'One of the best'

By Jeremy Herb

Candles lit the campus Wednesday night as mourners celebrated the life of a respected colleague and friend.

Over 150 stood outside the Mission Church to honor athletic trainer Jeannine Masch's life and her love for Santa Clara athletics. Masch died of alcohol poisoning July 21.

Several students spoke on the steps of the Mission, reminiscing about a dedicated athletic trainer. "Going through life, there are few special people we meet, and Jeannine was one of them," said student Jessica Ballweg.

Her death occurred less than a week after the death of Moses Salcido, a senior political science major active in athletics. Both deaths hit the Athletic Department especially hard.

Student Amy Kennedy explained to the crowd how Masch reacted upon learning of Salcido's death.

"Jeannine was devastated beyond words," she said. "She immediately got on the phone and started calling everyone who she felt should know about this tragedy. Then, she called Moses' sister and helped her with the funeral that would be that Friday. That last week of Jeannine's life exemplified who she was, one of the most caring people we will ever know."

Guitars accompanied the candlelight walk later to Stanton Field, where mourners left flowers and other tokens in memory of Jeannine.

"It was lovely," said Masch's mother, Margot.

"It was very fitting that four students spoke that she was very close with and had some great memories and of her impact on their lives," said men's head soccer coach Cameron Rast.

Masch first began working as an athletic trainer as an undergraduate at the University of South Florida and San Jose State University.

"I first met Jeannine in 1984 when she was an undergraduate at San Jose State and she came up and was very interested in athletic training," Cembellin said. "She wanted to pursue athletic training, and she had a real passion for soccer."

Masch worked for the university until 1990, a year after the men's soccer team won their first national championship. She left the university until three years ago, when she returned and told Cembellin that she wished to get back into athletic training.

Masch had to give up her full time job to volunteer 30 hours or more per week in order to get certified as an athletic trainer.

"There wasn't really a night that went by that I didn't see her," said junior Brian Nelson, who worked last year as the baseball team manager.

"She was really nice, always willing to help. One of the best people ever," he said.

Masch helped to lighten the atmosphere in the training room, helping raise athlete's spirits who were injured.

"Her personality was always bubbly and outgoing," said senior Chris Wilderotter, who worked with Masch as a student trainer last year. "She was a friend as well as a co-worker. It was not one or the other."

Because of all the free hours Masch gave to the university, she had to overcome financial burdens. Masch owned a home in Lake Tahoe that she rented out, but eventually had to give up 50 percent ownership in the house to keep pursuing her dream as a trainer.

Senior Zack Knight told Jeannine at the vigil, "Everything you did was a lesson. It was an example of how to act righteously, how to act selflessly. You were always teaching, even if you didn't know it.

In 2004, Masch earned her Certified Athletic Trainer certificate. Cembellin gave her a part time job, and Masch eventually hoped to work full time at Santa Clara.

"She was really motherly. She really took you in, she was very sincere," Cembellin said. "She wasn't just putting on an act. She really cared. She would look you straight in the eye and take you in the corner and talk to you."

The vigil received the same response from those close to Masch as did her memorial service Aug. 6, which garnered an even larger turnout. That service took place at the Salvation Army Church in Santa Clara and not at the university.

Athletic Director Dan Coonan had to make special arrangements in order to attend. He was at a retreat held by Devcon, a construction company that works with the university. After learning of Masch's death, the owner of Devcon rented a helicopter for Coonan so he could get to the airport to fly back for the August memorial.

Cembellin explained that Masch would always be there to lend an ear to athletes who were having problems.

He said that if anyone approached her, "she's the type of person that would stop, sit down with you, sit next to a tree, and spend a half hour and talk about it."

Junior Keith DeVey told a story for Masch about coming to practice an hour early and being their alone with her because he didn't know it was daylight savings.

He said that even though she had just walked in the door, she laid him down on the trainers table and gave him a massage.

The vigil concluded with a song from Erin Pearson, while students gathered their candles in front of a portrait of Jeannine.

"It was a sad time for a lot of the athletes, especially soccer. She spent time with every team, and really impacted a lot of people," Cembellin said.

"It's hard to believe that she's gone. I kind of wait for her to come around the corner and give me a bad time. She was like a staple in the training room."

Contact Jeremy Herb at (408) 554-4546 or jmherb@scu.edu.