Few players have as much experience in a Fort Lewis College women’s lacrosse jersey than Megan Longtain.
The senior from West Linn, Oregon, is about to embark on her fourth and final season with the Skyhawks. She started 14 of 17 games as a freshman in 2014 and has missed only one game since.
She was named to the All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Second Team in each of the previous two seasons, and she received another accolade Wednesday when the preseason coaches poll was released.
Longtain was named the RMAC Preseason Co-Defensive Player of the Year along with Erin Abbott, a senior at Lindenwood University.
It was a big honor for Longtain to share with Abbott, who was a IWLCA First Team All-American, First Team All-Region and First Team All-RMAC selection last year.
Longtain exceed last year with 18 caused turnovers, 38 ground balls and 13 draw controls. Abbott had 32 turnovers, 43 ground balls and 64 draw controls.
The poll is voted on by the conference’s coaches, and they cannot select their own team.
Lindenwood, the defensing regular season and RMAC tournament champion, was selected to finish first with the maximum nine first-place votes and 81 total points in the preseason poll. Regis was selected second with 73 total points and the first-place vote from Lindenwood’s coach.
Colorado Mesa earned 62 points and was selected third, while Fort Lewis was fourth with 54 points. CSU-Pueblo received 46 points, Westminster had 44 and Rockhurst earned 38.
Adams State (20), UC-Colorado Springs (19) and RMAC newcomer Oklahoma Baptist (13) rounded out the rest of the conference.
The preseason co-player of the year was split by Regis sophomore Wendy Donier and Lindenwood junior Allison Hurley. Jada Bonner of Regis was named the preseason midfielder of the year, and preseason goalie of the year went to Lindenwood’s Rachel Ortell.
FLC still has some time to prepare for its first action of the season. The Skyhawks will travel to Florida to play Saint Leo and Florida Southern beginning March 5. After going 8-6 overall and 4-3 in conference a year ago, FLC will look to get back to the four-team RMAC tournament for a fourth consecutive year in the fourth year of RMAC women’s lacrosse.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
