OMAHA, Neb. —

The call came in early Sunday morning. One coach Chris Crutchfield feared. One he never received in 33 years of coaching.

"His sister called and told us what had happened. And of course, we were devastated," he said.

His player, Deng Mayar, died while swimming at Blackridge Reservoir in Utah.

He was only 22 years old.

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Mayar, who spent the last two seasons at North Dakota, transferred to Omaha in April, went through summer workouts, and was poised for a big season

"That's what makes it hard. that he was only here for a short period of time, and he made an impact. He made such an impact in two months," Crutchfield said. "At first, you see the talent and you see the size. You see the athleticism. Once he did go into the portal, we kind of knew he was wh

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