SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – The Syracuse University campus is in mourning after the death of freshman Trevor Pierce, who was struck and killed by an oncoming trolley bus earlier this month.
Pierce, a star cross-country runner from a small New Hampshire town, had applied to join the Syracuse ultimate frisbee team before his passing. Though not closely aquatinted with him yet, many of the ultimate frisbee players were familiar with Pierce by name. Now, the team is grieving over the idea of what could have been.
“I think about where I would’ve been at with the freshmen who made the team in years past at this point and to think of how well I probably would’ve known him. It’s really tough,” team captain Luca Serio said.
Having played ultimate frisbee in high school, Pierce showed a glowing interest in joining the Syracuse team during the fall semester. That helped him stand out with Serio.
“I hosted a workout for some of the kids that were going to try out; he was the only kid that came. So, just someone that was really passionate about ultimate, really wanted to be part of the team, pretty much from the moment he got to campus,” Serio said.
A curbside memorial to Pierce, adorned with flowers and pictures, now sits at the corner of Comstock Avenue and Waverly Avenue.
The Syracuse ultimate frisbee team is putting together a memento of its own to memorialize and recognized their teammate to-be. All members of the team signed a frisbee in remembrance of Pierce, which the team plans to send to Pierce’s family.