Tenger to play lacrosse at Westcliff University

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics allows high school student-athletes to sign letters of intent with NAIA schools prior to their senior year, and 2020-21 Fallbrook High School junior Cole Tenger has signed a letter of intent to play lacrosse with Westcliff University.

"It's a blessing, and I thank my family and my coaches and friends," Tenger said.

Tenger was also considering Morningside University in Iowa, Concordia University in Irvine, and Dominican University in San Rafael. Tenger chose Westcliff University because it was close to home.

"I wanted to be close to family. I didn't want to leave California," Tenger said.

Westcliff University is in Irvine. Fallbrook High School and Westcliff University both have the nickname Warriors (as does Fallbrook's youth feeder club program). Westcliff had 3,100 students in 2020. Westcliff also has one of only two non-club men's lacrosse college programs in California. Notre Dame de Namur is in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, so Westcliff has the only NAIA men's lacrosse program in California.

Actually, Westcliff is forming its men's lacrosse program. The 2021 season was supposed to be the first for the Warriors, although the coronavirus shutdown did not allow competition.

"It's a new program, so it would be cool to try to build something in the next four years," Tenger said.

"It's a nice small school, and I think he's going to thrive there," said Fallbrook High Coach Mike Zinniger.

Tenger plans to major in business administration or sports management, although any administration activities after college would be after the entry level phase of his planned career. "I want to be a firefighter," he said.

Both of Tenger's parents were athletes at Carlsbad High School. His father, John, played football and baseball. His mother, Jenelle, was on the Lancers' tennis team. Tenger has an older sister, McKenna, who graduated from Fallbrook High School in 2019 but did not play any sports.

Tenger is a lifelong Bonsall resident. He attended Bonsall Elementary School from first through fifth grade and Sullivan Middle School for sixth grade. He was a Potter Junior High School student for two years before becoming part of the Fallbrook High School student body in 2018.

In his youth, Tenger played organized baseball. He played freshman football for Fallbrook High School in 2018. Tenger did not play any sports as a sophomore. He planned to play football as a junior but broke his collarbone prior to the Warriors' first game.

John Downey completed his sophomore year at Fallbrook High School in June. The coronavirus outbreak limited Fallbrook to three lacrosse games in Downey's freshman season. Downey's contributions prior to the start of 2021 play include recruiting Tenger to the lacrosse program.

"I was messing around with my buddy," Tenger said.

"He told me I should play," Tenger said. "I went to the practice and just loved it."

Fallbrook didn't have a junior varsity team for 2021, so Tenger made the varsity without any previous lacrosse experience. "It just clicked with me," he said.

"He was a great surprise," Zinniger said. "Picked it up immediately and just became phenomenal."

Tenger became a faceoff specialist for the Warriors. "He was getting so fast and winning those faceoffs. He was going straight down the field and scoring," Zinniger said.

In many cases, the faceoff specialist leaves the field after the faceoff and is replaced by another midfielder. "If he's got a line to the goal, he'll go in and take the shot," Zinniger said.

Zinniger learned that Tenger was a faceoff specialist who could score. "He was kind of a double threat for us," Zinniger said.

Tenger's injury kept him from playing any football for the 2020-21 season which concluded April 16. Fallbrook's first boys lacrosse match was March 30. "He didn't start until April. He played six games for us," Zinniger said.

"Just a natural athlete," Zinniger said. "I think he absolutely deserves that scholarship. He earned it in such a short time."

Tenger will have one more high school season before he begins his college lacrosse experience. "He's going to be amazing his senior year," Zinniger said.