Former RayPec School District Multi-sport Athlete and North Central Missouri College Flag Football Player, Sarai Rhianna Clark, Dies at 18 Following Asthma Attack, leaving her parents and three siblings in sorrow

A Tragic loss!

January 8, 2026

This article was last updated by Alisha Shrestha on January 8, 2026

Sarai Rhianna Clark lived loud in small moments. At 18, she had the kind of presence that made teammates pick her first, coaches build plans around her, and family gatherings feel whole.

Born July 27, 2007, to Dale Clark Jr. and Kayla (Hill) Clark, Sarai graduated from Ray-Pec with the class of 2026 and earned a full scholarship to play flag football at North Central Missouri College. She never got to take the field for the school she loved.

On the night of December 28, Sarai suffered a fatal asthma attack. Her father posted the family’s loss on December 29. She was the eldest of four children.

“Though words fail me, I’m heartbroken,” he wrote, and later, in a short, raw note, admitted: “Sarai, I’m not okay.” Those two sentences, one public, one private, cut through the shock and made the grief immediate.

Sarai’s record reads like the résumé of an athlete still climbing. She was a state champion in the 4×100 relay, third in Missouri in the shot put, and placed fifth nationally in AAU track and field.

She played basketball, ran relays, threw for distance, and was described by coaches as versatile and unshakably steady. At every turn, teammates wanted Sarai on their side.

But the medals only tell part of it. People remember the details: the way she laughed; how she’d beatbox while someone cooked; the small rituals at home, her dad missing “the smell of your breakfast potatoes,” the way she made a cup of water and sparked a laugh from her mom.

Those little things are why so many posts felt less like announcements and more like family notes left open for strangers to read.

A Heartbreaking Truth Hard to Swallow for Most

Tributes rolled in fast. Her college coach, Aulden Knight II, called the loss “devastating,” then narrowed it down to what mattered: Sarai was “the backbone, the voice, the glue” of the team. Her college, North Central Missouri College, also paid tribute.

“Sarai was a graduate of Ray Pec High School and had recently earned the opportunity to play flag football on scholarship at North Central Missouri College. She brought passion, heart, and joy to the game, and her presence on and off the field left a lasting impact on teammates, coaches, and everyone who had the privilege of knowing her. Our thoughts and prayers are with Sarai’s family, friends, teammates, and coaches during this incredibly difficult time. We ask that their privacy be respected as they grieve. Sarai will always be a part of the GPFF family.”

He promised the program would honor her every game and keep her number six alive in memory and action.

Neighbors, friends, parents on the sidelines, and extended family filled in the rest.

Ahley Avery captured the blunt sports truth. She said, Sarai was “a beast in every sport.”

Alex Arend, writing as a mom who watched Sarai grow and compete, pointed to the combination that mattered most, elite talent wrapped in humility, and said, “that smile was impossible to forget.” KC Bledseaux called her “an angel on earth.”

Tariq Karimullah offered a faith-driven note about strength and purpose, urging the community to lean on belief while they grieved. He wrote,

“When we face challenges, when we accept the hard things that stand in our way, and when we choose to take on those difficult tasks, we grow stronger and more prepared to handle even greater trials. God is so wise that even the pain and difficulties He allows us to experience serve as training, giving us better ‘fitness’ for life and the road ahead. So let us have faith, and let us get our lives together!”

Tiffany Clark’s post sounded like the rest: disbelief and raw love. “It doesn’t even feel real,” she wrote, naming the ache and the shock. The posts read like a single conversation — different voices, same stunned heart.

Nicole Shell wrote, “Just heartbroken. I had the absolute pleasure of assisting this amazing young lady at NCMC. Every time she would come into Alexander Hall she would stop by my office to say hi and ask how I was.”

Jeni Croy added, “I am heartbroken for you all. I had the pleasure of recruiting Sarai last year. Praying for her family and for the NCMC family.”

The practical response matched the emotional one. Megan Wright of Raymore set up a GoFundMe to cover funeral and immediate needs.

The original goal was $20,000; the community pushed that past the target in a matter of days.

Organizers asked people to give if they could, to share if they couldn’t, and to keep the family in prayer either way.

Sarai’s faith life was part of who she was, too. She accepted Christ early and was baptized at This Rock Christian Tabernacle in Kansas City.

She was a praise dancer who performed at churches across the city, often dancing with cousins and her sister.

Those who knew her say she carried her humility from the church into the locker room, fierce in competition, gentle off the field.

A public visitation is planned for Saturday, January 10, at 10:00 a.m. at Calvary Chapel.

What lingers most is what can’t be measured: the space she leaves at a bench, in a circle of friends, at a family table.

Instead, teammates will remind each other to play for her. Coaches will keep her number on their minds. Family will carry the small domestic traces of a daughter no longer there.

If you want to help, the family has asked for two things: keep them in prayer, and share the fundraiser so support reaches anyone who can give.

The money already raised helped with immediate needs. The messages, the meals, the people who showed up at the house, that practical love matters.

For a family stunned by sudden loss, it buys a little space to grieve.

Sarai Rhianna Clark packed a lot of light into 18 years: medals, a scholarship, the hard-earned respect of teammates and coaches, and a laugh that made meals memorable.

The facts of her life are straightforward. What remains are the small, human details. A daughter’s breakfast potatoes, a father waiting for an impossible knock, a team promising to wear her memory into every game.

She will be missed. She will be remembered. For now, those left behind have a long, private road ahead and a public chorus of strangers and friends who will not let her name fade.

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Anish Koirala has loved sports since he was a kid. He grew up playing basketball and soccer, and that passion stayed with him over the years. Today, Anish works as a writer and editor, sharing his knowledge and love for the game through articles and stories. He uses his playing experience to make his writing clear, thoughtful, and fun to read.

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