As the 32 green balloons ascended into the air at The Rock on Monday afternoon, the grieving process was far from over for Michigan State track and field athletes and friends of Tony Martin.
Those balloons each had personalized messages – ranging from the light-hearted to apologies for not being there in his greatest time of need – for the long jumper and sprinter, who was shot dead early Sunday morning at a Saginaw gas station.
Martin, 19 years old and also a father, had a lasting impact on his teammates in the year he spent on the East Lansing campus, as four teammates and two coaches spoke to the roughly 50 people gathered at the MSU landmark.