A former Iowa State University golfer has been found dead at a golf course and a man has been charged with her murder.
Police say 22-year-old Celia Barquin Arozamena was found dead Monday at Coldwater Golf Links in Ames and officers determined she had died after being assaulted. They say 22-year-old Collin Daniel Richards has been charged with first-degree murder.
Richards, who has no known address, made an initial appearance today at the Story County Courthouse in Nevada. Prosecutors say he is a flight risk, and bond was set at 5-million dollars.
Barquin Arozamena was the 2018 Big 12 champion and Iowa State Female Athlete of the Year. The university says the native of Puente San Miguel, Spain, was finishing her civil engineering degree this semester after exhausting her eligibility at Iowa State in 2017-2018.
Police said officers were called to the golf course around 10:20 a.m. Monday after golfers found a golf bag with no one around it. Officers found a body some distance from the bag.
ISU President Dr. Wendy Wintersteen said news of Arozamena's death is heartbreaking. Athletic Director Jamie Pollard noted Arozamena's smile in his statement along with her passion for the school.