A 22-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Iowa State golfer Celia Barquin Arozamena, the 2018 Big 12 champion and the school's female athlete of the year.
Barquin Arozamena, 22, was found dead Monday at a golf course in Ames, Iowa. Ames police on Monday night announced that Collin Daniel Richards has been charged following an investigation by several law enforcement agencies. Bond was set at $5 million.
Officers were called to Coldwater Golf Course on Monday morning after golfers had located a golf bag with no one around it. Officers located Barquin Arozamena's body "some distance away" and determined she had been assaulted. A cause of death has not been determined.
According to a Ames police news release, Richards has no known address.
A native of Spain, Barquin Arozamena finished her eligibility this spring but remained in school to complete her civil engineering degree in the fall semester.
"This is a tragic and senseless loss of a talented young woman and an acclaimed student athlete," Iowa State University president Dr. Wendy Wintersteen said in a prepared statement. "We mourn with her family and friends in Spain, her teammates here and all who knew her. On behalf of the entire Cyclone family, I extend our deep condolences to Celia's family and her many friends and teammates at Iowa State. We are deeply saddened."
Barquin Arozamena won the Big 12 championship by three strokes in April. She was a three-time all-conference selection, earned first-team All-Big 12 academic honors three times and qualified for NCAA regionals in all four years she competed.
"We are all devastated," Iowa State women's golf coach Christie Martens said in a prepared statement. "Celia was a beautiful person who was loved by all her teammates and friends. She loved Iowa State and was an outstanding representative for our school. We will never forget her competitive drive to be the best and her passion for life."
