Former BYU track athlete Scott Mecham was involved in a mountain biking crash on Sept. 12 in Pocatello, Idaho, sustaining serious injuries.
Mecham reportedly suffered a contusion to the cervical spinal cord, mostly paralyzing him from the neck down. Doctors removed some bone in his spine to allow room for the swelling of the cord.
Following a 13-day stay in the University of Utah SICU, Mecham, 30, passed away.
Mecham spent time at BYU from 2015-2019 earning a bachelors degree in microbiology and was a member of the track and field team.
"Scott was a great athlete, and an even more incredible person," said Kyle Grossarth, who served as Mecham's sprints coach. "He was a fierce competitor who always left everything out on the track.
"When he first came, I didn’t have a spot for him,” Grossarth added. “He had to do a year-long tryout, actually, on his own to make the team … He did a year of training, competed on his own, and did very well, and so after I kind of saw his work ethic and what he’s capable of doing, then I offered him a spot in the following year.”
Mecham made the most of it. He raced in 30 total meets from 2017-2019 and holds the No. 6 all-time performance in the outdoor 400m hurdles.
After BYU, Mecham attended physical therapy school at the University of Jamestown in North Dakota to pursue a doctorate degree.
Upon graduating in May of 2024, Mecham accepted a job in Pocatello to be closer to family and the mountains again.
Mecham leaves behind his wife, Cierra, and their two daughters, Jayden and Parker.
Funeral services will be held in Soda Springs, Idaho, later this week.
Family, friends and others are encouraged to support the Mechams through Venmo or GoFundMe.