Dunbar coach, faculty speak after Star Ifeacho’s death

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ)- Administrators say more than a hundred students sought the guidance of grief counselors Thursday morning after news of the death of 15-year-old student-athlete Star Ifeacho got out.

“It’s a difficult thing for an adult to witness something like that to happen, especially for somebody who’s 15-17. You’re not equipped for that…,” said Dunbar boy’s head basketball coach Scott Chalk before breaking down in tears over the death of his sophomore player.

Chalk says the team was going through a “light session” of workouts in an open gym Wednesday afternoon when Ifeacho approached coaches early on, complaining of light-headedness. Chalk says Ifeacho immediately went to call his mom for a ride. Chalk says while in the training room, Ifeacho suffered a medical emergency and collapsed. Immediately, trainers and teammates worked to revive the teen who would end up dying later at UK Hospital.

Thursday, Ifeacho was remembered beyond the court.

“He was extremely well-liked around school. He touched so many different groups of people because he was really such an upbeat, personable, smiley kind of person, people really responded to,” said Chalk who mentioned Ifeacho’s physical had been complete and he’d been cleared to play.

Dunbar counselors said they’d be available to students as long as it took.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Ifeacho’s family pay for funeral expenses. Find that here. Coach Chalk says an athletic banquet scheduled for Monday night has been postponed and in its place there will be a vigil to honor Star Ifeacho.