Matthew Thomas “Matt” Kero

Matthew Thomas Kero, 18, of Duluth, died unexpectedly of natural causes on Monday, Aug. 22, 2011.

He was born on Feb. 7, 1993, in Duluth, to Tom and Mary Kero. Matt graduated from Denfeld (Central) High School in June and was going to attend the College of St Scholastica (CSS) this fall.

Matt participated in a variety of sports growing up but concentrated on cross country, hockey and track in high school where he earned 13 varsity letters and was a captain on all three teams his senior year. He was named to the All Lake Superior Conference first team four years in cross country, Lake Superior College second team for hockey as a senior, and was eight times all conference in track, winning four individual titles and was a member of one conference championship relay team. He also qualified for three state cross country meets and the state track meet in two events. Matt was planning to compete in cross country and track at CSS.

Matt was a member of St. Lawrence Church and had worked the past two summers at the West Duluth Super One.

Matt was preceded in death by paternal grandfather Earl Kero; and maternal grandfather Richard Klepfer.

Matt is survived by his parents, Thomas and Mary Kero; sisters Katherine and Jessica, all of Duluth; paternal grandmother Mary Kero of Duluth; maternal grandmother Avenelle Klepfer of Sugarland, Texas; and many aunts, uncles and cousins. He also leaves behind an extended family of former teammates, coaches and friends.

VISITATION: 5-8 p.m. today, Aug. 24, in Williams Lobermeier Funeral Home. Visitation continues at 10 until the 11 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial Thursday, Aug. 25, in the Mitchell Auditorium on the College of St. Scholastica. The Rev. Fr. William Fider officiating.

In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate donations to establish a memorial in Matt's name.

Arrangements by Williams Lobermeier Funeral Home. Running is what Matt Kero loved best. He joined the Duluth Denfeld High School cross country team as an eighth-grader and qualified for three Minnesota Class AA meets, finishing as Northeastern Minnesota's top entrant last fall as a senior.

He ran in the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon five straight years, getting faster each year.

He hoped to be among St. Scholastica's top cross country runners this fall as a freshman.

Kero's friendly, determined nature, however, was quieted Monday morning. He was found dead in his bed at home about 7 a.m. He was 18.

CPR was performed and paramedics were called. No immediate cause of death was determined, although an autopsy was being performed later Monday.

"I can't put into words what a competitor he was and how good of a person he was. He was one of a kind," said Denfeld junior Neal Kucera, a member of the cross country team. "Matt was very humble, but he was also one of the most confident runners I've met. He was a mentor for me, and, anything you needed, he was there to help."

Kero, the middle of three children of Tom and Mary Kero, was a cross country letterman for five years, team MVP the last three years and on the All-Lake Superior Conference team four times. He was also a Denfeld hockey varsity defenseman and ran on the track team.

"Matt was one of the most fearless competitors I've coached," said Gary Lepisto, a Denfeld cross country coach since 1986, and a co-coach with Joel Holman. "Every race and every practice he ran hard and held nothing back. If we had five runners with Matt's competitiveness and work ethic, we would have a team at the state meet every year. He was an absolute pleasure to have as part of our team."

Kero was to join St. Scholastica's team Monday for a week-long training session at the Covenant Park Bible Camp in Mahtowa to mark the start of practice.

Last season, he was fifth in the Section 7AA cross country meet and 81st in the Minnesota Class AA final, moving up 56 spots from the year before. Kero was also in the 2011 Minnesota Class AA track and field meet in the 1,600-meter run and the 1,600-meter relay and graduated from Duluth Central, with Denfeld being remodeled and new buildings built for the return of classes for 2011-12.

Tom Kero, along with brothers, Bill and Jim, attended Denfeld and played hockey at St. Scholastica. Tom Kero said his son was looking forward to college.

"He wanted to succeed and was willing to put in the time to get there," said Tom Kero, whose youngest daughter, Jessica, is a sophomore runner at Denfeld. "Running is what he enjoyed; it was his passion."

Kero was also a captain of the 2010-11 Central hockey team and a varsity member for four years. Coach Kevin Smalley, a 1980 Denfeld graduate who played hockey for the Hunters with Tom Kero, remembered asking Matt Kero to switch from forward to defense as a ninth-grader.

