Stanford soccer player Katie Meyer dies of suicide

Stanford soccer goalie Katie Meyer’s death has been ruled self-inflicted.

The Santa Clara County medical examiner found no indication of foul play, according to a statement Thursday obtained by multiple outlets.

Meyer, 22, was found dead in an on-campus residence, the school had announced Wednesday.


Katie Meyer
Katie Meyer
Stanford Women’s Soccer

“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 message on the university’s communications site.

“​​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.

“… 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.”

Meyer captained the Cardinal and made two crucial saves in penalties to beat North Carolina and help Stanford capture the 2019 NCAA women’s soccer championship.

A senior from Burbank, Calif., she majored in international relations and minored in history.

“There are no words,” Katie’s sister, Samantha, wrote Wednesday in an Instagram post. “Thank you for all the kindness extended to my family. I’m not ready to post anything big yet. We are broken hearted and love Kat so much.”


A second screengrab from Samantha's Instagram story
A screengrab from Samantha’s Instagram story
Instagram

A GoFundMe account for the Meyer family raised $139,000 as of Friday morning.


Katie Meyer
A GoFundMe for Meyer’s family was started in the wake of the tragedy.
GoFundMe

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.