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For this weekend’s home coming celebration in Thousand Oaks, Cal Lutheran will honor Justin Meek, a former player for the Kingsmen who was heroically killed in the Borderline Shootings last year. Head Coach Craig Rond announced that in Meek’s honor, the school will dedicate a new 35’ flag pole this Saturday on the deck of the Samuelson Aquatics Center prior to a 2 p.m. match against Washington & Jefferson.
Justin Meek. Photo Courtesy: Cal Lutheran
Meek was at the Borderline Bar and Grill on the evening of November 7, 2018, when a gunman burst in and opened fire, murdering 12 people. Another dozen were injured. In the melee, Meeks died protecting his sister Victoria Rose, also a member of the Cal Lutheran polo program, and other patrons.
[On The Record with Craig Rond, Head Men’s and Women’s Water Polo Coach for Cal Lutheran]
The following spring, Victoria Rose was a member of the Regals team that captured the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) title and advanced to the 2019 NCAA Women’s Water Polo Tournament.
[Victoria Rose Meek, Cal Lutheran Water Polo Rise Like a Phoenix from Ashes of Thousand Oaks Shooting]
This fall, the Kingsmen (7-7; 1-3 SCIAC) are middle of the pack for their conference but there’s a particular prize at stake: inclusion in the first-ever Division III National Championship. The top two finishers in the SCIAC will play against the top two teams from the East in a championship tournament this December; with a strong finish to their season, Cal Lutheran is in play for this tournament opportunity.
Prior to the dedication of the flag pole in Justin Meeks honor, the Kingsmen will face SCIAC rival Chapman (5-9; 3-1 SCIAC). This coming Wednesday they will host Occidental, another SCIAC rival, as they look to rally for yet another SCIAC title in honor of their fallen teammate.
