Kione Gill"Kione was an amazing soul who touched the lives of those he encountered," according to the text on the GoFundMe page. "His contagious smile and laughter filled any room -- except when he was under the light and on the mat -- the only place he was all business but the smirk never left his face."
Gill won back-to-back Class 4A state wrestling titles at Tahoma High School in suburban Seattle as a senior (220 pounds) in 2018 and junior (195) in 2017. While in high school, Gill built a 128-8 record, with a perfect 42-0 record as a senior.
Prior to enrolling at Tahoma, Gill attended Enumclaw High School for two seasons, where he placed second at the state tournament as a sophomore, and fourth as a freshman, both years at 182 pounds.
Gill had graduated from Tahoma this spring, and had committed to wrestle at Clackamas Community College in Oregon this fall.
The Tahoma wrestling program first reported Gill's death late Sunday evening on its Twitter account, posting a short message and a photo of the former standout athlete standing beneath a spotlight in his singlet.
"Some things happen, that we just don't understand," the post reads.
Tahoma wrestling coach Chris Feist described Gill as "an incredible young man that had a huge heart."
"He was a very special person, and there are a lot of people hurting right now all over the state that had really positive experiences with him," Feist told the News Tribune.
"He was a dedicated friend and a great teammate, and as much as he was quick to joke, laugh and play, he was always there for his teammates when they needed him," Feist said.
"It was about making sure the people around him had what they needed, and that's another reason why they loved him."
Feist told the News Tribune that he spoke to Tahoma's wrestlers Monday about honoring Gill by continuing to attend classes and practices, working hard, and finding ways to talk about personal hardship.
"We're going to keep (Kione) in our heart, but we're going to keep talking about this," Feist said. "We have to find ways to talk about the things that are bothering us, and that's hard to do for young men."
Seeking someone to talk to? Contact the National Suicide Prevention Line at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
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