Madison Holleran: 19-year-old freshman jumps to her death in Philadelphia

A popular track star at the University of Pennsylvania has committed suicide by jumping from a city center building, police have said.

The death of 19-year-old freshman Madison Holleran has rocked the UPenn community and sent shockwaves through her hometown of Allendale, New Jersey.

Holleran posted an image of a sunset over Rittenhouse Square to her Instagram account around 6pm on Friday night - just an hour before police say she jumped to her death.

She was pronounced dead at the scene around 7pm, the New Jersey Record reported. No one else was injured.

Loss: Madison Holleran, a track and field star at UPenn (right with her father), has jumped to her death

 

Final moments: She posted this image of Rittenhouse Square to Instagram an hour before her death

Police have given no indication as to why the track star wanted to take her life. Her social networking accounts show her grinning with friends and teammates on vacations and at school.

Holleran was a member of the university's varsity track and field team at UPenn. Her teammates were given the option of whether or not they wished to compete in Saturday's meet.

The school also canceled formal recruitment for sororities, in which Holleran was set to take part.

'The entire Penn community is deeply saddened by the death of Madison Holleran,' Penn president Amy Gutmann said in the statement.

'She was bright and well-liked with an incredible future ahead of her. There are simply no words that can properly convey the sense of heartache that we all feel at such a tragic loss.'

Distraught: Madison, who was one of five children, poses at a Penn meet with her mother Stacy

 

'Our thoughts and prayers are with [Holleran's] family and friends,' said Steve Dolan, Penn's director of track and field, in a statement to the Daily Pennsylvanian.

'This is a challenging time for everyone involved with the program, but we will support each other in the weeks to come and help her teammates and friends find their own ways to honor her memory.'

Holleran, who was majoring in philosophy, politics and economics, had been a standout track and soccer athlete in her high school.

She originally planned to play soccer at Lehigh University before switching her mind, and choosing to run at Penn.

She had been named to the New Jersey Star-Ledger's all-state girls track team last year, while the Record named her its Spring Athlete of the Season and Girls Indoor Track Athlete of the Year in 2013, the Star Ledger reported.

Tragic: She fell to her death on this Philadelphia city center street, but there has been no indication why

Northe Highlands Girls Varsity Soccer, for which Holleran had played, tweeted: 'RIP Madison. You are our beloved NHGS sister forever and always. You have and always will be such a special person. We love you.'

A funeral for Holleran, who is one of five children, is expected to be held on Tuesday.

The tragedy is the third undergraduate death at UPenn since the start of winter break, the Daily Pennsylvanian reported.

Senior Kevin Zhao died while traveling with his family in China over the break while junior Pulkit Singh died last Sunday in his off-campus house.

For confidential support in the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255.