“A four-star general in the making”: Basketball coach remembers AFA cadet candidate hit, killed by jet ski

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - The Air Force Academy community is mourning the loss of a cadet candidate whose life was cut short just days after completing her year at the Preparatory School in Colorado Springs.

Ava Moore, 18, was killed over the Memorial Day weekend while kayaking on Grapevine Lake in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Moore, a standout athlete and leader, had just returned home to Texas. She was set to begin basic training at the Academy in just four weeks.

According to police, two women were riding a jet ski when they crashed into Moore’s kayak. One of them stayed at the scene, but the driver fled.

That driver, identified as Daikerlyn Alejandra Gonzalez Gonzalez, was arrested Tuesday. Authorities say she was found along with a man who helped her flee the area. Both are reportedly in the country illegally from Venezuela, according to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Moore’s former basketball coach, Ke’Sha Blanton, described her as "a four-star general in the making."

"Ava was everything this country would want to represent it," Blanton said.

The coach said Moore had dreamed of playing for the Air Force Academy next year and had worked all year to prepare for that moment.

"I almost wish they had stayed an extra week, almost wish they hadn't graduated so that we could still have her here with us," Blanton added.

Now, her former team is planning a tribute back home in Texas to honor Ava’s life and legacy.

A verified GoFundMe has been set up to help the Moore family with funeral expenses. You can find that link here.

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