LSU is mourning the loss of freshman pole vaulter Dillon Reidenauer, one of two people killed in a car crash on campus on in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Wednesday night. She was 18.
‘LSU Athletics is heartbroken to share the tragic news of the passing of freshman track and field student-athlete Dillon Reidenauer in a traffic incident Wednesday evening in Baton Rouge,’ the university said in a statement shared with USA TODAY Sports. ‘Our thoughts and prayers are with Dillon’s family, friends and teammates, as well as with those impacted by the loss of another individual who died as a result of the incident.’
The incident happened Wednesday evening around 9:07 p.m. local time. Authorities say a Honda Civic was struck by a motorcycle while attempting to make a left turn, according to an incident report obtained by WVLA Baton Rouge. The motorcyclist, identified by police as 23-year-old Bodhi Linton, also died in the crash.
Reidenauer graduated from Fontainebleau High School in Mandeville, Louisiana in May 2024. A native of Abita Springs, Louisiana, Reidenauer finished second at the 2024 Louisiana High School Athletic Association State Championships with a clearance of 3.64 meters. She committed to LSU as one of the top pole vaulters in the state.
‘I’m so excited to announce that I will continue to pole vault for Louisiana State University next year,’ Reidenauer wrote on Instagram, days after her high school graduation. ‘I am so blessed and grateful to have a great support group and a wonderful coach who has taught me everything I know. I am so excited to be a part of the LSU track and field team next year! GEAUX TIGERS!’
LSU track and field coach Dennis Shaver said Reidenauer was ‘taken from us much too soon.’
“Everyone in our LSU Track & Field family is keeping Dillon’s loved ones in our thoughts and prayers, as well as those of the other individual lost in the incident. “We will do everything we can to make sure our student-athletes and staff have the resources they need to process the grief of this terrible loss. I would also like to thank Texas A&M for offering their support and compassion as we are on the road at College Station for the SEC Championships.”
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