Student Killed In Fall At Notre Dame Left Winning Legacy At Fencing Academy Of Denver
CENTENNIAL, Colo. (CBS4) - A student from Colorado is dead after a tragic accident at the University of Notre Dame. Police say he fell from the roof of the school's sports arena.
Billy Meckling, 21, was from Centennial. He went to Notre Dame after graduating from Regis Jesuit High School four years ago. His death came just one day before graduation.
Meckling left a winning legacy at the Fencing Academy of Denver in Littleton. He was so good his coach said Meckling was able to join a Top 5 college fencing team. On Monday the academy will reopen to remember him.
"He was looking forward to his graduation, the challenges that were going to face him in life, and it was all taken away," said Alex Kovacs, Meckling's former fencing coach at the Fencing Academy of Denver.
At 3:45 a.m. Saturday the school says Meckling joined others in climbing onto a roof at a low point, and then fell off. Moments later, he was dead.
"It hurts a lot," Kovacs said.
The roof of the sports arena was wet from an overnight rain.
Kovacs coached Meckling for three years at the Fencing Academy of Denver. During Meckling's high school years he remembers encouraging Meckling to apply to Notre Dame.
"He said he didn't think he was good enough to get into a school like Notre Dame and that he would never be able to fence there. And I said, "You have to try, because you are,' " Kovacs said.
And he was. His first two years at Notre Dame he had 40 wins and only four losses. He was that good. Academically the honors student was enrolled at Notre Dame as a mechanical engineer.
"Say a prayer for Billy and go hug your children and understand how fragile life is," Kovacs said.
Meckling had a twin brother, Peter, who wrestled. During tournaments Meckling and his brother would often fence against each other. When the question was raised, who's going to win? Kovacs' answer was -- Billy Meckling.
