MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

How did Katie Meyer die? Stanford soccer player, 22, 'was extraordinarily committed'

Stanford soccer goalie Katie Meyer is reported to have died by a self-inflicted wound

Update: The Stanford soccer goalie's death has been ruled as a self-inflicted wound, states a report in the NY Post. The Santa Clara County medical examiner found no indication of foul play. Police had not been treating her death as suspicious. Meyer was 22 years old. 

-------

Katie Meyer, the goalkeeper for Stanford’s women’s soccer team, was found dead in a campus residence. The news of her passing surfaced after the school announced on Wednesday, March 2, that Meyer had died. “Katie was extraordinarily committed to everything and everyone in her world,” Stanford vice provost for student affairs Susie Brubaker-Cole and athletic director Bernard Muir said in a statement. 

“Her friends describe her as a larger-than-life team player in all her pursuits, from choosing an academic discipline she said ‘changed my perspective on the world and the very important challenges that we need to work together to overcome’ to the passion she brought to the Cardinal women’s soccer program and to women’s sports in general. Fiercely competitive, Katie made two critical saves in a penalty shootout against North Carolina to help Stanford win its third NCAA women’s soccer championship in 2019. Katie was a bright shining light for so many on the field and in our community," she added. “There are no words to express the emptiness that we feel at this moment. We are reaching out to all of you in our community, because this impacts all of us. Please know that you are not alone.”

ALSO READ

How did Charles Criss die? 'Glee' star Darren Criss 'heartbroken' after older brother dies

Who was Yevhen Maylshev? Ukrainian biathlete dies in 'combat operations' against Russians

Meyer's cause of death has not been revealed. However, the police are not treating her death as suspicious. They have also assured that no one else on the campus is under any threat. Meyer was 22 years old. 

ESPN took to Twitter to mourn Meyer's death. It wrote, "Katie Meyer, the captain of the Stanford women’s soccer team, has died. She was 22 years old. "There are no words to express the deep sadness we feel about Katie Meyer's passing," Stanford AD Bernard Muir said in a statement."

Meyer's sister Sam Perez set up a GoFundMe after her death. "Together as a community, we are all mourning the passing of Katie Meyer. On March 1, 2022, our dear friends lost their beautiful daughter. Our thoughts, prayers and love are with Katie's family- there just are no words to describe this loss," the page reads.

"Katie was a senior at Stanford University majoring in International Relations and History, and was a huge presence for the Stanford Women's Soccer Team and women's sports in general. She was a role model and mentor to many of our young local athletes- she touched so many lives in so many ways. Katie was the goalkeeper and team captain of Stanford's Women's Soccer Team from 2020 to present, and her incredible list of accomplishments include the 2018-2019 PAC12 Championship, the NCAA National Championship in 2019, two College Cup appearances, 2019 College Cup All-Tournament Team, 2019 United Coaches West Region Third Team, 2019, 2020-2021 two-time PAC12 fall academic honor roll and 2021 CoSIDA academic All-District 8. Katie also participated at the USYNT level, including the USYNT 1st International Women's Tournament of Gradisca (2016), US Soccer striker/goalkeeper camp in Carson, CA (Dec. 2016), U16 girl's national team in Italy and the Netherlands (2015), and domestic camps for the U16, U17, and U18 national teams," the page adds.

"She was also an alternate for the U17 World Cup (2016). To read this long list of extraordinary accomplishments cannot even begin to describe the amazing daughter, sister, friend and teammate that Katie was. To know Katie was to love Katie. She was larger than life, an incredibly bright shining light on and off the soccer field and for our community. She was a leader in everything she pursued." At the time this article was written, $49,125 had been raised of the $100,000 goal.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).