Prayers are pouring in on Sunday night following an “awful” plane crash involving an NCAA athlete on Sunday evening.
A former NCAA Woman of the Year, Karenna Groff, died in a plane crash. She was traveling to upstate New York along with five of her friends and family members. Her boyfriend, her parents and two other people died in a plane accident.
“They were a wonderful family,” her boyfriend’s father, John Santoro, told AP. “The world lost a lot of very good people who were going to do a lot of good for the world if they had the opportunity. We’re all personally devastated.”
Groff was named the NCAA Woman of the Year in 2023. During the pandemic, she co-founded openPPE, which helped create new designs for masks for essential workers. She was honored for her work on and off of the field.
The former college soccer player starred collegiately at MIT.
“Really, this recognition is a testament to my MIT women’s soccer family and all of the guidance, support, and friendship they have provided for me over the years,” she said.
The plane reportedly crashed on Saturday afternoon. The plane was reportedly headed to upstate New York for a weekend celebration.
From the report:
On Saturday morning, they all headed to Westchester County Airport in White Plains, a suburb of New York City, where they boarded Michael Groff’s private plane, according to John Santoro.
They were set to land at Columbia County Airport but crashed roughly 10 miles (16 kilometers) to the south. The plane was “compressed, buckled and embedded in the terrain” of a muddy agricultural field, Inman said.
The pilot was flying under instrument flight rules, rather than visual flight rules, but it was too soon to determine if reduced visibility from weather conditions were a factor, he said.
Prayers are pouring in for the family.
“This is incredibly sad 
, Among 6 killed in upstate New York plane crash was New Jersey native Karenna Groff, a former MIT soccer player named the 2022 NCAA woman of the year Prayers for the family,” one person wrote.
“I am so sorry. Prayers going up,” one fan added.
“Prayers to your family,” one fan added.
Our thoughts are with her friends and family members on Sunday evening.