Ortman Opts for Fresno State

Although student athletes typically commit to colleges during their senior year, junior Devon Ortman has verbally committed to play lacrosse for California State University, Fresno.

According to girls lacross coach Devon Combe, Ortman’s “most unique aspect as a player is her physicality as a defender coupled with her advanced IQ for the game. She can not only handle any attacker driving on her, but she can also anticipate the overall larger offensive motion and how best to work as a team to stop it.”

According to Next College Student Athlete, California has only 6 Division 1 campuses with lacrosse programs, accounting for 270 available roster spots. Thus, the chances of finding an in-state opportunity to play college lacrosse are slim.

According to Combe, “West Coast lacrosse players often have to make the financial commitment to attend camps, recruiting showcases, and tournaments hosted on the east coast. As more and more West Coast colleges adopt NCAA D1 programs, it becomes easier for California players like Devon to attend camps within their own state and get the recognition they deserve.”

Ortman’s teammate senior Chloe Guthrie said, “I’m really happy that she found a school that she is really exited about especially because I know it can be hard for players from California to get the attention of college coaches and she has worked really hard to get to where she is.”

Ortman said she decided on Fresno because she “really loves California weather.”

“I also love what a great town Fresno is and what a great program they have,” she said.