It is a topic we never think about when focusing and celebrating the vibrancy of young student athletes on the cover of our magazine. And in consecutive issues in Oct. 1997, we featured two of Purdue's most talented: multi-sport star Corissa Yasen and promising freshman men's basketball player Gary McQuay.

Yasen was so accomplished before she every made an attempt to play basketball for Coach Nell Fortner's team. She was an NCAA heptatholon champion in 1996, nine-time All-American and 10-time Big Ten champion in track and field, and was the Big Ten Athete-of-the-Year. And not surprisingly, when she signed up to play for Fortner, she excelled well beyond any expectations. After all, she had not played competitive basketball since her high school days in Idaho. But Fortner, in her first year at the helm, needed her. After Lin Dunn's contract wasn't renewed, a few players left the team, making the roster thin.

Yasen helped the Boilermakers to a share of the regular-season conference title in one of the more surprising runs in Big Ten women's history. And that is putting it mildly. She started all 28 games, averaging nearly 35 minutes and 11.4 points per contest.

A week later on the Oct. 25, 1996 cover, McQuay was pictured during the dunk contest, leaping over the back of B.J. Carretta as the Mackey Magic crowd of 10,000 looked on. It was a contest that the 6-foot-8 lefthander ended up winning. Coincidentally, during the same dunk contest, Yasen attempted one as well, showcasing her superior high jumping skills.

McQuay struggled to reach his potential for Coach Gene Keady, suffering academic and off-court issues. But he did show flashes of of his superior shot-blocking ability and atheticism, but just wasn't able to do it consistently.

In the end, it was all too fleeting for Yasen and McQuay. Yasen, a pharmacist, passed away on May 12, 2001 of a drug-induced suicide, seemingly unfathomable for a person so accomplished. Yet, it also served as a reminder of the horrors of mental illness.

All told, McQuay played in 94 games but left the program for good after his junior season of 1998-1999. He averaged 4.5 points and over three rebounds a contest. He also blocked 74 shots while averaging 16 minutes a game.

For McQuay, his life was cut short losing his battle to Leukemia on Aug. 15, 2002.

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