretty awful,” said Andrea Stewart, a 2001 MSU graduate who served as captain of the women’s team during her junior year. “There was a big sense of shock. Once it started to sink in, there was a sense of grief.”

During the days following Munley’s passing, team members received an outpouring of support from swimmers at other universities - many of whom had known MSU’s star swimmer well.

“It’s amazing how many people he touched just through his swimming career,” pre-vet senior Philip Hillary said. “In a way, it’s neat to see how many people he affected.”

The packaging major, who came to MSU in 1997, was originally from Kalamazoo, where he swam for Portage Central High School. He came to MSU after being a three-time all-conference selection in high school and an all-state selection as a senior.

At MSU, he held the school record in the 200-yard freestyle and qualified for the 2000 Summer Olympic trials, as well as serving as an alternate on the 1998 team for the World University Games.

The senior had completed his swimming career and was slated to begin an internship this summer. His brother Tom Munley was an All-American swimmer at MSU from 1992-96.

Munley’s family has started a scholarship in his honor and has also asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Ralph Young Fund in care of the John Munley Memorial. Contributions can be mailed to 4700 S. Hagadorn Road, Suite 220.

Munley’s teammates and coaches remember him as a great competitor and friend.

“He was the epitome of what a competitor was supposed to be,” Lutz said. “John was the one you went to - green and white through and through.”

State News staff writers Tony Paul and Justin A. Rice contributed to this report.

Drew Harmon can be reached at harmondr@msu.edu.