Thanks to dad's driving, mom's packing of food and luggage, and his abilities and talent, Colten Colmorgen will follow his lacrosse dream from the North Okanagan to the United States' northeast.
The Valentine's Day baby, who turned 20 last month, signed a sweetheart of a college deal with the Chestnut Hill College Griffins men's field lacrosse squad, an NCAA Div. II team, located in Philadelphia. Colmorgen will begin his freshman season with the Griffins in September.
"I was definitely stressed out about it (getting scholarship)," said Colmorgen, who was second in team scoring with the Vernon Iron Ghost Construction Tigers of the Thompson Okanagan Junior Box Lacrosse League in 2024. "The scholarship has always been in the back of my mind. I had some doubt along the way, but I needed to follow my dream."
While he thrives in the indoor game, Colmorgen says his passion lies with the field version, playing in the great outdoors.
He began field lacrosse in the North Okanagan Minor system 10 years ago. With dad, Achim, doing the driving, and mom, Misty, packing the clothes and road trip supplies, Colmorgen joined the Fusion West Field Program in the Lower Mainland, and would travel with the club to recruiting tournaments for field lacrosse.
There, his play could be seen by U.S.college staff, including Chestnut Hill College.
"I had a couple of other offers but I talked with (head coach) Jim DeCarlo quite a bit and I became convinced Chestnut Hill was right for me," said Colmorgen, who plans to study sports medicine.
The feeling was mutual with the coach.
"I'm excited for Colten to be part of this team," said DeCarlo, in his fourth year as head coach of the Griffins. "I received notification Colten was interested in our program, he would send us highlight videos of his play over the summer, and I remembered I had seen him on the field and went back through my notes.
"We had multiple phone calls, and I talked with his field coach quite a bit. I liked him right away."
Colmorgen will be joining a team that has won the last four Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Men's Lacrosse Championships. Like every player at Chestnut Hill, be they freshmen or seniors, the Vernon product will have to earn his playing spot.
"I definitely see him competing for a starting position," said DeCarlo. "That's my expectation for him."
Colmorgen netted 33 goals and added 18 assists in 15 regular-season games with the Tigers, and added 9-6-15 in five post-season games. He hopes to play box this summer with the B.C. Junior A League's New Westminster Junior Salmonbellies before jetting east.
All of his lacrosse goals have been helped along the way by mom and dad.
"They've been amazing," said Colmorgen. "Dad would sometimes drive to a practice for five hours, then drive home right after. Mom always made sure we had food and packed our clothes."
The Griffins, looking for a fifth consecutive CACC title, are off to a 1-1 start as the field season gets underway.
