PHOTOS: Promising water polo player Ryder Wade remembered at Concordia vigil

Students gather for a vigil Friday night at Concordia University in Irvine to honor Garrett Ryder Wade. (Photos courtesy Ben Rosehart, CUI Athletics)

Students at Concordia University in Irvine attended a vigil Friday night at the school’s outdoor ampitheatre to honor promising water polo player Garrett Ryder Wade, who died from injuries in a traffic accident Friday morning after leaving practice in Irvine.

Wade, 18, was a former standout water polo player at El Modena High School who was on this year’s Concordia team. The team is scheduled to open its season next Wednesday. Wade was a freshman at Concordia.

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Garrett Ryder Wade was a freshman at Concordia and a member of the water polo team.
Photo courtesy CUI Athletics

Hundreds gathered for Friday evening's tribute.

A picture of Garrett Ryder Wade was on display Friday.

Concordia students honor Garrett Ryder Wade Friday night.

All in attendance wore masks at the ceremony in accordance with COVID-19 rules, according to Ben Rosehart, sports information director at the university.

Rosehart estimated a few hundred attended the ceremony and said many Concordia sports teams were in attendance. Candles were lit in honor of Wade.

“President Michael Thomas and Pastor (Quinton) Anderson both spoke and then Ryder’s mother (Martha) and older sister Bailey (who attends Concordia) both shared some testimony which was emotional, amazingly uplifting and I know not easy for them,” Rosehart said.

“The CUI family came together to comfort the family, the team and each other.”

Rosehart said university officials have not decided in what further ways that Wade can be honored with the water polo season scheduled to start next week.

Wade’s death has been devastating not only to those at Concordia, but to his friends at El Modena, who have commented on social media about what a special person he was and how many people he helped.

Besides being a top-notch player, he was also actively involved in ASB and the Rowdy Rooters support group for athletics on campus.

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com