University honors 3 softball players

DICKINSON, N.D., Nov. 5 (UPI) -- Dickinson State University in North Dakota retired the numbers Thursday of three softball players who drowned after driving into a pond while stargazing.

The families of the young women joined students and faculty for the memorial service, KFYR-TV, Bismarck, reported.

The bodies of Kyrstin Gemar, 22, of Lake Elsinore, Calif.; Ashley Neufeld, 21, of Brandon, Manitoba; and Afton Williamson, 20, of Grossmont, Calif.; were found Tuesday afternoon. The three disappeared Sunday night and were last heard from making "hysterical" cell phone calls to a friend.

"Just because the three of you are gone today, doesn't mean we will be starting next year's season without you," said Kristin Fleury, the university's head softball coach. "The three of you will always be our 10th, 11th and 12th players on the field."

Gord Giesbrecht, an expert on car crashes at the University of Manitoba, said the young women should have been trying to escape from their Jeep Cherokee, not calling for help.

"A phone call just uses up that valuable time and you can't accomplish anything with that call anyway -- no one is going to rescue you," he told the Winnipeg Free Press. "You're on your own."