Orona gone but never forgotten

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Nothing could’ve prepared me for the news I received on Aug. 18.

It was always in the back of my mind as a possibility, but when reality hit I still wasn’t prepared to deal with the death of a student-athlete. That was the day I learned of Courtney Orona’s death.

My greatest fear as a sports writer came true as I not only had to deal with the death of a student-athlete for the first time, but also had to cover the death of someone I knew personally. I learned of her death because of a post on Facebook from one of her friends who posted a picture of him with Courtney.

The week that followed Courtney’s passing proved to be a rallying point for the Waelder community as well as The Inquirer. Our publisher, Brenda Adams, wrote a column about her relationship with the Orona family, the Fall Sports Preview was dedicated to Courtney’s memory, and a slew of Courtney’s friends and family friends reminisced on their memories of her.

I had the privilege of meeting Courtney and her family at the region cross country meet in November 2011 as her brother, Clay, competed in the meet. A month later, I did a feature on the Orona siblings – Cody, Clay and Courtney – and it was a privilege to talk to them.

Courtney was full of life and energy both on and off the court. She participated in basketball, volleyball, FFA and track and field at Waelder, where she was a freshman.

Her void is felt by family, friends and associates throughout several communities. Courtney and her brothers transferred to Waelder from Navarro two years ago, and they also attended school in San Marcos.

They also have family ties in New Braunfels, where Courtney’s visitation and funeral were held. To this day, her funeral was one of the most moving moments I ever experienced.

Not only did the largest church in New Braunfels – Oakwood Baptist Church – fill to capacity, but people from all over were there that day to pay their respects. Citizens of Waelder, Moulton, Flatonia, Geronimo, Seguin, San Marcos and New Braunfels – to name a few – all came together to celebrate Courtney’s life.

The most moving moment of the service was how Courtney’s father, Rudy, did not shed a tear during the service. Watching him maintain his composure was amazing as well as the way he stood up during the singing of “I can only imagine” and soon the rest of the congregation followed by standing – some singing along, the rest fighting back tears.

I was impressed with the Waelder athletic program sporting their jerseys for the funeral – the male athletes in their basketball jerseys and the female athletes in their volleyball jerseys. The majority of the Waelder ISD faculty and former coaches Jarvin Hall and Marisa Clement were in attendance as well.

The Waelder athletic department also retired her volleyball jersey in November, and the Lady Cats basketball team vowed to give a 200-percent effort this season – 100 percent for the team and 100 percent for Courtney. With four more wins, the Lady Cats will be in the postseason for the first time since the 2007-08 season.

In recent months, I also witnessed a triumph over tragedy as Clay, who was injured in the accident that claimed Courtney’s life, returned to the basketball court in November. Clay had emergency surgery and had to be in a back brace for nearly three months, which meant no cross country.

But on Nov. 16, Clay was cleared by doctors to have the back brace removed and he returned to the basketball court for a few minutes in the Wildcats’ 74-50 win over Wharton that day. Clay is now back in the starting lineup, and also scored 20 points in Waelder’s 58-51 victory over Class 3A Yoakum Tuesday night.

The way Courtney lived her life and how she touched the lives of her family and friends really opened my eyes to what is important in life. I learned not to take life for granted, not to worry about financial issues, live life to the fullest, be thankful for my blessings and put God first.

I am blessed to be a sports editor, and am especially blessed to be involved in the communities of Gonzales, Nixon, Smiley, Waelder, Shiner and Luling. I enjoy interacting with the coaches, student-athletes and parents from these communities as well.

It was a blessing to have known Courtney Orona for the short amount of time that I knew her. She will not be forgotten.

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