Alumni in action: 2 Eagle Valley lacrosse players went on to NCAA DII programs in the state

A pair of Eagle Valley lacrosse players will continue their athletic careers with NCAA DII national programs. Sienna Rinn will attend CSU-Pueblo and Ian Bibler will attend Colorado Mesa University. Both were drawn to their respective Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference schools by siblings.

“I get a chance to play with my sister and play a lot,” Rinn said when asked about her decision to join the ThunderWolves. Her sister Sophia scored five goals and added four assists during her freshman campaign last spring while coach Taylor Ward’s team won 2-12.

Bibler felt the same way about Colorado Mesa University, where he will join his brother Eli.

“(It was) one of the first schools that really gave me an opportunity to play,” he said. “And I really couldn’t pass up the opportunity to play with my brother.”

The Mavericks are coming off a third straight RMAC tournament championship. Colorado Mesa went 13-4 and was undefeated at home for the second straight season. The team finished the year ranked 16th nationally — just missing out on qualifying for the 12-team NCAA DII tournament. Alongside Eli Bibler, who scored five goals and added 13 assists in his redshirt freshman seasonthe Colorado Mesa roster also includes Eagle Valley alumni Philip and Erich Petersen.

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As Eagle Valley’s captain last spring, Ian Bibler scored seven goals and added 10 assists, earning him all-state honorable mention honors. He said his favorite memory was upsetting Aspen 7-5 on April 9 and that he will cherish the friendships he made in the Devils’ locker room.

“Being there with your boys, having fun, things you can’t get back,” he said.

Rinn – also an honorable mention all-state player – gradually improved over her four-year varsity career. She scored 26 goals as a freshman, 38 as a sophomore, 42 as a junior and 60 last year. She also led the team in assists and accounted for 65% of Eagle Valley’s total point production. Rinn said making new friends and memories was her favorite part of being a devil.

“With hard work and training, you can do anything you put your mind to,” she said before crediting the school’s athletic directors for helping her develop. “Over the years – I know they’ve been different – ​​but they’ve really helped me grow as a player, especially Ryan (Lynch) this year.”