From an email: www.aattrack.com/news/TeilOrionPlont.doc is the only thing I could find about his death. I do know that he hung himself with a bowflex machine in his garage and his younger sister Arianna found him. He lost an ex girlfriend who was also a good friend named Tania Saunders in Oct of last year. He and his long time girlfriend broke up a month before his death.


TEIL ORION PLONT
February 10, 1989 - April 3, 2008

Lucille and I are deeply saddened to report the passing away of Teil Orion Plont. In our 11-year history of the Albuquerque Athletics Track team Orion still ranks as and will always be one the top athletes to ever run cross-country for AAT. Known as Orion, he and his younger brother Aiden became members of the AAT family in the fall of 1999. Orion came to us as a Bantam Boy and went on that season to become a national qualifier and ran in the 1999 National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Orion's father Teil drove all the way out to Spartanburg so Orion could compete in the national meet. Orion left the meet with the confidence that he knew he could compete with the best runners in the nation.

2001 was Orion's best season with AAT and one where Orion came into his own and displayed his talent as an outstanding cross-country runner. Orion was very tough both mentally and physically and had, as Lucille and I often have said "figured it out", meaning he knew and did what it took to be the very best he could be. In 2001 he became one of the top cross-country runners in the nation in his age division that year. Orion was the 6th AAT athlete to finish the regular cross-country season undefeated. He went on to win the 2001 Midget Boys State Championship, finishing ahead of some of today's best New Mexico high school track & field and cross country athletes like Matt Tebo, Curtis Beach and Daniel Gooris. At the Region Ten cross-country meet in Fort Collins, Colorado he placed 2nd and qualified for a second trip to the National meet. Orion went on to become AAT's 11th USA Track & Field All-American by placing 13th at the 2001 USA Track & Field National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships in Lincoln, Nebraska. Orion and his brother Aiden both earned All-American awards at the meet. Aiden earned an All-American award as a member of AAT 2001 USATF National JO Cross Country Championship Bantam Boys team.

There were some other memorable moments along the way. One came from Coach Lucille at a Rio Rancho cross-country meet in 1999. Coach Lucille directed Orion to run the wrong way on the Rio Rancho track when he was leading the race and was within 400 meters of the finish. Orion had to turn around and go the other way costing him a win over Daniel Gooris and having to settle for a 2nd place finish. Coach Lucille felt so bad about it because he ran such an outstanding race that day. Orion never complained and continued on to run having success through his final season in 2001.

Lucille and I never thought 2001 would be the peak of Orion's running career. We thought his future was bright and promising and felt that he was going to have an outstanding high school career and possibly run in college if he kept it up. Unfortunately Orion's path took him in a different direction and has now come to a premature end. It is difficult for us to see one of our athletes pass away so young for they have forever touched our lives. As parents with children Orion's age we are deeply saddened and feel for his parents. Our thoughts and prayers are with Orion and his family. May God Bless.

Carl & Lucille Brasher