Former TLU Student-Athlete Zachary Herman Passes Away at 24

SEGUIN, Texas – Zachary Herman '22, a former Texas Lutheran student-athlete in football and track and field, passed away Wednesday after a months long bout with A.L.L Leukemia. He was 24 years old.

"It's sad that someone lost their life at such a young age when he was such a strong individual. He was beloved and a friendly and outgoing guy," said head coach Darlene Holland. "Even the opposing teams recognized the light he had inside of him. It's just hard to believe that it all happened in the course of the past year. He was such a strong fighter that I was certain he would pull through. He will be missed dearly."

The entire Texas Lutheran community mourns his passing and our prayers are with his family, friends and Bulldogs everywhere.

An Austin, Texas, native and Lake Travis High School graduate, Herman originally came to Texas Lutheran as a football player. Herman would then transition to track and field full-time as a thrower, earning All-Region honors in track and field his junior and senior year, setting the TLU hammer throw record in 2022 and representing TLU in the NCAA Division-III National Championships for track and field in Ohio last May.

On July 20, 2022 his life was forever changed. Zachary was diagnosed with A.L.L Leukemia, a rapid developing blood cancer. Herman was TLU's recipient of this year's SCAC "Change for the Better" Campaign as TLU set the bar high, rallying to raise  $3,493.20, a record amount since the inception of the campaign in 2015, in support of Herman and his battle.

TLU throws coach Ben Wolf stated, "Herm made a bigger impact on everyone's lives other than just being a good thrower. Since the news of his passing, throwers he competed against around the country last year have reached out. It shows that he's left a bigger impact than just being a thrower or member of the track and field team. One of the hardest working athletes I've ever had the pleasure of working with, super resilient and was not ok with just being mediocre." Wolf continued," He constantly pushed himself and his teammates to be the best versions of themselves not only in the sport of track and field but in life."

Herman is survived by his parents, Mike and Cindy Herman, his sister, Madison, his brother, Preston, and his girlfriend, Gizelle Gutierrez.