Shawnee Mission Northwest student dies after medical emergency during football training

A football player from Shawnee Mission Northwest High School has passed away following a medical emergency that occurred during off-season conditioning earlier this week.

District spokesperson David Smith confirmed on Friday that sophomore Ovet Gomez Regalado experienced a medical emergency on Wednesday while participating in training.

Emergency services were dispatched to the school, located at 12701 W. 67th St. in Shawnee, and transported him to the hospital. Smith reported that district officials learned of Gomez Regalado’s death on Friday morning. Further details about the incident are not yet available.

Shawnee Mission Northwest football coach Bo Black and athletic director Angelo Giacalone were unavailable for comment on Friday.

In response to the tragic news, Shawnee Mission families took to social media to offer condolences and share memories of Gomez Regalado, who was remembered as a kind friend and student.

“Ovet was a warm and wonderful student who touched many lives in our community,” wrote Shawnee Mission Northwest principal Lisa Gruman in a letter to staff and families.

She urged parents to talk with their children, who might be struggling to understand Gomez Regalado’s passing, and announced that school and district counseling staff would be available for support in the coming weeks.

Gruman also asked families to refrain from spreading unverified information about Gomez Regalado, whose cause of death has not yet been disclosed.

“Encourage your children not to make guesses or spread rumors,” Gruman advised. “The family needs privacy during this difficult time, and we ask everyone to respect that.”

Gomez Regalado joined the Shawnee Mission Northwest football team as a freshman, where he played various positions including nose guard, defensive tackle, center, and guard.

Despite the ongoing grief in the community, sports practices on the high school’s fields have continued. Thomas Mann, who observed the emergency response from a distance during his grandson’s flag football practice, reflected on the incident’s impact.

“We saw the fire department and ambulance arrive,” Mann said. “We didn’t know what had happened until we read about it this morning.”

Although he didn’t know Gomez Regalado personally, Mann expressed concern about the potential risks associated with youth sports. “It’s hard to understand,” Mann said.

“We don’t always know the health issues of athletes. They often don’t share their problems with doctors, saying they’re fine just to keep playing.”