"He was great about it, accepted a new position and worked to become an excellent defenseman," said Smalley. "He touched us all by how he represented our school and by being someone of exceptional character. He was clean cut, he led by example and had the heart of a lion."

Smalley said Kero's hockey jersey No. 4 will be retired before the start of the 2011-12 season.

Kero, who worked in the West Duluth Super One produce department, had been training over the summer months and was 113th in the 2011 Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon on June 18. He finished in 1 hour, 21 minutes, 25 seconds, running with Denfeld teammate Matt Lepisto, a junior this season.

"Matt was always there. He was always looking out for other teammates," said Lepisto. "He wore a necklace with a cross and prayed before every race. He was truly a good guy and a gentleman."

Five years ago, Jarrett Brenner, 18, of Cohasset, a Grand Rapids High School senior, died during a prep area all-star basketball game in Duluth on March 24, 2005. It was determined he died from a rare heart condition.

One of the top athletes from the area of the last 40 years, Terry Egerdahl of Proctor, died Dec. 15, 1980, suffering cardiac arrhythmia while warming up for a pick-up basketball game. He was 27.

Plans for services for Kero were not finalized Monday. Survivors in his immediate family are parents, Tom and Mary, and sisters, Katie, 21, and Jessica, 15.

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https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/sports/2425183-no-answers-what-ca... duluthnewstribune logo LOG IN SUBSCRIBE SPORTS No answers on what caused Duluth athlete's death An autopsy performed Monday on former Duluth Denfeld High School athlete Matt Kero provided few answers for his family. Kero, 18, was found dead at home in his bed Monday morning about 7 a.m. He was to have joined St. Scholastica's cross country ... Written By: news@duluthnewstribune.com | Aug 24th 2011 - 12am. Matt Kero, the middle of three children of Tom and Mary Kero, was a cross country letterman for five years, team MVP the last three years and on the All-Lake Superior Conference team four times. (Photo courtesy of the Kero family) Matt Kero, the middle of three children of Tom and Mary Kero, was a cross country letterman for five years, team MVP the last three years and on the All-Lake Superior Conference team four times. (Photo courtesy of the Kero family) An autopsy performed Monday on former Duluth Denfeld High School athlete Matt Kero provided few answers for his family.

Kero, 18, was found dead at home in his bed Monday morning about 7 a.m. He was to have joined St. Scholastica's cross country team as a freshman runner later in the day for the season's first practice.

"The medical examiner told us there was no explanation, either genetically or congenitally. There weren't any answers, which is a very rare thing," Tom Kero, Matt's father, said Tuesday.

Toxicology tests, for drug use, will take longer, said Tom Kero, but he was told those results may likely be negative.

Matt Kero ran high school cross country and track the last four years, and was a varsity hockey defenseman for four years. He was the top runner for Denfeld and Duluth Central the past three years, participating in three Minnesota Class AA cross country meets and the 2011 Class AA track meet.

Essentia Health sports medicine physician Steve Harrington said sudden cardiac death in athletes typically has two primary causes: a congenital coronary abnormality or abnormal heart development, both of which obstruct blood flow to the heart.

"This situation is rare and with no indicators of death; there may never be a satisfying answer," said Harrington, who was a family practice physician for 19 years.

In Kero's case, said Harrington, a likely cause of death would be a cardiac rhythm problem, which can only be detected when alive. The disorder, known as Long QT Syndrome, can potentially cause fast, chaotic heartbeats, according to the Mayo Clinic web site. The rapid heartbeats may trigger a sudden fainting spell or seizure, or in some cases, may beat erratically long enough to cause sudden death.

The Long QT Syndrome incidence of death is about 1 in 10,000 in the United States, or 3,000-4,000 deaths annually among youth, said Harrington.

Kero had been training throughout the summer for college cross country, including competing in the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon on June 18.

He's survived by his parents, Tom and Mary Kero; sisters, Katherine and Jessica; paternal grandmother Mary Kero of Duluth and maternal grandmother Avenelle Klepfer of Sugarland, Texas.

There is a visitation from 5 to 8 p.m. today in Williams Lobermeier Funeral Home, 3208 West Third Street, and will continue at 10 a.m. Thursday until an 11 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial in Mitchell Auditorium on the St. Scholastica campus. In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations to establish a memorial in Matt's name.

