PLEASANTON, Texas — The Pleasanton community is mourning the loss of a beloved athlete and human being.
19-year-old Travis Garcia, a 2021 Pleasanton High School graduate, is being remembered for his passion and dedication for the game of golf.
Garcia is one of nine people killed in a West Texas crash Tuesday evening. The collision took the lives of six members of the University of the Southwest golf team and their coach. The group was driving back to campus in Hobbs, NM from a tournament in Midland, TX.
From just a few conversations with friends and acquaintances of Travis Garcia, KENS 5 learned very quickly how very loved the young man is in his community.
Ted Devilbiss, a Pleasanton ISD Athletic Aide, works the stat books for the district. He's joyfully held the job for 29 years.
He remembers Garcia fondly.
"I feel very sad for him and the whole golf team over there," said Devilbiss. "I used to help the softball team. His mother, Abby Rains, was one of the coaches and he used to come to the dugout all the time."
Garcia graduated from Pleasanton High School in 2021. He earned Golf MVP in 2019 and 2020.
"He went hard in all he did. He was a great golfer," Devilbiss recalled. "He won state last year."
Even after moving away, Devilbiss says Pleasanton still rooted for Garcia's golf career.
Members of the Pleasanton Country Club remember Garcia dedicating time to hone his craft on the course.
He worked at the Floresville location.
Myles Dumont, Manager of Golf Operations for the Floresville Golf Club remembers Garcia immediately falling in love with golf.
"I worked with him a little bit early on in his high school days with some golf lessons," said Dumont. "He was a fantastic kid. I loved being around him and loved being able to work with him on the golf course."
Dumont says Garcia originally went to high school in Somerset, then finished his high school career at Pleasanton. Dumont says the Pleasanton High School golf team went to state for the first time ever when Garcia was on the roster.
Friends say if Garcia wasn't working at a golf course, he was playing.
"Travis was a special kid. we were all looking forward to him being back home for the break when he came back from school," said Dumont. "We were very excited to see where his golf career was going to continue to take him. The world is surely a lesser place with him gone."
Garcia was a freshman in college and a criminal justice major. His dream was to join the secret service or go pro in golf.
In a statement, Pleasanton Athletic Director Tab Dumont said in-part "The whole Pleasanton ISD community in shock and grieving for the entire family. Not only was Travis a phenomenal golfer and great kid, he comes from a great family."
This marks two tragedies for Pleasanton ISD in just four months. Late last year, Superintendent, Dr. Matthew Mann, died of a heart attack.