Donavon MacuraCpl. Donavon Macura, a three-time Montana state wrestling championships qualifier who became a Marine, died while on a training run in Japan last week. He was 20.
Macura, a 2016 graduate of Glacier High School in Kalispell who enlisted in the United States Marine Corps after graduation, collapsed during a 3-mile training run near the U.S. Military base in Okinawa, Japan, where he was stationed.
His family was not aware of any medical conditions that might have led to his collapse, the Daily Inter Lake newspaper reported Wednesday.
"He was definitely excited and proud to be a Marine," Ross Dankers, a Glacier teacher and the school's head wrestling coach, told the Flathead Beacon newspaper.
Macura had been a member of the Glacier wrestling team for all four years of high school, and was team captain his senior year, where he wrestled at 160 pounds. He qualified for the Montana Class AA state tournament three times.
"He had a great perspective on showing compassion and love to teammates," said Dankers. "He would take care of everyone, regardless of who you were, whether you were the best guy or the worst kid or anyone in between."
In addition to wrestling for coach Dankers, Macura also served as a teaching assistant to Dankers in the classroom.
"He was just kind of an all-around amazing young man, the type of kid that you would want your own son to be," Dankers said. "He stood for what the Marines stands for: doing the right things, working hard, being disciplined, watching out for each other."
"I think (people) could tell, even if they didn't know him, what kind of kid he was."
"Donavon was an awesome kid, a leader who took care of others around him," Dankers told the Daily Inter Lake. "He was the kind of kid you wanted your son to be. He loved being a Marine and loved being a wrestler 100 percent."
Donavon Macura is survived by his parents, Ken and Marcie Macura.
Funeral arrangements have not been made public at this time.
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