Stanford’s top-ranked, unbeaten women’s soccer team is to retire jersey No. 19 in honour of former captain Katie Meyer, in the first such ceremony in the programme’s history.
The tribute will take place before Thursday evening’s match against USC at Stanford’s Cagan Stadium. Meyer’s parents, Steve and Gina, are due to receive a framed No. 19 jersey during the pre-match ceremony.
Stanford head coach Paul Ratcliffe said Meyer had made a lasting impression as a competitor, leader and team-mate, describing the retirement as a way to preserve her legacy for future generations of players.
Meyer wore No. 19 for Stanford from 2018 to 2021 and served as a two-time team captain. She played a decisive role in the Cardinal’s 2019 national championship victory over North Carolina, saving four penalties during the match and two more in the shoot-out.
She died in 2022. Her family later established Katie’s Save, an organisation focused on mental-health support, student protection and suicide prevention.
Thursday’s fixture will also be Stanford’s annual Mental Health Awareness match, with “Mental Health Matters” hats distributed to supporters and campus organisations attending to promote mental-health awareness.
The university announced in January that it had reached a resolution with Meyer’s family in a lawsuit filed after her death. As part of the agreement, Stanford said it would establish the Katie Meyer Leadership Award and work with the family on an initiative supporting the mental health and wellbeing of student-athletes.
