Katie Meyer, champion Stanford soccer player, found dead on campus

A Stanford soccer player who helped lead her team to an NCAA championship in 2019 died by suicide this week in a campus residence, county and university officials said.

Katie Meyer, 22, was a senior majoring in international relations and was team captain and goalkeeper on the Stanford women’s soccer team, officials said. The university had reported the death of a student on campus Tuesday, but did not release Meyer’s name until Wednesday.

Late Thursday, the Santa Clara County medical examiner-coroner’s office said Meyer’s death was determined to be self-inflicted and there was no indication of foul play.

“We are exceedingly saddened to hear about the death of Katie Meyer, a beloved, talented and respected Stanford student, athlete and Santa Clara County resident,” the county said in a statement.

“Katie was extraordinarily committed to everything and everyone in her world,” vice provost for student affairs Susie Brubaker-Cole and athletics director Bernard Muir said in a statement. “Katie was a bright shining light for so many on the field and in our community.”

Meyer’s penalty kick saves during the 2019 championship against North Carolina were among the most memorable moments of the game.

Condolences poured in from the NCAA, the U.S. Soccer Federation and fellow classmates and teammates at Stanford.

“I am heartbroken. I had the honor to play alongside Katie for a season and she inspired not only me but everyone else around her,” Olympic medalist and former teammate Lauren Sesselmann wrote on Twitter.

“To speak of someone as bright and full of life as Katie Meyer in the past tense truly seems unreal,” Stanford women’s basketball tweeted, adding that Meyer “was a legend on and off the field.”

University officials said counseling services will be available for students on campus.

If you or someone you know is exhibiting warning signs of suicide, seek help by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-TALK (8255).