The Associated Press

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - A Bowling Green State University soccer player who died after collapsing during a game was killed by an abnormal heart rhythm, likely brought on by an asthma attack, a county coroner said.

Wood County Coroner Douglas Hess wouldn't speculate further on Friday about what factors might have been involved in Leslie Dawley's death.

Her mother, Wendy, said earlier this month that her daughter's use of an over-the-counter inhaler might have caused her death.

She said her daughter's roommate told her that Leslie had lost her prescription inhaler and used a store-bought Primatene Mist inhaler about an hour before her death.

Leslie's father, Greg, said on Saturday that he had not been contacted yet about the results.

"Whether the Primatene Mist had anything to do with it, I don't know," Mr. Hess said.

Leslie, an 18-year-old freshman from the Columbus suburb of Westerville, fell face down five minutes into the game on Nov. 5.

Some players said they heard her scream just before she collapsed.

Trainers rushed onto the field and tried to revive her. Teammates covered her with jackets before she was taken to Wood County Hospital, where she died.

She is not the first athlete to die after an exercise-induced asthma attack, but researchers say that doesn't mean others should avoid sports.

About 95 percent of asthmatics can be fully active if they take the proper medication and are under regular medical care, said Dr. Karen McCoy, chief of pulmonary medicine at Children's Hospital in Columbus.

Optimal medication includes an emphasis on medicines that control the asthma day to day, rather than so-called rescue inhalers.

"If you repeatedly rescue, the rescue becomes less and less effective. There's a tendency to stay chronically out of control," she said.

Colds, cigarette smoke, pet dander and stress bring on asthma attacks.

Exercise is a common trigger for young asthma sufferers. Attacks happen when the lungs confront cold, unfiltered air breathed in through the mouth rather than the nose, said Dr. Don McNeil, an Ohio State University allergist and associate professor.

"Asthma can be a very scary disease with awful repercussions," he said. "It is very easy to treat if the medications are done correctly and if they're prescribed in the right manner."