To those who knew Cheryl Wick, it seemed impossible that her heart could have failed her. For much of her 25 years, its strength had fortified others, from longtime friends to teammates to strangers in faraway countries.

The former Gophers rowing captain died July 24 of sudden cardiac arrest at her home in Burnsville. But when she was buried Saturday in Rochester, her hometown, her presence remained inside her family and friends. Wick wrote history at the U, leading her team to its first NCAA tournament bids in 2006 and '07, its first Big Ten title in 2007 and a new boathouse on the Mississippi River. More important, she proved that a life's meaning is not measured in months or years but in the depth of the footprint it leaves behind.

"She had such a great heart, the biggest there ever was," said Jenny Barnes, Wick's teammate during the Gophers' two finest seasons. "I learned so much about friendship from her. She knew what it meant to touch people's lives."

The death of an accomplished young athlete always is sobering, and losing one who understood how to share all of her considerable gifts leaves a particularly acute void. Wick's mother, Pat, recalled that Cheryl loved rowing and pursued it with the all-out vigor she gave to everything. Yet she recognized the athlete's persona was only one facet of her identity. Off the water and outside the weight room, Wick embraced her other roles -- confidante, scholar, daughter, volunteer -- with equal dedication.

Wick had undertaken missions to Appalachia and Guatemala through her church. She and her mother had volunteered together with Smile Network International, a Minneapolis organization that provides reconstructive surgery for poor children in developing countries. Their last service mission was in April, just before Cheryl began classes in the physician assistant program at Augsburg College.

"That was the last great gift we were able to share," Pat Wick said. "She was always there for people, and she always knew who needed her help.

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Cheryl Wick, who died at age 25.

"She had such a competitive spirit, and the Big Ten championship meant so much to her. But she appreciated everything she was able to accomplish. She was an amazing young woman."

Pat Wick remembered how excited Cheryl was to get on the water every March, whether the ice was completely out or not. Coach Wendy Davis said she always moved her boat in the right direction, in every sense.

As stroke of the first varsity eight -- the team's top boat -- Wick thrived on the responsibility of setting her crew's pace and rhythm. She took a similar role as captain, visiting with teammates over coffee or at their homes to help them flourish on and off the water. The Gophers' two most successful seasons came under Wick's leadership, which Davis said was no coincidence.

"She was the kind of person who would spend 30 minutes with someone when she didn't have that time to spare," Davis said. "She just cared about people. Her senior year [of eligibility], when she was in grad school, she was struggling with winter training -- but she told me she would give it her all, and we had a great year with her leading the way.

"And the thing is, she would be embarrassed to hear all this. She was just busy trying to be the best she could be."

Wick was involved in planning the Gophers' boathouse, and a plaque will be placed there in her memory. She created a legacy as the Gophers' only two-year captain; as a two-time All-Big Ten and All-Central Region rower; as an academic All-Big Ten pick in each of her four years on the team; and as a volunteer coach and tireless contributor to student-athlete service projects. A rowing scholarship has been established in her honor, and her family asks that memorial donations be directed to the Cheryl Wick Rowing Scholarship Fund (see www.gophersports.com) or to Smile Network (www.smilenetwork.org).

Her friends will remember her in smaller, more personal ways as well. "When you lose someone as special as Cheryl, you try so hard to make sense of it," Davis said. "You really can't, but you can do what Cheryl would have done.

"Be a little kinder to each other. Look someone in the eye and smile. Take a friend out for coffee. The best tribute is to continue what she did."

Rachel Blount • rblount@startribune.com