One of the most celebrated golfers in the history of the Iowa State women’s golf program was found dead at an Ames, Iowa, golf course on Monday with police suspecting foul play.
Celia Barquin Arozamena, a 22-year-old from Spain who had finished her senior season in the spring by winning the Big 12 individual title, was taking classes to complete her civil engineering degree this fall and preparing for Stage II of LPGA Q school. On Monday, her body was discovered at Coldwater Links Golf Course after officials were concerned with seeing a golf bag with no one near it on the course. Barquin Arozamena was eventually found some distance away. Police report that it appears she was assaulted before she died, but did not say how she was killed.
Late Monday night, Ames police arrested and charged Collin Daniel Richards, 22, with first-degree murder.
“We are all devastated,” Iowa State women’s golf coach Christie Martens said in a school release. “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.”
At the completion of her career at Iowa State, Barquin Arozamena had become the school’s all-time leader in stroke average (73.44) and her 16 top-10 finishes tied for second most in Cyclone history. She earned All-Big 12 honors three times and played in NCAA Regionals all four years in school. She was also a three-time first-team academic all-Big 12 selection.
Barquin Arozamena’s accomplishments helped her be named the school’s female athlete of the year.
This summer, her play on the course continued to shine as she qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open in June and won the European Ladies Amateur in July, which earned her a spot into next year’s Women’s British Open.
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