SHOCK GRIPS FRIENDS OF YOSEMITE VICTIM.Byline: Terri Hardy Daily News Staff Writer Small and fearless, Emiliano Morales was known as one of the toughest players to skate in Burbank youth hockey. For that reason, his former manager found the news Wednesday so difficult to accept: The 19-year-old Morales - No. 9 - had been killed in the wake of a freakish freak·ish adj. 1. Markedly unusual or abnormal; strange: freakish weather; a freakish combination of styles. 2. Relating to or being a freak: a freakish extra toe. landslide at Yosemite National Park Yosemite National Park (yōsĕm`ĭtē), 761,266 acres (308,205 hectares), E central Calif.; est. 1890 as a result of the efforts of conservationist John Muir. Located in the Sierra Nevada, it is a glacier-scoured area of great beauty; Mt. . ``He was tough. Everyone knew how he could take a pounding. That's why no one could believe this could happen to him,'' said Jay Orendorff, a Burbank resident who managed Morales' California Golden Bears The California Golden Bears is the nickname used for 27 varsity athletic programs of the University of California, Berkeley. Referred to in athletic competition as California or Cal bantam ``C-plus'' team in 1992-93. In a terrifying ter·ri·fy tr.v. ter·ri·fied, ter·ri·fy·ing, ter·ri·fies 1. To fill with terror; make deeply afraid. See Synonyms at frighten. 2. To menace or threaten; intimidate. chain of events Wednesday, a giant slab of granite broke loose and hurtled toward a heavily traveled area of Yosemite Valley Yo·sem·i·te Valley A valley of east-central California along the Merced River. It is surrounded by Yosemite National Park and has many waterfalls, including Yosemite Falls, with a total drop of 739.6 m (2,425 ft). , pushing hurricane-force winds ahead of it. The winds knocked down a swatch of trees and destroyed a snack shop. Morales, of Montebello, was crushed by a rolling tree. He was the lone fatality. Four other people were injured. One woman remains in critical condition. Services are pending, as the family waits for his body to be transported back to Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, , said Yvonne Ybarra, his sister. ``I still can't believe he's gone,'' Ybarra said. ``He's so far away. It's like it's not true.'' Even before the news of his death was released to the public, Morales' family had phoned Orendorff. They wanted him to phone Morales' hockey friends and break the news of his death. ``No one could believe it. It's so sad,'' Orendorff said. ``He had so many friends. It's brought the whole hockey community together.'' Known by friends and family as ``Emi,'' Morales skated since he was 9 at the Pickwick Arena in Burbank, the home rink for the Golden Bears teams, Orendorff said. In 1992 Morales was chosen as team captain. The group went on to second place in the state. Burlier players often ganged up on the small center. But Morales was quick and always emerged from the melee fearlessly, Orendorff said. Off the ice, he was a relentless student. ``He had an A-plus average and perfect attendance in high school,'' Orendorff said. Morales had completed his freshman year at Loyola Marymount University Marymount University is a coeducational, four-year Catholic university whose main campus is located in Arlington, Virginia. History Marymount was founded in 1950 by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary (RSHM) as Marymount College, a two-year women's school. in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , studying studio arts and computer science, Ybarra said. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: MORALES: ``He was tough. Everyone knew how he couldtake a pounding. That's why no one could believe this could happen to him.'' - Jay Orendorff Morales' hockey manager |
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