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https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/sports/2425321-duluth-teen-athlet... duluthnewstribune logo LOG IN SUBSCRIBE SPORTS Duluth teen athlete remembered for dedication Jessica Kero spoke eloquently of her brother, on a day when words were difficult. On Thursday morning, as 18-year-old Duluthian Matt Kero was laid to rest, she said it was a time to remember an exceptional person. "Don't cry because he's gone, sm... Written By: news@duluthnewstribune.com | Aug 26th 2011 - 12am.

Jessica Kero spoke eloquently of her brother, on a day when words were difficult.

On Thursday morning, as 18-year-old Duluthian Matt Kero was laid to rest, she said it was a time to remember an exceptional person.

"Don't cry because he's gone, smile because we knew him," said Jessica Kero, 15, a Duluth Denfeld High School sophomore. "He was an all-around great kid who always saw the positive in everything."

Matt Kero, a captain in cross country, hockey and track in 2010-11 as a Duluth Central senior, was eulogized at Mitchell Auditorium on the St. Scholastica campus. An overflow crowd of nearly 800 family and friends attended the funeral Mass, officiated by the Rev. William Fider, pastor of St. Lawrence's Catholic Church.

Kero died in his sleep at home Monday and an autopsy did not reveal a cause. His death has been listed as from natural causes. He was enrolled at St. Scholastica and was to have joined the cross country team this week for the start of practice.

One of Kero's running heroes, Steve Prefontaine, a star track runner from Oregon, who died in a car accident at age 24 in 1975, received mention for his determined attitude.

"Steve Prefontaine said that 'To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift,' and that's how Matt ran," said Jessica Kero, a Denfeld cross country runner. "He ran every day he possibly could, and now we say, 'Run in peace.' "

Matt Kero earned 13 varsity letters at Denfeld and Central, and ran in three Minnesota Class AA high school cross country meets, and in two events in the 2011 Class AA track meet, including the 1,600-meter run. He was the top boy finisher from Northeastern Minnesota in the 2011 state cross country meet. He also played four years as a Denfeld and Central hockey defenseman.

The list of attributes was long as friends described him as humble, kind, honest, tough, fearless and considerate, and a self-motivated leader.

"He never failed to show how much he cared for everyone," said classmate Keeley Norton. "He got through hard times with poise and never gave up. He was a good student, he was polite and had determination."

Fider quoted from John 11:1-45 about Lazarus, who died at a young age, but whose family was reassured by Jesus about eternal life and quoted from 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 about running the race of life to earn a crown that lasts forever.

Classmate Jeff Ohaju, a football player and track athlete, remembered Kero as someone with an excellent sense of humor.

Denfeld hockey coach Kevin Smalley said he asked Kero to move from forward to defense as a ninth-grader and Kero responded by saying he would do anything to help the team.

"He was every coach's dream player," Smalley said.

Ronn Tomassoni, who coached Kero in youth baseball and in hockey at Denfeld, said: "He was a tremendous role model. He had purpose."

Kero, the middle of three children of Tom and Mary Kero, received a final stick salute from Denfeld's hockey players as his casket was taken from Mitchell Auditorium.

"Matt was able to develop the talents God gave him. He could run fast and skate, and was a good brother and son," Fider said.

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https://www.facebook.com/events/600645410103010/ Denfeld High School is hosting the 2016 Matt Kero Memorial 5k (5k4MK). It's on Thursday, May 26th, at 4pm. Registration begins at 3:30 at Public Schools Stadium (the Denfeld Track by the High School). It's a low-key race, just through the neighborhood around the school. Come join us and run, walk, crawl, skip, or hop in honor of Matt. If there are any questions, feel free to message Alissa Boyhtari or Jess Kero.

Matthew Thomas Kero passed away on August 22, 2011 at the age of 18, shortly before he was supposed to start running with the St. Scholastica Cross Country team. His cause of death remains unknown. During his years at Denfeld (and one year at Central), Matt was an accomplished cross country runner, hockey player, and track athlete. For all of Matt's athletic accomplishments, he was an even greater young man in character and heart. This race is to pay tribute to Matt's legacy. All proceeds go to the Matt Kero Scholarship fund (awarded to 2 Denfeld Seniors every year in the spring). Matt lead his life from the famous Steve Prefontaine quote, "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift". Thank you all for participating!