Garden City Native Ed Blatz Jr. Dies at 21

Garden City native Ed Blatz Jr., a 21-year-old student at Georgetown University, died unexpectedly on Sunday, according to a message on the university's website.

Blatz, a former Garden City High School sports star, was a junior and a member of the Georgetown lacrosse team.

The cause of his death has not yet been revealed.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Blatz family and our players and Eddie's friends as we begin to go through the grieving process," said Kevin Warne said, the head coach of the Georgetown lacrosse team. "Eddie was a great young man who was well-respected and well-liked by his teammates and the Georgetown lacrosse family. He was a very bright student and a talented player and words cannot express the loss we are feeling right now."

Blatz was a defenseman on the lacrosse team, appearing in 25 games and starting in 19 during his career.

He was enrolled in Georgetown's McDonough School of Business as a management major.

"Our heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies go to Eddie's family as together we mourn his sudden passing," Georgetown Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Lee Reed said. "This is a tragic loss not only for our Georgetown athletics family but for our entire university. He will be greatly missed by his teammates and coaches and friends on campus."

Blatz was a 10-time letter winner at Garden City High School, earning three in lacrosse, three in football and four in basketball. He was a two-year starter on the lacrosse team and a team captain during his senior season, a four-year starter and two-year team captain on the basketball team and a two-year starter and senior captain on the football team.

Blatz helped lead the Trojans lacrosse team to back-to-back state titles in 2012 and 2013, and a national championship in 2012. He also holds the Garden City football team's career reception and touchdown records.

“He was one of my favorites of all time,” Garden City football coach Dave Ettinger said of Blatz in a Newsday report.

Blatz is survived by his parents, Anne Marie and Ed Blatz Sr. and his two older sisters, Elizabeth and Jessica.

Photo: Georgetown University Athletics